Use of schematic knowledge in making sense of English texts

Research in Teacher Education : What, How, and Why?, November 21-22, 2012, UKSW 411

C. Use of schematic knowledge in making sense of English texts

As a matter of fact, schematic knowledge is applicable for the study for macro- language skills which include productive language skills speaking and writing and receptive language skills listening and writing. Even, it is applicable to deal with the study of micro- language skills. However, for the sake of this article, the writer gives an emphasis on the application of the schematic knowledge in dealing with reading comprehension as it confers practical use of schematic knowledge to make sense of the English texts. This is in line with the statement uttered by Anderson 1999:1 who states that reading comprehension is viewed as an active, fluent process to build the meanings of words in a text which does not reside on the printed page b ut connect the words on the printed page with the reader‟s background knowledge and experiences. In support of the above issue, Nassaji 2002 states that to achieve high comprehension, second language teachers should bring the schematic knowledge to the texts. In the same spirit, Pulido 2004 claims that when second language readers bring relevant schematic knowledge to the reading process, they can allocate more space for textual analysis and interpretation. This implies that existing schematic knowledge may contribute to the functioning of what are described as automatic processes by McLaughlin 1987. In reference to the above issue, the following presents the example of how to use schematic knowledge to make sense of the text. 1 Marrying our gardens is one of the milder effects of weeds- any plants that thrive where they wanted. 2 Weeds clog waterways, destroy wildlife habitats, and impede farming. To make sense of Example 1, the English teachers may use general knowledge of the word marry which means paying too much attention or spoiling the plants in the garden under the issue of gardening. Similar knowledge should be applied to make sense of Example 2 by looking at the word waterways which means a way of water. The word clog should be interpreted as obstruct , block , hinder , and the like. 3 Every atlas has its own legend. 4 There is a difference between a university catalog and a card catalog. One given information about the courses of study, the other gives information about books in a library. 5 Samuel Latham Mitchell helped found Rutgers Medical College in New Jersey in 1826 and he produced several important works in chemistry and geology. Research in Teacher Education : What, How, and Why?, November 21-22, 2012, UKSW 412 With the use of topical knowledge, the word legend in Example 3 should not be interpreted as mythical story or famous person because the word legend is used in the topic of astronomy which means explanation of symbols. In Example 4, the word catalog is used in two different issues, namely the list of the courses and the list of books in a library. In Example 5, English teachers should interpret the word works as books not accomplishments or factories as the topic is concerned with the academic issue. 6 When drawing human figures, children often make the head too large for the rest of the body. A recent study offers some insights into this common disproportion in children‟s illustrations. As part of the study, researchers asked children between 4 and 7 years old to make several drawings of men. When they drew front views of male figures, the size of the heads was markedly enlarged. However, when the children drew rear views of men, the size of the heads was not so exaggerated. The researchers suggests that children draw bigger heads when they know they must leave room for facial details. Therefore, the odd head size in children‟s illustration is a form of planning ahead and not an indication of a poor sense of scale Roger, 1999. 7 The last gold rush belongs as much to Canadian history as it does to American. The discovery of gold along the Konndike r iver, which flows from Canada‟s Yukon Territory into Alaska, drew some 30,000 fortune hunters to the north. The Yukon became a territory and its capital of the time, Dawson, would not have existed without the gold rush. The gold strike furnished material f or a dozen of Jack London‟s novels; it inspired Robert Service to write ”The Shooting of Dan Mc-Grew” and other poems, and it provided the background for wonderful Charli Chaplin movie, The Gold Rush . It also marked the beginnings of Modern Alaska Roger, 1999. 8 An old proverb states, “Beware of oak, it draws the stroke.” This saying is handy during the thunder storm season. In general, trees with deep roots that tap into groundwater attract more lightning than do trees with shallow, drier roots. Oaks are around 50 times more likely to be struck than beeches. Spruces are neatly as safe as beeches. Pines are not safe as these two, but are still much safer than oaks Roger, 1999. To make sense of Example 6 and 7, English teachers need to apply socio-cultural knowledge. Otherwise, some mis-interpretation may occur. In reference to Example 6, with the use of the socio-cultural knowledge, the English teachers can make a conclusion that the odd head size in children‟s illustration happens because children plan ahead when they are drawing pictures. The disproportion of in children‟s illustration is not caused by having insufficiency sense of scale. With regard to Example 7, the English teachers should know the social cultural knowledge of the text. With the use of it, English teachers could tell a lot a about the contents of the texts, for example: the significance of Klondike gold strike in Research in Teacher Education : What, How, and Why?, November 21-22, 2012, UKSW 413 creative arts and the beginnings of Alaska. In Example 8, the author wants to highlight that trees with shallow roots are more likely to avoid lightning than those with deep roots. English teachers may apply the genre knowledge in order that they can make sense of an English text easily. The following presents the example of the use of the genre knowledge. 9 Gold, a precious metal, is prized for two important characteristics. First of all, gold has a lustrous beauty that is resistant to corrosion. Therefore, it is suitable for jewellery, coins, and ornamental purposes. Gold never needs to be polished and will remain beautiful forever. For example, a Macedonian coins remains as untarnished today as the day it was minted twenty-three centuries ago. Another important characteristic of gold is usefulness to industry and science. For many years, it has been used in hundreds of industrial applications. The most recent use of gold is in astronauts suits. Astronauts wear gold-plated heat shields for protection outside spaceships. In conclusion, gold is treasured not only for its beauty but also for its utility. 10 There are three reasons why Canada is one of the best countries in the world. First, Canada has an excellent health care system. All Canadians have access to medical services at a reasonable price. Second, Canada has a high standard of education. Students are taught by well-trained teachers and are encouraged to continue studying at university. Finally, Canadas cities are clean and efficiently managed. Canadian cities have many parks and lots of space for people to live. As a result, Canada is a desirable place to live. With the use of the genre knowledge, English teachers of secondary schools could analyse the organisation of the text which includes the topic sentence, supporting details, sub- supporting details, concluding sentences. Such elements facilitate English teachers to make sense of the text. In Example 9, it is evident that the topic sentence of the text is “Gold, a precious metal, is prized for two important characteristics.” It consists of topic Gold and controlling ideas two important characteristics. The two controlling ideas generate two supporting details, namely gold has a lustrous beauty that is resistant to corrosion and gold is usefulness to industry and science . Then, each supporting detail is supported by sub- supporting details. The last sentence of Example 9 is called a concluding sentence which functions to sum up the previous explanation. Similar analysis can be implemented to make sense of the text as performed in Example 10.

D. How to promote schematic knowledge to English teachers of secondary school level