Using the SFL Genre-Based Approach to Improve Thai Learners’ Writing of an Explanation

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Published: Jan 20, 2020
Keywords:
Writing, Systemic Functional Linguistic (SFL) Genre-Based Approach, Explanation

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Napak-on Sritrakarn
Rajamangala University of Technology Isan, Khon Kaen Campus

Abstract

This study investigated the effects of employing the SFL (Systemic Functional Linguistic) genre-based approach in an English writing classroom to improve Thai learners’ skills in writing an English explanation. Participants comprised of 22 English majors who were undertaking the English Report Writing Course. The corpus included students’ writing drafts, a questionnaire, and a group interview. The findings showed that the SFL genre-based approach has the potential to help equip students with awareness of the focused genre. Analysis of students’ writing revealed that students composed the drafts to achieve the writing goal and constructed explanation texts with the required schematic structure while their application of the language resources at clause level varied, depending on their levels of learning achievement. Based on these findings, this paper discusses selected implications for language learning and teaching, and future research.

Article Details

Issue
Vol. 14 No. 1 (2020): The New English Teacher
Section
Research articles

 

 

 

Author Biography

Napak-on Sritrakarn, Rajamangala University of Technology Isan, Khon Kaen Campus

Napak-on Sritrakarn was formerly known as Yupaporn Piriyasilpa and Yupaporn Seetrakarn. She is an Assistant Professor at the Department of English for International Communication, Faculty of Technical Education, Rajamangala University of Technology Isan, Khon Kaen Campus, Thailand. She obtained her Ph.D. from Macquarie University, Australia. Her research interests cover Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL), academic literacy, discourse analysis, and genre studies.

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