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Author: Trish
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Speaking in subject areas
How to speak like a subject expert
We all know that students need to learn to write like a subject expert, but they also have to learn to speak like a subject expert too.
If they can’t speak about it, they surely can’t write about it.
Research shows that oral language skills are related to reading and writing. In fact, speaking skills often pave the way for development of reading and writing skills.
This is true even in secondary schools, because reading, writing and speaking get more difficult and complex in each year of schooling.
So how can we improve a student’s speaking skills and help them speak like a subject expert? Here’s one activity you can try online or in the classroom:
Speak about a model or diagram or object
Even if you want student to write in the end, it is really valuable to give students something multimodal to engage with and speak about. The aim is to engage students in meaningful subject-based talk, which is the way that subject experts communicate.
For example, you could arrange students in pairs and:
the phases of the paragraph:
- explain the parts and how they work together
- explain the process
- describe what the object is or means
- describe how the object relates to the topic or issue being studied.
What are some examples from different subjects?
Students should not use informal, everyday language. Instead they should use subject vocabulary and objective, formal language. They should use full sentences.
They might need to rehearse and say it several times. Then they can talk to the teacher, to the class, to another group of students.
- They could talk about a finance table in Business Studies
- They could talk about a model in Science
- They could talk about graphic notation or a concept map in Music
- They could talk about an image in HPE.
- They could talk about a graph in Geography.
- They could talk about an artwork in Visual Arts.
Teenage girls examining part of anatomical model in classroom What happens next?
After students speak about a model or diagram or object, then they can read about it with more engagement and comprehension and also write with greater expertise.
References
Research shows that oral language develops in tandem with spoken and written language. Oral language skills often come before reading and writing. See my review of the literature below:
Weekes, T. (2021). ‘A review of the literature around literacy transition’, in P.T. Jones, E. Matruglio & C. Edwards-Groves (Eds.), Transition and Continuity in School Literacy Development. London: Bloomsbury.
If you have more questions, please get in touch: info@literacyworks.com.au
Why do we need a model text?
What is a model text anyway?
Teachers often wonder about this.
A model text is an example of exactly what the students have to write. It’s an answer, an exemplar, a mentor text that has the exact language features that we want students to write.
Here’s an example from PDHPE in Year 8. It’s a description of a skill for positive and respectful relationships. The model text is a paragraph, which has four phases:
- Identify the skill
- Define
- What happens if the skill is not present?
- Benefits of the skill.
A model text includes the text AND the annotation that students will do, to show they understand what is in the text and how it works (the language features). In the example above, the language features identified are:
- the phases of the paragraph
- underlining of the name of the skill (effective communication)
- highlighting the word ‘means’ which indicates a definition is coming.
The model text provides the highest level of student support for scaffolding literacy. It is the “I do” phase of the pedagogy. The “I do” does not mean: “Watch me while I do it”. It means: “Here’s one I prepared earlier (and let’s see how it works).”
How do we use a model text?
A model text is used as part of the teaching and learning cycle for literacy. It is not used on its own. Instead, it is part of a teaching sequence that scaffolds literacy learning for students. The process of modelling the text follows these four steps:
By the way, in Step 3, the genre means the text type, which in the PDHPE example is a description.
What happens next after the model text?
After the model text, students work in groups to write a similar text. For example, students write a paragraph about another skill in positive relationships such as active listening. They follow the same paragraph phases:
- Identify the skill
- Define
- What happens if the skill is not present?
- Benefits of the skill.
Then student write a third paragraph independently about a third skill (e.g. open body language).
Why do we need a model text?
1. A model text makes writing easier for students because they don’t have to guess what’s in the teacher’s head. They can see an actual example of a text first and they learn how it works.
2. Reading and annotating a model text is part of proven pedagogy that improves literacy achievement. The pedagogy is the Scaffolding Teaching and Learning Cycle (I do, We do, You do).
3. When teachers write a model text, this helps teachers to focus on exactly what they expect from students.
What happens next?
After students read and annotate a model text, then they can write a similar text in pairs or groups with the model text as a guide. For example, for PDHPE, students could write about another skill for respectful relationships such as reflective listening. They write a paragraph about active listening using the same paragraph phases as the model. Then finally the students can write an independent text, a paragraph about a third skill such as positive body language.
Together, the model text, jointly constructed text and independent text belong in the teaching and learning cycle (Rothery, 1994; Rose and Martin, 2012) which is an effective way of scaffolding literacy in any subject or year level.
References
Rose, D., & Martin, J. R. (2012). Learning to write, reading to learn. Genre, knowledge and pedagogy in the Sydney School. Sheffield & Bristol: Equinox Publishing Ltd.
Rothery, J. (1994). Exploring literacy in school English. Sydney: Metropolitan East Disadvantaged School Program.
If you have more questions, please get in touch: info@literacyworks.com.au
Blog Post 3 {Sample Only}
Literacy Works has released a FREE guide on how to improve literacy in secondary schools.
It is based on the latest research and a strong evidence base on what works to improve literacy in subject areas.
The how-to guide offers 6 steps to improving literacy in secondary schooling across subject areas.
If you are a principal, deputy, leader of learning, literacy coordinator or head of faculty, this guide is for you. It will help you design and implement a literacy program across all subject areas and involving every teacher in faculty groups.
Click here to download your free guide: how to improve literacy in secondary schools.
To find out more, please contact trish@literacyworks.com.au.
Blog Post 2 {Sample Only}
Literacy Works has released a FREE guide on how to improve literacy in secondary schools.
It is based on the latest research and a strong evidence base on what works to improve literacy in subject areas.
The how-to guide offers 6 steps to improving literacy in secondary schooling across subject areas.
If you are a principal, deputy, leader of learning, literacy coordinator or head of faculty, this guide is for you. It will help you design and implement a literacy program across all subject areas and involving every teacher in faculty groups.
Click here to download your free guide: how to improve literacy in secondary schools.
To find out more, please contact trish@literacyworks.com.au.
How to improve literacy in secondary schools
Literacy Works has released a FREE guide on how to improve literacy in secondary schools.
It is based on the latest research and a strong evidence base on what works to improve literacy in subject areas.
The how-to guide offers 6 steps to improving literacy in secondary schooling across subject areas.
If you are a principal, deputy, leader of learning, literacy coordinator or head of faculty, this guide is for you. It will help you design and implement a literacy program across all subject areas and involving every teacher in faculty groups.
Click here to download your free guide: how to improve literacy in secondary schools.
To find out more, please contact trish@literacyworks.com.au.
