Realization(s): Systemic-Functional Linguistics and the Language Classroom
SYSTEMIC FUNCTIONAL LINGUISTICS
The teachers and their contexts
We worked with two teachers, Sandra and Bobbi, who had been enrolled in our course in Semester 1. Students in the course were predominately experienced teachers, many of whom were teaching while studying. A large number were international students. We wanted to understand: a) the development of their knowledge of SFL arising from the unit, and; b) what impact this knowledge had made on their teaching. We also wanted to know whether and how the content of the unit had changed the teachers’ personal constructions of KAL.
The teachers both worked part-time, mainly at a large language teaching centre for overseas students. Students at the centre are from a wide range of language backgrounds, although those from South-East Asian countries predominate. The observations were conducted during the summer in classrooms that were often very hot. They were equipped with moveable tables and chairs, overhead projectors and whiteboards. Tables were mostly arranged in horseshoe fashion, but sometimes grouped together.
Sandra, in her early 30s, was in her tenth year of teaching. At the time of the research she was preparing her dissertation to complete her Masters degree. Recently arrived from South America, she worked at the language centre while she studied. The first lesson we observed was a business preparation program, while the three subsequent lessons were for general English students. The average number of students was 13.
Bobbi, in her 50s, was in her third year of teaching. Like Sandra, she was working on her dissertation. Since 1999, she had taught part-time, in other adult language programs, as well as at the language centre. The first observation was conducted in an outside further study class, consisting of immigrant students, while the three subsequent lessons were in a preparation program designed to equip students for a university entry course conducted by a private organization on campus. Her classes contained a similar number of students to Sandra’s.
