The Cognitive Discourse Functions (CDF) model has been widely used in Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) research to explore learners' academic language performance across disciplines and to facilitate collaboration between teachers and researchers around assessment practices. In this study, we investigate the effects of an English teacher's explicit teaching of CDFs on year 8 CLIL learners' written performance of these CDFs in a history class in Spain. After participating in a seminar on CDFs conducted by the researchers, the teacher gave a lesson on CDFs to one group of learners. This experimental group (N = 13) and a control group (N = 13), who had not received any preparation on CDFs, responded to pre- and post-tests eliciting the same four CDFs (classify, define, evaluate, explain). We used the Semantics dimension of Legitimation Code Theory (LCT) to analyse how the teacher unpacked CDFs in classroom talk and Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL) to examine students' written performance. Results show more contextualisation in the teacher's explanations of more complex CDFs (like evaluate) and mixed results in the effect on students' writing. They lead to pedagogical suggestions for teachers and researchers interested in improving CLIL learners' productions of CDFs in content subjects.
This paper shows how Legitimation Code Theory and Systemic Functional Linguistics can be used together to analyse classroom discourse, illuminating the way course content and examinations become charged with values. A visible curriculum provides the best learning environment, however the values underpinning subjects often remain part of the 'hidden curriculum'. This paper explores how classroom dialogue builds values in one senior secondary subject in the Australian state of New South Wales, Community and Family Studies. The sociological concept of constellations and the linguistic concept of mass are used to analyse lessons where the teacher is preparing students for their final examination. Analysis demonstrates values clustered around certain core concepts to form axiological constellations with which students must align to demonstrate their knowledge. In so doing, it makes visible the axiological nature of the subject and provides a basis upon which the values might be taught, discussed and challenged. It also demonstrates how values accumulate around examination procedure, positioning students as certain kinds of knowers in relationship to the writing they must do for examination. The results have important social justice implications given the overall performance of students studying the subject.
In recent years, increasing numbers of studies have explored knowledge-building practices in classrooms through the conceptual tools of Legitimation Code Theory (LCT). At the same time, many researchers have used complementary methodologies (e.g. Systemic Functional Linguistics, Conversation Analysis) together with LCT to investigate pedagogy and classroom interaction. Highlighting the greater explanatory power, which is possible in interdisciplinary work, this special issue brings together papers that apply an integrative approach of discursive methodologies and the three LCT dimensions, Specialisation, Semantics, and Autonomy. The papers in this special issue represent a broad exploration of meaning-making and knowledge-building processes in various classroom environments. This special issue shows (1) how teachers and students organise knowledge-building practices in various classroom contexts and (2) how researchers/educators adopt combined approaches using discursive methodologies and a variety of LCT dimensions for interpreting knowledge-building procedures. The special issue provides theoretical and practical contributions towards understanding knowledge-building in classroom discourse and teacher education by presenting combined approaches that integrate discursive methods with the LCT dimensions.
