Theoretically-derived strategies to support overseas students' writing

Dr Tom Hawes Liverpool, 23.6.10

Overview

1. Theme-Rheme definitions2. General problems3. Thematic progression4. Progression problems5. Pedagogical implications

Thematisation

Key in information structure and rhetoricStructuring of a clause into two parts: -Theme: leftmost, ‘given’ Rheme: rightmost, comment or ‘new’ Thematic progression: links with other clauses

Theme-rheme definitions

Theme can be glossed as: 1. the start of the clause, 2. everything up to and including the first ideational element, and 3. what the message will be about. Rheme is the remainder of the clause (Halliday, 1985:39-54).

“Communication might be defined as the conversion of new information into given information, and a successful communicator as a person who correctly assesses the state of knowledge of his or her interlocutor. If we misjudge, and treat what is given as new, we will be boring; in the reverse case when we assume the new to be given, we will be incomprehensible” (Cook, 1989:64).

Students and thematisation

Coherent writing in EnglishNative speakersOverseas students

- too little exposure- patterns are harder to see in a foreign language- assumptions from L1 may not apply

Some potential theme categories*

• Human - Named; Title; Group; Pronoun; Discourse Participant• Ideological - female/male; Government/Opposition• Non-Human Participant - World; Abstract; Negative• Non-Participant - B Clause; WH- & Polar Interrogative; IT &

THERE predicates; Verb; Exclamative; Imperative; Ellided/Annexes

• Structural - Simple & Complex; Multiple

* Hawes (2001)

General problems

No discernable theme-rheme structureRandom theme changes with no clear link between clauses New material in theme Too many elements within theme

Example 1. Structuring of given/new

Mohammad Nasim, the minister for post and telecommunication in Bangladesh, one of the poorest countries in the world, / saying, “We / know full well how important a role telecommunications play in a country’s economic development.” (Zaman, 1999). The converse / is also making sense. Lacking of information / is a disaster for a company because it / cannot compete in the global marketplace.

Example 2. Random introduction of new elements in theme

However, it / is actually hard to define the rights on the net and sometimes those actions / hinder the process of democratization. Take / China as an example. There / was a famous event [which] happened in 1989 in China called “[the] 1989 Political Crisis”. The younger generation / barely kown [sic] the details of that event because it / is a sensitive topic and it / is only mentioned superficially in the history or political class.

Example 3: Discourse participant theme

Davies’ (1990) visibility continuum Referent slippage in The Sun

The Sun will be watching to make sure energy firms don’t pass on the costs (The Sun, 12.9.08:8).

In London, The Sun films Islamic fanatic Anjem Choudary ranting that Muslims must take over Britain and bring in Sharia law. We are at war in Afghanistan (The Sun, 13.9.08: 8).

Disguised discourse participant in ‘academic’ writing

This essay / attempts to answer this question through two aspects.

Potentially appropriate substitutes for ‘I’ -This paperThe introductionSection 4.2

Daneš’ (1974) three types of Thematic Progression

1. Constant

Th1-Th2, Th2-Th3, Th3-Th4, etc

Example This faraway country / has fewer people than Newcastle. It / used to be known only for coconuts and bananas (The Sun: 17.10.1991).

2. Simple Linear

Rh1-Th2, Rh2-Th3, Rh3-Th4, etc

Example England’s footballers / will be sponsored by a US company

for the next World Cup. American Airlines / have done a £100,000 deal with the F.A. (The Sun: 11.10.1991).

3. Derived

Th(D1), Th(D2), Th(D3), etc

Example Inflation / is expected to tumble further today. Industry / is virtually strike-free and wage settlements / are the lowest in years. Yet sterling / hangs on the ropes like a battered boxer because opinion polls suggest Labour might win the next election (The Sun: 11.10.1991).

Variations on Daneš’ Progressions*

3 suggested subcategories of constant progression:

1. Constant gap 2. Constant type 3. Constant rheme

*Thematic Progression and Rhetoric in Sun and Times Editorials: 1991-2008. Rice Working Papers in Linguistics, Texas, USA (Vol 2, 2010), Forthcoming

Daneš’ lacuna

‘Unmarked theme’: subject participants, NG ‘Marked’ theme: non-subjects, incapable of playing the role of participant in the text

My claim: marked themes - Progress the text in a different manner to the unmarked norm

Often co-occur with evaluative rhetorical moves

‘Breaks’*

To address Daneš’ lacuna, I propose ‘breaks’ - ‘marked’ themes (thematising something incapable of being

the subject of a clause, ie non-participant themes, or non-referent themes)

Examplesexclamatives, WH- and polar interrogatives, verb groups, it and there predicates, bound clauses, elliptical ‘annex’ themes

*Hawes (2001): Thematisation in the editorials of The Sun and The Times (PhD thesis)

What do Breaks do?

Breaks often –

occur at the beginning or end of a rhetorical segmentbreak the flow of thematic progressionchange the direction of the discoursereveal the ideological structure of the message

Breaks: an example

1. THE BBC / will not be bullied by any political party. 2. That / is the arrogant reply from deputy Director General, John Birt, to complaints of bias in its news coverage of the Tory conference debate on the Health Service. 3. He / says ‘any reasonable observer’ can see the BBC presents the news with integrity and impartiality. 4. Does Mr Birt / own a different dictionary to the rest of us? (The Sun: 21.10.1991).

WH-interrogative breaks

In The Sun most WH-interrogatives are RQ1 or RQ2 -

RQ1 WHY / has the pound sunk on world money markets? … because opinion polls suggest Labour might win the next election (The Sun, 11.10.91); RQ2 Where / is the lolly to come from if they take the largest slice of the cake? (The Sun, 18.10.91).

Extended ‘attacking’ WH- example

…[Mr Birt] / says ‘any reasonable observer’ can see the BBC presents the news with integrity and impartiality. Does Mr Birt / own a different dictionary to the rest of us? WHERE / is the integrity in interviewing three people in the bar of a hospital social club? WHERE / is the impartiality in broadcasting disparaging remarks in the middle of a report on the Health Secretary’s speech at Blackpool? (The Sun: 21.10.1991).

Students’ problems with progression

Problems with constant

a) too few or too many of a progression typeb) progression used inappropriately

used disproportionately often by lower-level studentscan create a ‘heaviness’coaching needed in alternative progression types

*Problems of Thematisation in Student Writing. RELC Journal. Seameo Regional Language Centre (Singapore), 28/2 (1997) pp35-55

Lack of coherence despite constant progression

ExampleIn addition, the internet / magnifies the range and influence of the criminal activities. Consequently, the internet / also turns into the new task of world’s security. How to bring the all positive factors of internet into play / is foremost mission for every country. With the growing number of information sources of the internet, it / affects almost every aspect of our daily lives day by day.

Derived and simple linear: problems

Derived progressionmore academic impressionassumes more background knowledgeneed to keep the hypertheme constantly in mind

Simple linear progressioncan lend an aura of logiccan be plodding: ‘this means… this means, etc’.

Pedagogical implications

Full range of theme and progression choicesBreaks When to use which choices at specific points

- eg breaks at beginning and end of passageBalancing ‘academic’ exposition with more hortatory optionsPractice in evaluating the suitability of theme-rheme andprogression choices

Conclusion: Helping students succeed

Academic writing is their nr 1 problem!Formative evaluationVLETutoring & pastoral careTriangulation

Thank you

Tom HawesLiverpool23 June 2010