An analysis of texts in agriculture and the development of a syllabus and materials for teaching English to agriculture students

• Main Author: Bayuga, Concepcion M.
• Format: text
• Published: Animo Repository 1986
• Subjects: English language > Technical English; English language > Study and teaching.; Communication in agriculture
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_doctoral/1286
• Institution: De La Salle University

This study revealed the effectiveness of using authentic science and agriculture-based teaching materials in developing reading and other communicative skills among agriculture students. There was a significant difference between the scores of the control and experimental groups as revealed in the test of significance using analysis of co-variance. Further, this study also attempted to utilize the concept of discourse analysis and the description of characteristics of texts in science and agriculture in designing a syllabus and in preparing authentic language teaching materials for students of agriculture and related courses. The analysis of the five different science and agriculture-based texts selected and gathered from different sources, in terms of theme-rheme construction, complex Clauses, Verbal Groups, Nominal Groups, and Cohesion in the Text revealed the characteristics of these texts and eventually led to the identification of the following specifications of core language functions: 1) narration: sequence of activities 2) description: object/thing 3) commentary 4) instruction 5) description: place 6) description: process 7) hypothesis 8) rules and regulations and 9) questioning and requestioning. Based on the core language functions, a functional language syllabus for students in agriculture and related courses was prepared based on Munby's Taxonomy of language skills. The language functions forms the focal of all activities in the different media.The objectives to be attained are based on Bloom's taxonomy of educational objectives, namely: 1) development of reading skills 2) development of academic listening skills 3) development of writing skills interpreting graphical materials and 4) prose passages for appreciation.Communicative language procedures and types are suggested to evaluate or test skills developed. Item stimulus formats suggested include oral, written, and non-verbal stimulus. This study shows the strong possibility of using discourse analysis as a basis for the description of specific texts and in identifying the functions of texts. The descriptions can be used in developing specifications of a core of language functions. These core of language functions can in turn be used as basis in developing a functional language syllabus and in preparation of authentic language teaching materials.