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Michael Halliday

What I've learned about functional grammar

2014-03-06T18:42:37+00:00March 6th, 2014|literacy|

Yesterday I had the good fortune to listen to Professor Mary Schleppegrell from the University of Michigan talk about how functional grammar is having an impact on EFL students in US schools. Ever since reading Lee Donaghy's evangelistic account of its importance I've been batting it around and trying work out what to do with it. But I'm a big fan of traditional grammar teaching and I couldn't really see the point in teaching pupils another grammar system. How would they actually use it? So beyond getting my head round the principles, I've largely ignored it. Now though, I see the light. As Lee [...]

What is (or isn't) language doing in PGCE?

2013-10-28T09:14:44+00:00October 28th, 2013|literacy, training|

After yesterday's post on the subject of how to improve the PGCE, Lee Donaghy tweeted me to point out that I had neglected to mention the importance of trainee teachers learning knowledge about language, and specifically how language works in the particular subject in which they are training. He suggested writing a guest blog on this topic to add to my original blog and, naturally, I agreed. If you're unclear who Lee is I why I would jump at the chance of putting up a guest post from him, have a quick look at his blog, What’s language doing here? Then, when you've appreciated [...]

Mind your language – a language based approach to pedagogy

2013-07-21T07:55:36+01:00March 29th, 2013|Featured, learning, literacy|

The most astonishing example of hyperbole ever! As the chap heading up Literacy at my school, I've been doing a lot of reading and thinking around the subject over the past year. I've become particularly interested in the need for oral language to develop written language and have been working with subject leaders to determine how students can think, speak and write like subject specialists. Kelly Hawkins, the head of Art at Clevedon School, has been getting her students to 'think like artists' for some time and it seemed a natural extension to work with teachers to encourage students [...]

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