Using traditional tales to teach English composition: The curriculum recycle paradigm
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Date
2009-01
Authors
Adeosun, A.O
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Department of Teacher Education, University of Ibadan
Abstract
Writing pedagogy has been shaped by an array of influences over the years. Literacy educators argued that in writing instruction, assigning topics and grading writing was not enough. The focus is on the contexts of individual learners, that is what they bring to a particular composing events. This study responds to the need to teach writing using students’ familiar resources from their diverse language, social and cultural backgrounds. The paper documented a 12-week study on the use of folktales in enhancing students writing skills at the secondary school level. The experimental students’ group, that is those taught to use folktales as their schemas performed significantly higher than those exposed to the conventional classroom approach, thus confirming the notion that students’ language background is critical in promoting subsequent competence in English as Second Language and that writing involves making meanings that are enacted in social, cultural and material contexts. The study recommended that given the diversity of students in the ESL classroom, it is critical that teachers understand the ways students create meanings outside the formal setting of school and know how to help students to use what they bring as outside resource to support their learning in the classroom.
Description
Scholarly article
Keywords
Traditional tales, folktales, writing instruction, curriculum recycle, composition writing
Citation
Adeosun, A.O. (2009). Using traditional tales to teach English composition: The curriculum recycle paradigm. African Journal of Educational Research, Vol.13(1&2); 47-57.