new to critical discourse analysis, the book also gives a fascinating and comprehensive overview of the tools of the trade.
Hamilton's final chapter draws attention to how many powerful factors play a part in how contemporary society perceives literacy. Governance of adult literacy education is key among her concerns. However, underlying all these threads of thought is Hamilton's own, long, solid and expertly argued set of theories that establish that 'discourse constructs, as well as reflects, social life.' Hamilton describes (135) how through recent research she has realised that, 'The use of personal testimony in combination with statistics and metaphorical images is especially powerful for literacy advocacy in contemporary society…' Thus she endorses (139), in terms of literacies, the delineation of the local literacy learner's disposition in the globalised framework - a framework which, through the ease of modern day communication, can increasingly control the governance of literacy education and, in turn, explore 'wider questions about governance in contemporary societies.'
Review of New Language, New Literacy by Jill Sinclair Bell Author: Jill Sinclair Bell Title: New Language, New Literacy Cost: Non UK 196 Pages ISBN: 978088751124-0
___________________________________________________________________ Reviewed by Olivene Aldridge-Tucker
Olivene is an ESOL and literacy specialist and has worked at Doncaster College for the last twelve years as a course leader for ESOL and for the last three years as an associate lecturer for the University of Sheffield/English Language Teaching Centre (ELTC). She can be contacted via email at
olivenea@hotmail.com .
The primary aim of this book by Jill Sinclair Bell is to give support to both new and experienced teachers of English language learners, which she has termed “ELLs”, who need help learning the basics of reading and writing. It is useful in particular for practitioners of ESOL and literacy in the areas of assessment, the teaching of reading and writing and the development of programmes to incorporate all needs. The suggestions she makes are mainly student-centred.
In the introduction Sinclair Bell explains how we are being faced by challenging situations, such as a mixture of learners with different abilities and skills in the same class, and using commercialised teaching resources. The book is clearly organised into three main sections: understanding literacy and literacy learners, deciding what and how to teach, and developing a successful and coherent programme. The author starts each chapter with a brief introduction, and she sets questions for the practitioner to reflect on when reading. The book ends with practical activities and ideas that can be used to enhance topics and teaching resources.
Understanding literacy and literacy learners In this first section the author asks the reader to consider the learner's histories, such as whether or not learners are literate in their own language, and the effects that those experiences will have on their current learning. With these views in mind, Bell then discusses different learner profiles, giving as examples learners with a non-literate profile, a semiliterate profile, a functionally literate profile and a non-Roman script profile. The author incorporates a case study in which she demonstrates each profile and offers suggestions with regard to teaching. In the second chapter theoretical understandings are explored, such as the differences
55
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62