Literacies and social practice: sociological perspectives on reading research

ABSTRACT

This article considers the distinctive contribution that sociological perspectives have made to understanding reading as a profoundly social and cultural activity, differentiated by the specifics of time and place. Literacy researchers, using a social lens, have sought to explore, explain and redress inequalities in access to and uses of literacy in its different forms. This has often meant championing pedagogies premised on dialogue and connection. Yet this may conflict with an emphasis in current policy on children mastering a relatively narrow skills-based definition of literacy as they begin to learn to read. The article explores how the tension points in the literacy curriculum, intensified in test-based accountability systems, can be navigated in this light.     

In defence of writing: a social semiotic perspective on digital media,literacy and learning

From a learning perspective, social semiotics researchers tend to focus on the liberation latent in the multimedia options available through the new media. It is true that digital media democratise the possibilities open to the general public of a more varied and comprehensive text production than ever before, both in and outside school. Participating in this text production naturally implies a richer potential for learning. But digital technology also allows us to opt out of, and thus avoid, semiotic work. With this as the starting point, the present article sets out to highlight the pedagogical benefits associated with the written mode, precisely in an age when the digital media are making multimodal forms of expression increasingly available to us all.     

Using social semiotics to prepare mathematics teachers to teach for social justice

In this article, we propose that guiding teachers to examine the regulative/discursive norms of school mathematics with tools derived from social semiotics can serve two related goals: (1) to deconstruct the “math is math period!” disposition in prospective teachers by promoting their critical understanding of the symbolic domination work they often unknowingly perform and (2) to reconstruct a more socio-political disposition by equipping them with tools for decoding the dominant discursive practices of school mathematics. After reviewing research on the social semiotics of mathematics education, we discuss two sample teacher education tasks designed with the above goals in mind.     

主述位理论与英语阅读理解

阅读作为英语学习策略之一,长期以来一直是英语学习中探索的重点和核心。探讨阅读理解的理论模式以及阅读技巧,成为研究者所关注的焦点。文章基于韩礼德的功能语法,从语篇功能的主述位结构探讨阅读理解,论证其在操作上的适用性和可行性,为英语阅读教学提供一个新的视角。     

Developing reading comprehension with moving image narratives

This paper reports the findings from a small-scale exploratory study that investigated how moving-image narratives might enable children to develop transferable reading comprehension strategies. Using short, animated, narrative films, 28 primary-aged children engaged in a 10-week programme that included the explicit instruction of comprehension strategies in small-group settings. Baseline and final data relating to children’s reading accuracy, rate and comprehension of written texts were gathered using a standardised reading assessment. Findings show that children’s reading comprehension scores showed significant improvement after the programme. Furthermore, reading accuracy scores also improved beyond expected levels even though no decoding of written words had occurred in the programme. While further research is needed, these findings offer a challenge to models of reading that potentially over-simplify the complex relationship between the word recognition and comprehension. More importantly, the findings point at the importance of using alternatives to written texts within the reading curriculum.     

Institutional Pedagogy and Semiosis: Investigating the missing link between Peirce's semiotics and effective semiotics

My aim in this paper is to show the relevance of an ‘effective semiotics’; that is, a field study based upon Peirce's semiotics. The general context of this investigation is educational semiotics rather than semiotics of teaching: I am concerned with a general approach of educational processes, not with skills and curricula. My paper is grounded in a field study that I carried out in a school, L'Ecole de la Neuville, implementing Institutional Pedagogy in France. I first investigate the relevance of Peirce's semiotics in such a context. I then propose several definitions for the word ‘institution’, referring to the core concepts of this particular pedagogy, before describing the concept of ‘institution‐sign’, which is considered a useful tool for making effective connections between several aspects of semiotics. I finally assert that an institution constitutes a tool that allows teachers to favour semiosis in educational contexts.     

Beyond educational semiotics: A response to Cunningham

The case is made that the theoretical propositions and instructional recommendations that Cunningham attributes to semiotics are shared with other perspectives. However, the theoretical and instructional positions Cunningham favors must be evaluated more completely if they are to be acceptable to the educational psychology community, which is generally more positivist in its orientation than the semiotics community. Nonetheless, we emphasize that the methodological approaches favored by Cunningham have the potential for permitting rapid progress in understanding and evaluating the instructional beliefs and practices consistent with semiotic analyses.     

Unravelling the social network: theory and research

Despite the widespread popularity of social networking sites (SNSs) amongst children and young people in compulsory education, relatively little scholarly work has explored the fundamental issues at stake. This paper makes an original contribution to the field by locating the study of this online activity within the broader terrain of social network theory in order to inform future educational debate and further research. The first section offers a way of classifying different kinds of online social networking and then places this within the context of the study of social networks. It is argued that relational networks create a sense of belonging and that online networks just as easily trace the contours of existing social divisions as they transcend or transform them. This analysis informs the second section which specifically addresses educational issues, including both the attractions and the limitations of such work. The paper concludes with an exploration of three possible approaches to using in SNSs in educational contexts.     

Exploring social constructivism: theories and practicalities

In the drive to improve standards, the collection and dissemination of numerical data still directs much contemporary educational policy. However, recent publications and debates seemingly attempt to reorient discussion from performance to learning. In support, constructivism is often referenced as a contributor in this endeavour. However, constructivism is not a single unified theory either of knowledge or pedagogy. This article identifies one version of constructivist thinking, social constructivism, both in terms of its underlying epistemology (theory of knowledge) and related pedagogy. Contemporary educational theories are then outlined to demonstrate that many practical solutions and theoretical ideas now presented as ‘good learning and teaching’ have much in common with social constructivist thinking. Finally, the article concludes by identifying two issues that require further discussion and debate if pedagogy of a social constructivist nature is to be considered.     

Buckyballs,hairyballs, educational semiotics,and other interesting topics

This paper develops the thesis that the educational semiotic described by Cunningham offers an interesting perspective from which to view educational issues, but it offers little in the way of practical approaches to educational problems. After agreeing with Cunningham's argument that knowledge is constructed rather than received, the paper goes on to state three concerns about an educational semiotic: (a) The theory has the wrong architecture, (b) the theory is too powerful, and (c) the theory has no practical use. The paper closes with the observation that an educational semiotic must become more specific and it must provide empirical demonstrations of practical utility if it is to pose a challenge to currently prevailing theories.     

“读图时代”与受众的读图心理探究

图像的传播更纪实、更便捷,大众传播媒介的广泛参与使之变得更加“受众化”。探究什么是“读图时代”以及“受众”的读图心理,对传播媒体的发展具有重要意义。     

Using performance methods to enhance students' reading fluency

The quasi-experimental study examined the effects of pairing Rock and Read with Readers Theater and only Rock and Read on second grade students' reading fluency scores. The 51 subjects were pre- and post-tested on five different reading fluency measures. A series of 3 × 2 repeated measures ANOVAs revealed statistically significant interaction effects on three of the five outcome measures: expression and volume, phrasing, and pace. The analysis of simple effects showed large mean difference effect sizes in both treatments.     

元认知理论与大学英语阅读教学

元认知理论在大学英语阅读教学中起着重要的作用。从元认知理论的三个方面对学生进行有意识、有目的指导和训练,能够使得英语阅读教学起到事半功倍的效果,本文旨在通过对元认知理论和大学英语的研究给教师教学提供有效的指导和帮助。     

《英语阅读》教学方法的探索与实践

现代教学理论认为:阅读是主体对文本材料进行认知构建的心理过程。是主体获取知识和信息的重要手段。通过大量系统的阅读实践,学生可以逐步扩大词汇量,积累语言知识,进而加深文化积淀。《英语阅读》是英语专业基础阶段的必修课程之一,阅读能力的提高对听、说、写、译能力的发展起着推动与辅助作用。因此,笔者认为:探求《英语阅读》行之有效的教学方法有重要的实践指导意义。     

元认知理论与外语阅读理解监控能力的培养

阅读理解监控能力的培养对于大学生英语阅读理解能力的提高和阅读理解教学的改革具有重要意义.在教学中培养学生阅读理解监控能力应从以下几方面努力:培养学生的目标意识;指导学生根据不同的任务变量选择并调整阅读策略;将阅读理解监控训练融入语言教学中去,从而提高英语阅读教学效果和学生的自主学习能力.     

英语阅读中的默读与朗读

阅读是一种技巧,掌握了这种技巧,学生们就会如虎添翼,阅读能力大大提高。阅读有多种方法,本文主要谈论默读和朗读两种阅读技巧。通过默读和朗读,可提高学生阅读理解力和阅读速度,锻炼学生英语表达能力,并帮助学生在听、说、写等方面得到进一步提高。     

Exploring metacognitive strategies and hypermedia annotations on foreign language reading

The effective use of reading strategies has been recognized as an important way to increase reading comprehension in hypermedia environments. The purpose of the study was to explore whether metacognitive strategy use and access to hypermedia annotations facilitated reading comprehension based on English as a foreign language students’ proficiency levels. The primary investigation finding revealed that the strategies used the most were problem-solving strategies, followed by global strategies, whereas support strategies were used the least. The specific strategy of guessing content was used much more frequently which was reliably predicted by their comprehension scores; on the contrary, reading slowly might hinder hypermedia reading comprehension. Regarding the frequency of access to annotations, background information was viewed the most frequently, while word glossary was identified as least frequently; no significant relationship, however, was observed among proficiency levels, frequency of annotation use, and reading strategies. Based on further think-aloud investigation results, limitations and future research are discussed and presented.     

学生中心论在英语阅读教学中的运用

现代教学理论把认为,学生是学习的主体,在英语阅读教学中,教师要转变传统角色,让课堂体现"以学生为中心",帮助学生实现阅读能力的提高。     

语结理论在阅读断句中的应用

断句能力直接关系到对句子的解读效率,从而影响阅读能力。借助语结(从句、短语、单词)进行断句,可以保证每批次处理信息的独立完整,有助于提高句子的解读效率,帮助提升阅读能力。     

谈图式理论与高职英语阅读

阅读理解能力历来是衡量学习者英语水平高低的重要标准之一,图式理论是认知心理学中用来解释心理过程的一种理论模式。本文通过介绍图式理论与高职英语阅读教学的关系,重点阐述图式理论在高职英语阅读的应用。