This Presentation is about Schema and Script theory prepared for teachers aiming to become Teachers of ESL. For content help was taken from David Nunan's book 'Second Language Learning and Language Teaching' It is useful for novice teachers who are training to become ELT to understand schema and script, and to understand the rationale behind pre-reading and pre-writing activities.

1. Schema-Script Theory
Listening and Reading Process
S. Faiza Hassan
S. Faiza Hassan- MS Applied Linguistics
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2. Meaning
• Comprehension
− Knowledge stored in reader’s mind and the Process
through which readers tackle it.
• Reading: knowing language, processing it to get meaning out
of it.
• For Example:
− Rain
• Good weather
• Things to be covered by plastic sheets
• Chill
• Slippery roads
• Not a day for new/favourite sandals
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3. Schema Theory
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4. Schema Theory
• Schema
− It is the background information which facilitates
comprehension of written or spoken text.
• What the text is about?
• Culture specific
• Individual specific
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5. Examples
1. ‘Shall I compare thee to a pleasant summer’s day-
Shakespeare’ {in South Asia (Pakistan, India,
Bangladesh) Summers are not considered pleasant and
it appears mockery to them}
2. ‘Persimmon being a deciduous plant reacts unhappily
to change of pot in spring’. Daily Dawn {makes sense
to people who know the word deciduous}
3. ‘Readers, suppose you were an idiot and suppose you
were member of congress, but then I repeat myself.’-
Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens) {makes sense to
people who know Mark Twains stance on Politics}
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6. Further elaboration on e.g. 3
• ‘Readers, suppose you were an idiot and suppose you
were member of congress, but then I repeat myself.’
Mark Twain
• ‘All congresses and Parliaments have kindly feeling for
idiots, and a compassion for them, on account of
personal experience and heredity.’ Mark Twain
• ‘Fleas can be taught nearly anything that a congressman
can.’ Mark Twain
− When learners are exposed to several texts containing similar idea it starts
making sense to them as a schema starts developing.
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7. Studies
• Adams (1983)
− Learners were good at learning vocabulary in L1
− Sharing ‘what the text is about’ helped learners in both languages
(L1 & L2) equally.
• Patricia Carrell (1984)
− Lack of context affected comprehension
− L2 learners found use of vague words like things and facilities
instead of clothes and washing machine a hindrance.
• Roller and Motambo (1992)
− Speakers of Shona remembered more text in English then in their
mother tongue
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8. Scripts
and discourse
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9. Script
• Coined by Roger Schank-1977
• Computer programs
− Do not know the obvious thing that humans take for granted; context
• Ali had a sandwich at the cafe (talked to sales person, chose a flavour, paid, used a
table & chair, might have taken a drink or sauces)
• Schank and Abel (1977)
A predetermined , stereotyped sequence of actions that
defines a well-known situation
• Schank; ‘the scrpit has remained an influential view of how
memory is organized’
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10. Script Theory
• Script is a template of conversation/actions that exists in Language
Learners mind for a situation
• Universal
− Ticketing (go to ticket counter, greet, ask rates, ask for discounts, pay, get the
ticket)
− Accommodation
• Culture specific templates
− Seeking help from neighbors (in some cultures you must go in their house
and chat; in others you wait outside)
• Absence of any such template
− unpleasant surprise: “I want somebody to proofread an article I have written” this
naïve request from an L2 PhD met several responses of “I want never gets” by L1
speakers on Linkedin
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11. Benefits for the teacher
• Increased awareness reading & writing difficulties
− Comprehension of spoken or written or spoken text
involves knowledge of script and initiation of activation
of schema
− For written text learners have to depend on their own
script only.
− Literacy skills: writing system of L1 is very different
from that of L2
− Cognitive deficits: difficulty of processing information
in a second language.
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12. • Teaching Schemas:
− cross cultural awareness
• thanking people
• Asking for help
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13. Schema and script theory
• Reading is building learners background
knowledge
• Application:
1. Teaching vocabulary-Context facilitates learning and
retaining new vocabulary.
2. Pre-Reading Activities
3. Series of long connected reading passages instead of
short unconnected passages
4. Devising mental processing activities; labeling
diagrams, developing a flowchart, narrating the read
story to a peer.
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14. Key Lessons
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15. Key lessons
• Developing schema and knowledge of script
goes hand in hand with developing receptive
language skills
• Cultural differences in L1 and L2 can prove a
hindrance for learning L2
• Learners need to develop ability to process
information embedded in spoken or written text
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16. Questions
& Comments
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