Review of the SFL Genre-Based Approach in a Thai Tertiary Context

Abstract

Writing is a highly complicated process, made up of various sub- processes that occur not one after another in a strict linear pattern, but ‘cyclically and in varying patterns’ (Caudery, 1995). For this reason, writing for different purposes requires different skills and language resources, making writing one of the most difficult skills for students to master. Therefore, it is important that instructors teach their students about different language resources required for each kind of writing, and raise awareness of the relationship between contextual features, including writing goals, and language patterns. This paper reviews relevant literature about writing instruction from three genre traditions (New Rhetoric, English for Specific Purposes- ESP, and Systemic Functional Linguistics- SFL); proposes SFL as the most appropriate theory for Thai English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners; discusses previous studies on applications of the approach in the writing classrooms of Thailand; and draws conclusions on guidelines for future research.