Workshop | March 14 | 3-5 p.m. | Dwinelle Hall, B-4 (Classroom side)
Greta Vollmer, Professor Emerita, English & Applied Linguistics, Sonoma State University
Berkeley Language Center
Students studying foreign languages often struggle to produce texts whose forms, purposes and linguistic features are unfamiliar or unclear to them. How can we - as instructors - help them understand the key genres of a foreign language, as well as the linguistic choices and cultural expectations that shape them? This session will offer an activity-based introduction to "genre-based pedagogy, illustrating strategies to reduce students' dependency on writing "recipes" and help them understand both the constraints and the choices available to them as writers and language learners. Broadening our students understanding of genre beyond that of a simple "text template" is a critical step toward their successful engagement with the genres of the target language and culture.