Developing Disciplinary Linguistic Knowledge: Systemic Functional Linguistics and the New Knowledge Base of Teaching

• In Event: 16.036 - Disciplinary Literacy in Teacher Preparation

Abstract

Many K-12 teachers struggle to meet the needs of diverse learners as school reforms promote new disciplinary literacy requirements. In response, language education scholars have argued that teachers must develop disciplinary linguistic knowledge (DLK), or an understanding of language in their content area and an ability to design curriculum and instruction that is responsive to their professional contexts and students’ disciplinary literacy needs. This literature review explores recent uses of systemic functional linguistics (SFL) as a basis for teachers’ development of DLK and the implications of SFL-based professional development for teachers’ classroom practice. Findings indicate the potential of SFL for this purpose and have implications for the design of future professional development and research in the area of language education.

Author

• Kathryn Accurso, University of Massachusetts - Amherst