During the second year of my participation in the TA project I was trying to integrate the TA approach to a text with our university requirements to the subject. Most of the time I felt a failure because I did not have a clear idea of what a linguistic text analysis should be like and I felt the same inexperienced about the TA.
I felt I could not apply the steps of the thinking task framework (TTF) to text analysis tasks. However, I think I and my students have gained something from this experience.
1) They have tried to elaborate on their ENV text (system of linguistic text analysis: got their parameters into some order, added certain values).
2) We have deepened our understanding of a text as an open system; therefore, we have practised selecting specific parameters of ENV at a time and considering them more profoundly, rather than speaking superficially about all of them. Our gain: Focus on ONE aspect/specific skill at a time.
3) I have given my students an opportunity to try their hand at teaching others: they had to choose a text according to the parameters set, work out a system of Text analysis and linguistic tasks, teaching their lessons and reflecting on them. Judging by their reflections, all the students have appreciated their experience and most of them would like to repeat it. One of them has set a challenge: to conduct a lesson for an unknown audience. In spite of numerous reservations, I also consider this experience very valuable for them and myself. It has revealed our weak points in setting a specific aim and task achievement.
Comments