Whereas linguistic description traditionally focused on the structure and
function of sentences and their constituents, texts are thought of as a more
appropriate unit of analysis for many purposes since learning to understand
and produce appropriate texts is an important goal in language learning
and teaching.text-based syllabus designn
also text-based approach
an approach to the design of a language syllabus which is based on study of
the oral and written texts students encounter in particular learning con-
texts. This approach is sometimes used when a specific context for language
learning has been identified (e.g. a work-place or study context). Target
situation analysis is used to identify the types of texts most frequently
encountered in the context, and units of work are then developed in relation
to the texts and the linguistic features they exemplify. Such a syllabus may
regarded as a type of situational syllabus.
text-based teachingn
also text-based approach
in language teaching, a methodology that focuses on teaching explicitly
about the features of spoken and written texts and that links texts to the
cultural context of their use. Units of work are built around different
text-types and learners develop skills in relation to the use of whole texts.
A 5 stage sequence is often used involving 1) building the context for a text 2)
modeling and deconstructing a text 3) joint teacher-student construction of
a text 4) independent construction of a text by the learners 5) linking texts
to other texts.
textbook n
a book on a specific subject used as a teaching/learning guide, especially in
a school or college. Textbooks for foreign language learning are often part
of a graded series covering multiple skills (listening, reading, writing,
speaking, grammar) or deal with a single skill (e.g. reading).
text linguistics n
a branch of linguistics which studies spoken or written texts, e.g. a descrip-
tive passage, a scene in a play, a conversation. It is concerned, for instance,
with the way the parts of a text are organized and related to one another in
order to form a meaningful whole. Some linguists prefer to include the
study of all spoken texts, particularly if they are longer than one sentence,
under discourse analysis.
text linguistics