title: Speaking and writing English

authors: Miller, Jim

abstract: The study of spoken English is exciting, challenging, and controversial: exciting, because new and unexpected constructions keep turning up; challenging, because some syntactic constructions of spoken language resist analysis; controversial, because not all researchers recognize the study of spoken language as legitimate, far less its results. The very title of this chapter is controversial, since spoken language tout court does not differ from written language and analysts recognize genres or dimensions applying to both speech and writing (see Section 27.5). Nonetheless, spontaneous spoken language (Miller Weinert 1998) or conversation (Greenbaum and Nelson 1995a) is very different from other genres and that is the focus of this chapter.

text: Speaking and writing English The study of spoken English is exciting, challenging, and controversial: exciting, because new and unexpected constructions keep turning up; challenging, because some syntactic constructions of spoken language resist analysis; controversial, because not all researchers recognize the study of spoken language as legitimate, far less its results. The very title of this chapter is controversial, since spoken language tout court does not differ from written language and analysts recognize genres or dimensions applying to both speech and writing (see Section 27.5). Nonetheless, spontaneous spoken language (Miller Weinert 1998) or conversation (Greenbaum and Nelson 1995a) is very different from other genres and that is the focus of this chapter.

year: 2020

title: Can neuroscience construct a literate gendered culture?

authors: Whitehead, David

subjects: gender

abstract: The construction of boys as a gendered culture is not usually associated with neuroscience. Exceptions are publications and presentations by consultants on boys’ education who adopt a “brain-based” perspective. From a neuroscience perspective, my analysis indicates the selective use of primary neuroscience research to construct and perpetuate generalisations and stereotypic representations of boys as a gendered culture. In this article I draw on data obtained over 12 months from a boys’ school that engaged a consultant on boys’ education. The consultant selectively used neuroscience to construct a hegemonic discourse that constructed boys as a gendered culture. I analyse the consultant’s professional learning sessions, question the veracity of populist claims presented to teachers and indicate the degree to which this discourse about boys’ literacy ability and behaviour influenced the school as they revised their language policy and made commercial decisions. My observations suggest that, over the course of a year, the school uncritically accepted sufficient popular interpretations of primary neuroscience research to fulfil their intention of building a marketable, gendered school culture. I further note the existence of a parallel cognitive discourse around principles of learning that influenced teacher pedagogy. These two discourses allowed the school to meet its aims of i) building a gendered educational culture at a school for boys, ii) placing the school in a competitive education market (both primarily based on the discourse of neuroscience) and iii) meeting the educational needs of their students (based primarily on the discourse of cognitive psychology).

text: Can neuroscience construct a literate gendered culture? The construction of boys as a gendered culture is not usually associated with neuroscience. Exceptions are publications and presentations by consultants on boys’ education who adopt a “brain-based” perspective. From a neuroscience perspective, my analysis indicates the selective use of primary neuroscience research to construct and perpetuate generalisations and stereotypic representations of boys as a gendered culture. In this article I draw on data obtained over 12 months from a boys’ school that engaged a consultant on boys’ education. The consultant selectively used neuroscience to construct a hegemonic discourse that constructed boys as a gendered culture. I analyse the consultant’s professional learning sessions, question the veracity of populist claims presented to teachers and indicate the degree to which this discourse about boys’ literacy ability and behaviour influenced the school as they revised their language policy and made commercial decisions. My observations suggest that, over the course of a year, the school uncritically accepted sufficient popular interpretations of primary neuroscience research to fulfil their intention of building a marketable, gendered school culture. I further note the existence of a parallel cognitive discourse around principles of learning that influenced teacher pedagogy. These two discourses allowed the school to meet its aims of i) building a gendered educational culture at a school for boys, ii) placing the school in a competitive education market (both primarily based on the discourse of neuroscience) and iii) meeting the educational needs of their students (based primarily on the discourse of cognitive psychology).

year: 2011-07

title: Te pā tūwatawata: Te reo i te kāinga

authors: Bailey, Iraia Thompson

subjects: te reo Māori

abstract: He tuhinga tēnei e whakaatu atu ana i ngā whakakitenga i puta mai ai i ngā rangahau mō te reo Māori i te kāinga ki ngā whānau o Tūwharetoa.  He toronga anō hoki ki tētahi huarahi hei whakatō iho anō i te reo Māori ki roto i ngā pātū o te kāinga, arā, ki roto i te whānau.

text: Te pā tūwatawata: Te reo i te kāinga He tuhinga tēnei e whakaatu atu ana i ngā whakakitenga i puta mai ai i ngā rangahau mō te reo Māori i te kāinga ki ngā whānau o Tūwharetoa.  He toronga anō hoki ki tētahi huarahi hei whakatō iho anō i te reo Māori ki roto i ngā pātū o te kāinga, arā, ki roto i te whānau.

year: 2019