ERIC Number: EJ1161089
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2010
Pages: 10
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1358-684X
EISSN: N/A
Dialogue and Theory: On James Moffett's Work in English Teaching and Language Education
Dixon, John
Changing English: Studies in Culture and Education, v17 n3 p275-284 2010
James Moffett's structuralist impulse to carve the "universe of discourse" into four related levels--drama, narrative, exposition, argumentation--was quickly reframed as a rough approximation, as he recognised the ways myth and fictions compressed several layers, and even everyday narratives potentially encapsulated some of the rest. Instead, he decided to make central the two-way street between particularising and generalising, as a key to learning. This article qualifies Moffett's focus on events (what's happening?); points to a more static universe of (contextual) states of affairs--a field ramified by recent theorising; and briefly suggests why Moffett's ideas may have profound implications for teachers, for example in the discussion of literary fictions--and more.
Descriptors: English Instruction, Language Acquisition, Change Agents, Educational Theories, Literary Styles, Literary Genres, Literary Devices, Educational Practices, Teaching Methods, Curriculum Design, Design Preferences
Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A