Language as Social Practice Essay literacy is a social practice and is therefore learned as part of

1
Language as Social Practice Essayliteracy is a
social practice and is therefore learned as part
of wider social practices and processes which we
are engaged as we become members of our families
and communities. That is we learn to do
literacy as we learn to behave and belong in our
families and communities.(Breen etal 1994
pg4)Identify and describe some of the ways which
langusge and literacy practices vary in homes and
communities. Briefly, discuss the implications of
such diversity for schooling.

• 31107807

2
Introduction

• Topic statement on literacy, where it is learned
  and what infulences literacy.
• What is literacy? Quote Heath.
• State literacy practices have a relationship with
  socio-cutural factors.
• Inform reader how literacy is linked to social
  structures which therefore cause variation.
• Breifly state how diverstiy in variation causes
  implications on teaching and learning.

3
Paragraph 1

• Introduction to socio-cultural factors which lead
  to variation.
• Most distinguishing feature cultural history.
• Defnition of culture and how it relates to
  literacy as the development of a mean-making
  system.
• What social functions language has.
• Explanation of how cultural context infulences
  the formation of language leading to variation.

4
Paragraph 2

• Other socio-cutural factors which infulence
  variation.
• Introduce and define terms literacy event and
  literacy practice.
• How literacy events lead to literacy practices.
• Concept of when individuals share literacy
  practices they form communities.
• Statement is is through these different
  communities that variation occurs.
• Basil Bernstein example of there is a
  relationship between social class and language
  use.

5
Paragraph 3

• Introduction of the idea that language variation
  is best analysed through oral language (speech)
  however relationships are the same for written
  language.
• Sociolinguists study and division of two social
  group settings.
• Focus on second group.
• Explanation of discourse communities and how
  individuals can belong to more than one
  community.
• Discourse communities lead to variation.

6
Paragraph 4

• How language is divided into different levels.
• What is dialect level?
• What is idiolect level?
• What is a register?
• Statement of how the different language levels
  can be manipulated to cause variation.

7
Paragraph 5

• State how the diversity literacy practices and
  language varition cause implications in schools.
• What is the role of the teacher?
• Idea that teacher has to accept all language
  brought to the classroom, expose students to
  variety of languages and teach students how to
  utilise different dialects and registers.
• Skills and techniques that teachers can utilise
  to effectively communicate with students, models,
  teaching/learning cycle, use of language
  variation and ZPD.

8
Conclusion

• Thesis statement that literacy pracices vary in
  homes and how.
• Socio-cutural factors infulence variation in
  communites.
• How the diversity causes implications on teaching
  and what teachers need to do about it.
• Concluding statement quote which directly
  refelcts thesis statement and the question being
  asked.