CHAPTER 6 Promoting Critical Literacy in Disciplin...
Promoting Critical Literacy in Disciplinary Learning
Text is central to both the conception of modern disciplines and the social practices of disciplinary experts. Becoming literate in any discipline today involves developing the ability to not only decode and comprehend texts valued by disciplinary insiders but also critically evaluate and challenge the messages in these texts. Students need support in developing this ability. The chapter describes linguistic tools for identifying and discussing varied ways text authors use language to present information, structure text, infuse judgment and evaluation, engage with and position the reader, and express epistemic commitment to knowledge claims. It shows how an SFL-informed pedagogical heuristic that embeds these tools can be used to promote text exploration that develops students' critical language awareness, advanced literacy, and disciplinary literacy at the same time they engage in disciplinary inquiries.