6 - Innovation and Change in Genre-Based Pedagogies

Summary

Chapter 6 outlines some specialised language planning and course design proposals involving genre-based approaches to Languages for Academic Purposes (LAP) instruction and/or communication training. Essentially, this chapter sketches out some aspects that instruction should take on board, placing the focus on the language and the rhetoric of traditional genres and on the use of data-driven learning tasks involving multilingual text composing. The chapter includes several tasks involving the text-composing practice of remediated and web-mediated emerging genres, as well as hands-on activities for developing writing skills in ASNSs and social media networking. The chapter also provides some reflective tasks involving both familiarisation and practice with digital resources for multimodal text composing. In closing, the chapter advocates the use of assessment methods and self-assessment reflective tools that can be conceptualised as ‘plurilingual portfolios of genre assemblages’ and ‘portfolios of multiliteracies’. These tools can foster independent, self-directed, lifelong learning and support academics and researchers’ professional development throughout their lifespan.