Brief comparison of classroom teaching methodologies
Year 10 Text Analysis Task
1. 1
Ronglin Yao
Year 10 Text Analysis Task
I. Justifications for selecting the text
For completing the current Year 10 text analysis task, I have chosen a narrative text
“Disturbance Arose from a Reunion Dinner” from Chu Zhong Sheng Ji Xu Wen
(Narrative Texts by Junior Secondary Students), which is an authentic text published
by one of the leading Chinese publishing houses.
This text is suitable for Year 10 Chinese background learners who have some prior
learning and use of the Chinese language from R-10 i.e. Pathway 2A.
Under SACSA Framework, the learning area is organized around three strands
communication, understanding language and understanding culture. In terms of
Strand ‘communication’, students will have the opportunity to explore issues,
engaging in critical analysis and reflection, to challenge viewpoints and ideas in the
selected text they are studying (2007, SACSA Framework, Senior Years Band---
Languages non-alphabetic, p.64f). In the Strand ‘understanding language’, students
will learn to apply knowledge of language in creating meaning and analyzing textual
structure and linguistic choice in the text they are studying (2007, SABSA, Senior
Years Band---Languages non-alphabetic, Outcome 5.5, p.69f). As for Strand
‘understanding culture’, students will, through the study of the chosen text, make their
own judgments about the significance of and reasons for particular practices and
values in culture (2007, SABSA, Senior Years Band---Languages non-alphabetic,
Outcome 5.6, p.75). These are my justifications for selecting the current text for the
Year 10 Chinese background speakers.
2. 2
II. Text type and features
1. English translation of the selected text
Disturbance Arose from a Reunion Dinner
Author: Gong Bei
Tonight was the New Year’s Eve. Outside of my house, the world was lit by
magnificent lights. The sound of firecrackers and laughing from the children had
created more of the festival-like atmosphere. At this moment the peaceful sky had
already been dyed into the red by the beautiful fireworks. Like the sparking lights
glittered from the diamonds, the sky was now spangled with the ‘Starry’ fireworks,
matching brightly with the ‘Seven Colour Flower’ fireworks that were blooming now
and then. But such festival-like atmosphere seemed not entering into our home. The
noise from the outside had actually added further loneliness to our four-member
family.
It all started from my father’s words with my grandmother before the dinner. “I’ve got
something important to do tonight. I’ve got to go to the restaurant.” My grandmother
was an old and loyal party member. She particularly opposed my father to go to the
restaurant, especially on the New Year’s Eve. Today happened to be the New Year’s
Eve. My father was supposed to have the reunion dinner with us at home. But he
claimed some urgent matters required him to deal with at the restaurant. Upon hearing
this, my grandmother opened her eyes much larger than her usual small eyes, and
answered back angrily: “What the hell could happen at this dinner time? How come
senior officials like you always like to go to restaurant with all sorts of the excuses?
How can you explain to the ordinary people for what you eat, drink and spend?” My
3. 3
father quickly uttered: “Mum, you’ve misunderstood me. I really have something
urgent to deal with. I’ll explain to you when I come back. I’ve already prepared a
New Year’s gift for you. I’ll give it to you later on.” Soon afterwards my father left
our home but my grandmother pulled a long face and got really angry.
During the evening my mother and I had tried everything possible: my mother had
prepared a whole table of dishes that had utilized all her cooking expertise; I had tried
all sorts of the tricks to please my grandmother. No matter what we had attempted,
my grandmother was still not happy. She looked at the dishes but not eating; she
listened to my eloquent speech but without changing her countenance, and no any
sign of smile was seen from her face.
Quietness remained inside the house. My mother stretched her tiresome limbs while
persuading my grandmother: “Mum, don’t be angry. Eat something first. You
shouldn’t be without food on the New Year’s Eve.” I drank a mouthful of water and
continued: “Grandma, eat something. My father will be back soon. Hasn’t he
mentioned that he’ll give you some gifts?” My grandmother groaned and finally
answered: “Gifts, who cares? It’s simply a waste of money. You eat first. I’m not
hungry. I’m not feeling well inside from my heart. Isn’t it true that my generation has
fought so hard and sacrificed everything for the sake of the next generation’s
happiness? But nowadays these officials do not know how to value them. Thinking of
this, I’m really feeling the pain from my heart.”
Right at this moment, my father had finally got back. I approached him immediately
as if seeing my Saviour. I saw my father was holding a New Year’s greeting card that
4. 4
was both big and elegant. He talked to my grandmother happily: “Mum, what I want
to give you is this greeting card. Happy New Year to you!” My grandmother hesitated
a bit but still took the card. At this time my mother pulled my father to one side, and
said in a small voice: “How come you just give one card to Mum? Mum is still angry
with you now. But you’ve just made such a joke.” My father answered with a smile:
“You just wait and see. I swear Mum will be happy when she reads the card.” With
curiosity, I jumped to the side of my grandmother and started reading few lines of the
words written neatly in Chinese brush pen: “Dear Grandmother, we are a group of
children deprived of education due to poverty. Thank you for your care and love, and
thank the senior official such as uncle for being our patron and having a reunion
dinner with us. This has made us feel the warmth from our society…” and then
followed by the signatures from the eleven children. By now it had come to light that
my father went out simply for the purpose of having the New Year’s Eve dinner
together with those children. This explained why he had left us at home. Just as my
father had predicted, my grandmother was laughing, with glittering tears in her eyes.
My grandmother raised up her head and said excitedly, “Come, come, come, we
should also eat this New Year’s Eve dinner. I haven’t been happy like this for a long
time.” All at a sudden we all got excited, and I cheered: “Let’s have the Reunion
Dinner.”
(Source of the translated version: Gong Bei, 2005, pp.41-42)
2. Description of the text type and features of the text
The selected text is a narrative text with clear features in the text organization
(structure) and language features.
5. 5
In terms of the text organization (structure), the selected text has three parts:
1) orientation that provides the setting of the story, for example,
‘Tonight was the New Year’s Eve’---when
‘Outside of my house’, ‘our home’---where
‘magnificent lights’, ‘laughing from the children’ and ‘fireworks’---accompanying
scenes depicting the New Year ’s Eve
‘four-member (family)’---who
‘But such festival-like atmosphere seemed not entering into our home. The noise from
the outside had actually added further loneliness to our four-member family.’---what
2) complication that provides the twist of the story in a chronological order, examples
demonstrating such twist are in the main body of the narrative text:
1st
Para in the main body: My father was supposed to have a reunion dinner with us
on the New Year’s Eve but he left for a restaurant, causing my grandmother’s anger.
2nd
Para in the main body: No matter how we tried to please my grandmother, she was
still not happy.
3rd
Para in the main body: After repeated persuasion, my grandmother revealed the
real cause for not being happy.
4th
Para in the main body: My father was back at home and his New Year’s greeting
card for my grandmother explained why my father was out.
3) resolution that brings the story to a happy ending, the four-member family finally
started eating the reunion dinner together.
As far as language features are concerned, the selected narrative does more than
recounting; it creates an experience the reader shares with its characters. Examples of
6. 6
the language features are evident in 1) specific participants with defined identities
such as ‘my father’, ‘my grandmother’, ‘my mother’ and ‘I’ (characters in the
narrative text); 2) many action verbs in the text to refer to what the human participants
said or did, for example, saying verbs like ‘answered’, ‘uttered’, ‘talked’ and ‘said’,
action verbs like ‘was lit’, ‘created’, ‘dyed’, ‘glittered’ etc.; 3) normally using past
tense to narrate the past event / experience (the selected narrative text uses past tense
most of the times); 4) many linking words to do with time, for instance, ‘At this
moment’, ‘Soon afterwards’, ‘During the evening’, ‘and then’ and ‘By now’; 5)
Dialogues are often included in the narrative text (see reported speech throughout the
text), during which the tense may change to the present or future; 6) Descriptive
language is chosen to enhance and develop the story by creating images in the
readers’ mind. For example, ‘…the world was lit by magnificent lights. The sound of
firecrackers and laughing from the children had created more of the festival-like
atmosphere.’ ‘…the peaceful sky had already been dyed into the red by the beautiful
fireworks. Like the sparking lights glittered from the diamonds, the sky was now
spangled with the ‘Starry’ fireworks, matching brightly with the ‘Seven Colour
Flower’ fireworks that were blooming now and then.’ There are many of such
descriptive language appeared in the selected text.
III. Process of teaching and learning
In order to prepare students for much complex text analysis task in Yr 11 and Yr 12,
students need to have a good knowledge of common text types such as the narrative
text type. The current selected narrative text requires a classroom instruction time of 5
x 45 minutes lessons.
7. 7
Lesson 1
Step 1: Pre-tasks: (1) Closed pair work: get students to discuss the purpose of a
narrative text, what is required in terms of the text
organization (structure) and the language features. (5 minutes)
(2) Students report back to the class and teacher instructs
explicitly as to the text organization (structure) and language
features for the narrative text through O/H projector.
(see Appendix 1, Text Organization (structure) and Language
Features for the Narrative Text) (10 minutes)
(3) Closed pair work: get students to discuss the cultural aspects
and social customs on the Chinese New Year’s Eve and the
Christmas Eve in the Western countries.
(3 minutes)
(4) Students report back to the class and teacher introduces to
students the Chinese New Year’s Eve in terms of cultural
aspects and social customs. (5 minutes)
(5) Students watch a video clip that depicts the celebration of the
Chinese New Year’s Eve with reference to the cultural aspects
and social customs. (3 minutes)
Step 2: Question and Answer session: cover new words and expressions in the 1 Para
of narrative text ‘Disturbance arose from a reunion dinner’ as
well as any aspect relating to the understanding of the text.
(6 minutes)
8. 8
Step 3: Text analysis: get students to analyze the setting of the narrative text such as
when, where, who, what as well as expressions depicting the
accompanying scenes for the New Year’s Eve. (10 minutes)
Step 4: Giving homework to students: (1 minute)
Instruction for students: Identify how the author has created a festival-like
atmosphere through the use of descriptive language
in the narrative text and put them into English.
Assessment: formative, using peer assessment and teacher feedback.
Step 5: Winding up the lesson: teacher gives a quick summary of today’s lesson.
(2 minutes)
Lesson 2
Step 1: Revision of the previous lesson through:
(1) ask students questions relating to the setting of the narrative text eg. when,
where, who, what, the accompanying scene depicting the Chinese New
Year’s Eve and why it contrasts sharply with ‘The noise from the outside
had actually added further loneliness to our four-member family.’
(2) marking the homework by the closed pairs (peer assessment, see Part IV
(A), Marking criteria used in peer assessment for Lesson 2)
(3) randomly pick up a couple students to read out their translation work and
teacher gives feedback)
(1)--- (3) (6 minutes)
Step 2: get students to read the main body of the text: Para 1, Para 2 and Para 3
silently and highlight anything that puzzles them, ranging from the
vocabulary to the meaning of the text. (10 minutes)
9. 9
Step 3: Question and Answer session---students raise questions and teacher
provides answers and explanations (10 minutes)
Step 4: Group discussion: get students to discuss how ‘my grandmother’ had
misunderstood ‘my father’ and what was the real cause of her concern.
(10 minutes)
Step 5: Groups report back what they have discussed from the group discussion.
(4 minutes)
Step 6: give homework to students in a handout: (2 minutes)
Instructions: Students write a topic sentence for the first three paragraphs in
the main body and then answer the following questions in writing:
(1) How did the misunderstanding happen?
(2) How did the author describe Grandmother’s anger owing to ‘my father’s act of
going to the restaurant?
(3) What did ‘my mother’ and ‘I’ do in order to please Grandmother?
(4) What would you comment on “Isn’t it true that my generation has fought so
hard and sacrificed everything for the sake of the next generation’s happiness?”
(5) Are there any justifications for Grandmother’ concern?
Assessment: formative, using peer assessment and teacher feedback.
Step 7: Winding up the lesson: a quick summary of today’s lesson. (3 minutes)
Lesson 3
Step 1: Revision of the previous lesson: check students’ homework through
peer assessment and teacher feedback in class.
Note: Students’ homework will be marked by the closed pairs (peer
assessment, see Part IV (B), Marking criteria used in peer assessment
for Lesson 3). (6 minutes)
10. 10
Step 2: Text study: Para 4 of the main body and the last paragraph of the text.
(1) get students to read Para 4 of the main body and the last paragraph silently and
highlight anything that puzzles them, ranging from the vocabulary to the
meaning of the text. (7 minutes)
(2) Step 3: Question and Answer session---students raise questions and teacher
provides answers and explanations. (7 minutes)
(3) Group discussion: get students to discuss:
a) how the misunderstanding was removed;
b) how a positive image of the senior official was created through the
author’s narration in the text;
c) discuss the author’s intention to write this narrative text and in what
ways our society can tackle the social problem that children can not go
to school as a result of poverty.
(10 minutes)
Step 3: Groups report back what they have discussed from the group discussion.
(10 minutes)
Step 4: give students homework: (2 minutes)
Instructions:
(1) write a summary for the narrative text you have studied and report back
to class at the next lesson;
(2) write an analysis on the reasons why the text you have studied is
organized in certain ways and report back to class at the next session;
(3) analyze one of your chosen characters from the text as to how the author
has profiled him / her through the use of language.
11. 11
Note: Inform students that the homework in item (3) is meant for the
preparation of a summative written test in Lesson 5.
Assessment: formative, using peer assessment and teacher feedback.
Step 4: Winding up the lesson: a quick summary of today’s lesson. (3 minutes).
Lesson 4
Step 1: Revision of the previous lesson through:
(1) randomly select a couple of students to report back what they have
done for their homework and teacher gives feedback;
(2) peer assessment of students’ homework in closed pairs (see Part IV
(C), Marking criteria used in peer assessment for Lesson 4).
(8 minutes)
Step 2: Individual work: students go through the narrative text and think about
how intention and perspective are expressed through choice of words
and stylistic devices. (8 minutes)
Step 3: Group discussion: discuss how language can be used for positive and
negative effects in the current narrative text and how language can be
used for presenting the characters’ perspective in the text. (12 minutes)
Step 4 Groups report back what they have discussed at the group discussion
stage and teacher gives feedback. (12 minutes)
Step 5: give students homework: (2 minutes)
Instructions:
Students write a draft of a narrative text titled “An Unforgettable
Christmas Eve” for a summative assessment.
Assessment: Summative, marking criteria refer to Part IV (D).
12. 12
(Note: Marking criteria will be handed out to students as a separate
handout.)
Due date: in two week’s time, word limit: minimum 350 words
Step 6: Winding up the lesson: a quick summary of today’s lesson. (3 minutes)
Lesson 5
Step 1: Conference: teacher offers advice to the individual students for the
summative writing assignment while the rest of the class continues to
polish the writing for the final submission next week. (15 minutes)
Step 2: Teacher-student discussion session: Discuss any issue of concern /
interest relating to the text study of “Disturbance arose from a reunion
dinner”. (10 minutes)
Step 3: Administer a summative written text as planned. (20 minutes)
Test question: Write your analysis on one of your chosen characters from the
text as to how the author has profiled him / her through the
effective use of language.
Word limit: at least one A4 size paper
Assessment criteria refer to Part IV (E).
Step 4: Winding up the lesson.
IV. Criteria for assessment
The assessment process that includes both formative and summative
assessment is an on-going process over the teaching of the five lessons as
shown in Part III. Detailed assessment criteria are as follows:
(A) Marking criteria used in peer assessment for Lesson 2:
13. 13
Student Name:_____________________ Student No.: _____________________
Items to be assessed: Acceptable
Please tick
Not Acceptable
Please tick
Has your partner identified the descriptive language
to an acceptable level?
In terms to the accuracy and completeness of the
translation, is your partner’s translation acceptable?
(B) Marking criteria used in peer assessment for Lesson 3:
Student Name:_____________________ Student No.: _____________________
Marks: ____ out of 8
Items to be assessed: Correct
Please tick
Not Correct
Please tick
Is the topic sentence for Para 1 of the main body
correct?
Is the topic sentence for Para 2 of the main body
correct?
Is the topic sentence for Para 3 of the main body
correct?
Is Q1 answered correct?
Is Q2 answered correct?
Is Q3 answered correct?
Is Q4 answered correct?
Is Q5 answered correct?
14. 14
(C) Marking criteria used in peer assessment for Lesson 4:
Student Name:_____________________ Student No.: _____________________
Items to be assessed: Yes
Please tick
No
Please tick
Is your partner’s summary writing satisfactory?
Is your partner’s analysis convincing?
Is your partner’s analysis accurate enough?
(D) Marking criteria for summative assessment of the narrative text writing:
(*Marking criteria will be handed out to students as a separate handout.)
Student Name:_____________________ Student No.: _____________________
Criteria To be
developed
Good Excellent
1. Text organization (structure)
Does your orientation provide the
setting of the story? (eg. when, where,
who, what)
Is there any complication / twists in
your narrative text?
Are the characters interesting? Have you
developed them?
Is the ending appropriate / interesting?
Is there balance between description,
narrative and dialogue?
2. Language features
Does your writing show the language
features of narrative text type? Is the
language appropriate?
3. Grammar aspects:
Is the spelling correct?
Is the punctuation appropriate?
Is the sentence type and length
appropriate?
4. Length of your narrative text:
Does your narrative text meet the
minimum requirement of 350 words?
16. 16
References:
Gong Bei (2005). Disturbance arose from a reunion dinner. In Jin Xian (ed.), Chu
Zhong Sheng Ji Xu Wen (pp.41-42). Tianjin: Baihua Literature And Art
Publishing House.
SACSA (2007). South Australian Curriculum, Standards and Accountability
Framework: Senior years band---languages (non-alphabetic) (p.64, p.69 &
p.75). Adelaide: SABSA.
17. 17
Appendix 1
Text Organization (structure) and Language Features for the Narrative Text:
Text Organization (structure) Language Features
Orientation:
provides the setting of the story
Complication:
provides the twist of the story in a
chronological order
Resolution:
Provides an ending to the story, can
be for good or bad
1) specific participants with defined identities
2) many action verbs in the text to refer to what
the human participants said or did
3) normally using past tense to narrate the past
event / experience
4) many linking words to do with time
5) dialogues are often included in the narrative
text
6) descriptive language is chosen to enhance
and develop the story by creating images in
the readers’ mind
7) can be written in 1st
person or 3rd
person
