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This page last changed on Jan 23, 2008 by wikiadm1. [The discussion-based approach to improving literary understanding (Designed by Yueh-Chen).html Go back to Index Page] [Unit One - Introduction and Classroom discourse.html Unit One]
In this unit, we are going to explore how classroom discourses support the development of deep literacy understanding and what kind of questions asked in the classroom discussion can help students develop their understanding. Learning Outcomes
Once you have completed this unit you will be able to:
* demonstrate and apply the discussion-based approaches to improving literary understanding.
* know how to set questions in classroom discussion to scaffold students' literary understanding
* know the strategies of discussion-based approaches to improve literary understanding. Activity 1: The development of deep literary understanding
We have to specify a theoretical orientation to the process of understanding for understanding the process of literary understanding. The orientation grows from a constructivist. It regards reading as an experience of envisionment building, of growing understanding that change over time (Judith A. Langer, 1991).
 What is "envisionment building"?
The term "envisionment building" is to describe the cognitive and linguistic processes drawn by readers and writers. Students' envisionment of a text at any time is a mixture of understandings, questions, hypotheses and connections to previous knowledge and experiences. The envisionment changes and evolves with further reading, writing, discussion or reflection. Literacy understanding generates an ever-moving horizon of possibilities, whereas understanding of exposition focuses on a point of reference that is elaborated and clarified as the reading or writing continued (Arthur N. Applebee, Judith A. Langer, Martin Nystrand and Adam Gamoran, 2003).
Stances in the Process of literary understanding
During reading, there are a series of relationships readers take toward the text, each adding a partly different dimension to the reader's growing understanding of the piece (Judith A. Langer, 1991). These stances occur, reoccur, and co-occur when readers try to build and round out meanings. Moving through these stances enriches literary experience. These stances are not very different from the ways people approach any new situation (Elizabeth Close & Judith A. Langer, n.d.). The four key stances in the process of understanding are described below (Judith A. Langer, 1991).
(1)Being out and Stepping into an Envisionment
In this stance, readers attempt to establish contacts with the world of the text by using prior knowledge, experiences and surface characteristics of the text to identify essential elements (e.g., genre, content, structure, language) for beginning to construct an envisionment (Judith A. Langer, 1991).
(2)Being in and Moving through an Envisionment
In this stance, readers are immersed in their own understandings of the story, become familiar with the setting, develop prospect for the characters, and anticipate events (Elizabeth Close & Judith A. Langer, n.d.). They use their previously constructed envisionment, prior knowledge and the text itself to advance their creation of meaning (Judith A. Langer, 1991).
(3)Stepping Back and Rethinking What one knows
In this stance, readers use their envisionment to think about their own previous knowledge or understanding. Instead of background knowledge informing their envisionment as in the other stances, readers use their envisionment to rethink their prior knowledge in this stance (Judith A. Langer, 1991). This stance dose not happen as frequently as the other stances, but it can have strong impact. It is one of the reasons we read literacy --to help us think about and coordinate our own lives and places in the world (Elizabeth Close & Judith A. Langer, n.d.).
(4)Steeping Back and Objectifying the Experience
In this stance, readers distance themselves form their envisionment, thinking over and reacting to the content, to the text or to the reading experience itself (Judith A. Langer, 1991).
Stance
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Strategies
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Being Out and Stepping into an Envisionment
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forms tentative questions and associations in attempt to build text world
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Being In and Moving Through an Envisionment
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uses local envisionments and personal knowledge to build and elaborate understandings
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Stepping Back and Rethinking What One Knows
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uses growing understandings to rethink previously held ideas, beliefs, or feelings
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Stepping Out and Objectifying the Experience
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distances self from text to examine, evaluate, or analyze the reading experience or aspects of the text
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All these stances are available to readers when their envisionments grow. Understanding goes through the stances happened- becoming familiar with the text, using meaning to build meaning, gaining insights and taking a critical view (Elizabeth Close & Judith A. Langer, n.d.).
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