We can also recommend further accessible reading on genre-based curriculum planning.[4]. The language comprises a variety of expressions that usually vary in terms of their grammatical form but can be used for the same purpose. Yet, we may need to reinforce the teaching of expression of emotion, which does not always get much attention. Why didnt you phone me at once, as soon as you asked him, the minute that he accepted? Functional Language The idea is to become familiar with the subject matter and the vocabulary (some structures, but mainly vocabulary) that it is expressed with, before they have contact with the text. For example, even for students at a fairly low level of instruction in EFL, choosing the right structure to give an order can already involve considering options such as: Close the door; Please close the door; Can you close the door? Craig Thaine, author of Off the Page Activities to Bring Lessons Alive and Enhance Learning, explains how these two ways of viewing language are similar and different. We will actually continue to teach all these aspects of language as intensively as we always have, but not because a wide vocabulary, a precise grammar or a fluent pronunciation are in themselves the object of teaching a language, but rather, because they are the resources we need to operate effectively as social beings in a given cultural context. or will you be exploring the topic along with your audience?). Functional language is about using phrases to express something in everyday communication. How formal / informal can we be? The two labels represent different ways of organising this kind of social language. -After examining several samples of the genre, how can we describe the key social function the genre fulfills? The table below summarizes the impact that more formal or informal tenors can have on the language choices we make, some of which are reflected in the dialogue above. This is because it As we answer these questions, we will be identifying purposes that are very pragmatic and easily definable such as buying and selling service encounter above to less tangible and more interpersonal purposes as casual conversations, anecdotes or narratives for children. Finally, dont make the dialogue so long that the students lose motivation. Which of these is the focus of functional linguistics? Later on, in higher education and professional life, primary and secondary genres continue to occur, as we said before, fulfilling functions within longer and more complex genres. We can also use the informative language function on a daily basis to tell people where we're going, what we're doing, or about things going on in our lives. As members of a culture, they take part in social activities that go from the very everyday, here-and-now context of family and friends, to the more impersonal, abstract context of professional, academic or scientific endeavor. Of course, as with any approach to teaching, functional language has been criticised. Martins definition above is very effective in capturing several ideas about what teaching a language involves. By registering you get free access to our website and app (available on desktop AND mobile) which will help you to super-charge your learning process. The teacher, acting as a scribe, will not only record what students say, but also help them to visualize what the next step would be given the function of the text, consider and reconsider contributions by students maybe in terms of tenor or field, encourage students to consider their audience and any additional information or guidance they may need, for example.