Text-Based Instruction Approach

1. Definition

Text-Based Instruction (TBI), according to Richards, (2006:36) is also known as

genre-based approach. It sees the communicative competence as involving mastery of text

types. The text type is used as a model of the teaching. Bruce (2008:6) states that a genre-

based approach to language teaching refers to pedagogy that involves examining and

deconstructing example of genres or categories of texts. Paltridge (2001) on Bruce

(2008:6) observes that “a genre-based approach to language program development aims to

incorporate discourse and contextual aspects of language use that are often under attended

to in programs based only on the lower-level organizational units of language, such as

structures, functions, or vocabulary”.

According to Feez and Joyce in Richards, (2006:36), TBI is based on an

approach to teaching language which involves: (1) teaching explicitly about the structures

and grammatical features of spoken and written texts, (2) linking spoken and written texts

to the cultural context of their use, (3) designing units of work which focus on developing

skills in relation to whole texts, (4) providing students with guided practice as they develop

language skills for meaningful communication through whole texts.

Concluding the theory above, it can be inferred that TBI is an approach which

focus on the product, concern about the structure, and use the text as the model of the

teaching and learning process. The text, in this case, is the specific one which depends on

the context being taught. These contexts, include: studying in an English-medium

university, studying in an English-medium primary or secondary school, working in a

restaurant, office, or store, and socializing with neighbors in a housing complex.

Feez and Joyce in Richards, (2006:39) give the following description of how a

text-based approach is implemented:

a. Phase 1: Building the Context

In this stage, students are introduced to the context of an authentic model of

the text type being studied, explore features of the general cultural context in which the

text type is used and the social purposes the text type achieves, and explore the

immediate context of situation by investigating the register of a model text which has

been selected on the basis of the course objectives and learner need.

An exploration of register involves: (1) building knowledge of the topic of the

model text and knowledge of the social activity in which the text is used, for example,

job seeking,(2) understanding the roles and relationships of the people using the text and

how these are established and maintained, for example, the relationship between a job

seeker and a prospective employer, (3) understanding the channel of communication

being used, for example, using the telephone, speaking face-to-face with members of an

interview panel.

The activities in context-building include: (1) presenting the context though

pictures, audiovisual materials, realia, excursions, field-trips, guest speakers, etc., (2)

establishing the social purpose through discussions or surveys, (3) cross-cultural

activities, such as comparing differences in the use of the text in two cultures, (4)

comparing the model text with other texts of the same or a contrasting type, for

example, comparing a job interview with complex spoken exchange involving close

friends, a work colleague or a stranger in a service encounter.

In this stage, students investigate the structural pattern and language features

of the model and compare the model with other examples of the same text type.

c. Phase 3: Joint Construction of the Text

In this stage students begin to contribute to the construction of whole

examples of the text type, and the teacher gradually reduces the contribution to text

construction, as the students move closer to being able to control text type

independently. Joint-construction activities include the following activities:

1) Teacher questioning, discussing and editing whole class construction, then scribing

onto board or overhead transparency

2) Skeleton texts

3) Jigsaw and information-gap activities

4) Small-group construction of tests

5) Dictogloss

6) Self-assessment and peer-assessment activities

d. Phase 4: Independent Construction of the Text

In this stage, students work independently with the text. Then their

performances are used for achievement assessment. Independent construction activities

include:

1) Listening tasks, for example, comprehension activities in response to live or recorded

material, such as performing a task, sequencing pictures, numbering, ticking or

underlining material on worksheet, answering question

organization, or workplace

3) Reading tasks, for example, comprehension activities in response to written material

such as performing a task, sequencing pictures, numbering, ticking or understanding

material on worksheet, answering questions

4) Writing task which demand that students draft and present whole texts

e. Phase 5: Linking to Related Texts

In this stage, students investigate how they have learned. This teaching-

learning cycle can be related to other text type in the same or similar context and future

or past cycle of teaching and learning. Activities which link the text type to related texts

include:

1) Comparing the use of the text type across different fields

2) Researching other text types in the same type is used by people with different roles

and relationship

3) Comparing spoken and written modes of the same text type

4) Researching how a key language feature used in the text type is used in other text

types