Burns and Joyce Course Framework

For this assignment, I was instructed to read the first two chapters of a text called Genre and the Language Learning Classroom by Brian Paltridge. These chapters discuss and define genres as a Language Learning method for TESL classes. Our assignment is to mimic a course framework provided by Burns and Joyce using genre "as an organizing principle for language learning programs."

The theme which I have chosen for my framework is Professional Development, or more simply, a course designed to prepare students to enter the job market using English.

A Course for Students Entering the Job Market

1. Overall Context

Professional Development: course focus is preparing students to enter the job market using English as a Second Language

2. Aim

To develop writing, reading, telephone and interviewing skills that will adequately prepare students to find job openings, write resumes and professional letters, writing professional emails, schedule interviews over the phone, prepare for interviews and conduct interviews.

3. The Language Event Sequence Within the Context

• conducting internet searches for job openings in specialized fields
• browsing newspapers or other media for job openings
• conducting professional phone calls to request information or schedule interviews
• resume writing and editing
• writing professional documents (acceptance letters, letters of intent, personal statements etc.)
• proper etiquette and appropriate dress for interviews and the place of employment
• interview preparation (discussion of popular questions and adequate responses)
• conducting interviews (from the employer's perspective)
• mock interviews and role playing for common work situations

4. Texts Arising from the Sequence

• newspapers (classified ads)
• internet job sites (www.monster.com, etc.)
• internet search engines
• telephone transcripts and recordings
• sample resumes
• sample professional documents
• photos of appropriate dress
• videos and audio recordings of successful and unsuccessful interviews
• samples of appropriate work conversation and overall workplace etiquette
• genres within the workplace (anecdotes from personal experience and the experiences of many)

5. The Sociocultural Knowledge Students Need

• professional companies
• interview expectations
• expectations in the workplace
• the role of the employee in a typical professional environment
• my personal experiences with hiring and interviewing

6. Sample Texts

• written texts - samples of many (including my own) resume and professional letters (pre- and post- editing), expectations of prospective employees from company websites and literature, samples of professional emails and faxes (with focus on language moreso than format)
• spoken texts - recordings of interviews (authentic if possible, scripted if not), anecdotal information from personal interview experience, guest speaker(s) responsible or involved in hiring at a professional company, scripted dialogue exercises and role playing

7. Units of Work Related to the Texts and Learning Objectives to be Achieved

• specific and useful input
• practical activities exercising guidelines provided by teacher for job searching
• producing professional writing samples guided by teacher input and sample documents
• independent performance (in the forms of both writing and speaking)

This is my framework, the topic I chose was a combination of a few suggestions offered in class, and is something that not only interests me as a teacher but as an L2 learner myself. I find the availability of classes provided to ESL learners wanting to enter the job market are either few and far between, or do not have a broad enough focus to fully prepare a student for their dive into the job market. I realize that the goals presented in my framework are broad and perhaps too ambitious, but if time allowed, I believe a class based on such a framework would be useful not only to ESL students, but to any L2 learner who aims to find work in the country to which his/her L2 belongs.

Thoughts? Ideas? Suggestions? Questions?

Jessica Annett