Using Genre-based Pedagogy to Teach Structural Staging of Short Persuasive Essays in a Japanese University Context

University students studying English as a Foreign Language (EFL) are required to read and write specialised academic genres. Genre-based pedagogy, developed from Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL), teaches lexicogrammar and structure of these genres in context. The present study taught the structural staging of exposition and discussion genres to 17 students over a ten-week program, using the Gradual Release of Responsibility (GRR) framework. Pre- and post-instruction essays were collected. Results show that, post-intervention, students preferred the structurally complex discussion genre when responding to a short essay question. There was a small improvement in the use of main genre stages, while the use of generic sub-stages showed the most improvement. Students’ pre-instruction use of main staging suggested some familiarity with argument genres from previous EFL learning, although incidences of sub-stage crossovers and repeated sub-stages in the pre-instruction essays showed a lack of detailed understanding of the genres’ structure. Post-intervention, such crossovers reduced significantly and, regardless of the genre of the final essay, use of sub-stages was appropriate and accurate. The results suggest that a targeted, short-term program helped students understand and use appropriate persuasive generic structures in short academic essays suitable for standardised English tests. Implications for future studies and teaching programs are discussed.