CALCE DE PLAZOS MONEDA NACIONAL Y EXTRANJERA Cifras en Miles de Colones

It is evident that genre application has been a basic source for both the teaching learning of the second language and the development of professional second language teachers. Paltridge (1999) postulates that it is of great importance that the relationship between genre and text type be outlined. The relationship plays a vital role in the teaching and learning of language and especially a second language or a language learnt for academic purposes. The reason for this view is that, it is genre that characterizes texts according to their properties that enable them to be identified. This means that properties such as the audience intended to be reached by the text, the context, the purpose, and the discourse community where the text has been produced will be identified in Paltridge’s discussion. On the other hand, the text type will be working towards the same goal by representing the rhetorical modes such as macro-genres, that is, expositions, argumentative or problem solution texts. This process is called the “rhetorical-functional” perspective of textual patterning. Paltridge (1999) referred to the work of Trimble (1985) who also presents a

similar perspective by stating other text types that are commonly studied: expositions, descriptions, narration, argument, and persuasion. Paltridge refers to the combination of these texts is referred to as macro-genres or complex texts. This implies that both the genre and text type complement each other according to his views. According to Paltridge, the above observation summarize the notion that each text type has to follow or is assigned its own generic structure for that particular genre. And in the case of an argument text type four stages have to be followed: The thesis statement, the argument, the evidence (with its three or more stages), and the summary.

Another argument that is presented by Paltridge that also reflects on the distinction of the text type and the genre. According to Paltridge, this distinction is identified particularly in the translation genres whereby texts reflect the communicative of the social context whereas on the other hand the text types reflect the rhetorical expressions such as information text, instructional, persuasive and descriptive text types. The above-described distinction is referred to as patterns of semantic organization as it encompasses different types of elementary, macro and linguistic genres. Despite the above conceptualities of genre, another perspective is introduced by Paltridge and the above-mentioned macro genres are referred to as language styles as Paltridge (1999) refers to the views presented by Swales (1990). Paltridge posits the basic text types as description, narration, exposition, argumentation, and instruction. It is also evident that the organization of the content in levels of context has a role in the distinction of genres.

2.4.1 In the Classroom Situation

Paltridge’s (1999) discussion has shown that any language study has to take into consideration the importance, relevance, and the integration of both the text type and genre. This implies to identify the text type by looking at its requirements in terms of an evaluation text type. Paltridge claims that in order to examine an evaluation text type a consideration of the following properties is required:

• Descriptive: Describes what is meant by a certain concept. • Summaries: Require the main points.

• Compare and contrast: Requires an argument that states both differences and similarities.

• Explanation: Discusses factors that contribute to that particular phenomenon. • Report: Provides the reasons and opinions to the study engaged in.

Other requirements for an evaluative text type according to Paltridge (1999) include recommendations, predictions, and instructions.

All these requirements require students to be knowledgeable about different genres and to be well versed about the range of text types that are useful for their writing tasks. The importance of the integration of genre and text type cannot be over-emphasized in genre- based teaching. It is for this reason that Partridge proposed a program that focuses on both text type and genre within a broader context of academic language and skills development. This program integrates process and product oriented approaches to language program design.

Furthermore, it is the integrated program that pays more attention to the form, content, and reader expectations. Paltridge states that the thematic approach has an effect on the subject-matter knowledge and has an impact on the writing performance, which means that academic skills are taught best in connection with authentic content material. The thematic approach enables learners to master the transfer of the modes of one language to another language. Paltridge (1999) further postulates that this program also includes an assessment of all the genres that have been illustrated above, which means that students have to be engaged in different types of questions, that is, long or short question types while at the same time they have to draw from the analysing and critical skills they have acquired. Paltridge gives the following example of evaluative text type of writing, in the form of an essay writing exercise, students have to take into account the following aspects: • Setting of the genre (which level of education is it is based from);

• The purpose of the genre (what knowledge, skills, and understanding is intended to be acquired);

• The content of the genre (that is the claims that are accepted and those that are not accepted in particular areas of study);

• The writer of the genre (who is the writer and what are his or her intentions in the writing of the text);

• The intended audience for that particular genre, their role, their purpose, their reaction towards the text, and their way or criteria for assessing the text);

• The relationship between the writer and the readers of the text and the impact to the way the content is written and read;

• The general discourse community expectations, conventions, and requirements of the genre or that particular area of study;

• The text type requirements for the instance of the particular genre and how this is signalled or not to the writer;

• The background knowledge, values, and understandings assumed to be shared by the writers and the readers of that particular genre and the aspects that are intended to be considered important by the intended audience;

• The relationship the genre has with other genres (that is whether a narrative is related to an explanation texts or a discussion is related to a recount or explanation and the vice versa.)

The above conventions enable students to be able to discuss how a text on the same topic and in a similar context might be presented in their own language and culture. Paltridge (1999) also presents another perspective for the above-mentioned conventions of the analysis of an essay that has a profound ability for the learners in any type of essay writing to use it. She argues that students have to discuss how the texts they have examined can change if one of the contextual features of the text were changed, such as the author, audience, setting, purpose, or subject matter. Paltridge proposes the following analysis framework for any written essay exercise, which she refers to as ‘A Context or Genre Analysis Worksheet’:

ƒ What is the text about?

ƒ What is the purpose of the text?

ƒ What is the setting of the text? (Whether it is taken or based from a textbook, a newspaper, a magazine or any other source)

ƒ What is the tone of the text? (Whether it is formal or informal)

ƒ Who is the author of the text? (His or her academic qualifications, his educational background, and his social status)

ƒ What is his or her purpose in writing the text? ƒ Who is the intended audience of the text?

ƒ What is the relationship between the author and the intended audience of the text? ƒ What rules or expectations limit how the text might be written?

ƒ What shared cultural knowledge is assumed by the text?

ƒ What shared values and understandings are implied in the text? ƒ What text types seem to be mostly represented in the text? ƒ What other texts does this text assume you have knowledge of? ƒ How is the language of the text influenced by each of these factors?

In summary, it is clear that some of these conventions require the students to be familiar with the particular genre than others, as the shared cultural background reflects. It is then important for the teacher to be constant in guiding, supporting and assisting students. It is also important for the teacher to allow the students to come up with similar examples of exercises and at the same time they must outline the reasons why they have chosen those particular texts.

Paltridge suggests that students can be asked to write an essay that reflects a problem- solution rhetorical pattern. In order to write this particular text type in a more authentic manner learners have to attend to the following constituent components of problem- solution texts in a very detailed manner. Paltridge proposes the following text framework for problem solution essays is a representation of the structural organization of their texts that they have to use when writing their individual essays or assignments but keeping in mind that it is not a universal structure. This means that it can be changed, reproduced or readapted for that particular genre it is used for.

The problem-solution has four conventions:

ƒ Situation (it also reveals the time and the place of the essay) ƒ Problem (it also reveals the causes of the problem in the essay) ƒ Responses

ƒ The evaluation