Unambiguous Graphics: making entry-level ESP materials

March 19, 2005 Unambiguous Graphics:makingentry-level ESP materials Lawrie Hunter Kochi University of Technology http://www.core.Koch-tech.ac.jp/hunter/ lawrie_hunter@kochi-tech.ac.jp

PRINCIPLE: Learners need to have a clear situating of what they are doing. • This calls for a simple, structured characterization of language and communication.

a simple, structured characterization of language and communication: Separate information from persuasive/poetic rhetoric

Some people say that gasoline is better than diesel. Let’s take a look at some statistics.

Some people say that gasoline is better than diesel. Let’s take a look at some statistics. rhetoric information Some people say that gasoline is better than diesel. Let’s take a look at some statistics.

Reducing Shannon-Weaver “noise” ‘noise’ = “factors which decrease the quality of the reception of a message” www.cultsock.ndirect.co.uk/MUHome/cshtml/introductory/fidelity.htm

Task design (interface design): info LEARNER language LEARNER language info

Task design question 1: How to quantify information? info info

hunter’s tools GENRES REGISTERS MOVES KUT’s genres At KUT, we have built our curriculum around these genres (a.k.a. text types): Description Classification Comparison Sequence Cause-effect + inference Pro-con -a composite genre Critical Thinking Asahi Press 2001 2nd year textbook 6 units (6 genres) in 2 quarters

hunter’s tools GENRES REGISTERS MOVES KUT’s genres The learning process used in this book Each of the 6 units in this book follows the same teaching/learning pattern: INPUT: the learners are exposed to the target vocabulary and phrases required for expression of the ideas which are basic to the genre in the unit. For input, the learners listen to explanations of the genre by the teacher, practice speaking and listening to sentences from the genre, and read various explanations of the genres language and language structure USAGE PRACTICE: in each unit there are a succession of activities and tasks which allow the learner to practice using the language required for the genre. It is important to emphasize to the learners that the activities and exercises are necessary to prepare the students for the final large task at the end of each unit. The activities and tasks may be performed in several different modes: for example, as in-class activities (individual or group) or as written homework. This flexibility is important for the teacher, allowing for a variety of timings and paces. AUTHENTIC TASK: the tasks at the end of the units are designed to be non-linguistic tasks, based in the real world. In some chapters the learners are asked to arrange information in certain structures; in other chapters the learners are asked to solve real-world type problems. These tasks may be done individually or in groups of 2, 3 or 4 learners. EXPRESSION: the language aspect of the authentic tasks lies in the expression of the product of the task. In this book the tasks are written tasks, but they may also be done as pair or group presentations. The presentation approach is explained in detail in the teacher's guide. Critical Thinking Asahi Press 2001 2nd year textbook 6 units (6 genres) in 2 quarters

hunter’s tools GENRES REGISTERS MOVES KUT’s genres The learning process used in this book Each of the 6 units in this book follows the same teaching/learning pattern: Critical Thinking Asahi Press 2001 2nd year textbook 6 units (6 genres) in 2 quarters INPUT USAGE PRACTICE AUTHENTIC TASK EXPRESSION

Task design question 2: How to represent information? info info

hunter’s tools GENRES REGISTERS MOVES KUT’s genres Critical Thinking Asahi Press 2001 2nd year textbook 6 units (6 genres) in 2 quarters Thinking in English KUT Press 2004 A mapping workbook, companion to CT 6 units (6 genres) Extends CT to 4 quarters

Hunter’s infomaps stem from Mohan's (1986) knowledge structures

< good Hunter’s infomaps stem from Mohan's (1986) knowledge structures

Hunter’s infomap links

Hunter’s infomap links Description

Hunter’s infomap links Classification Description

< big Hunter’s infomap links Classification Description Degree comparison

< big Hunter’s infomap links Classification Description Attribute comparison Degree comparison

< big Hunter’s infomap links Classification Description Attribute comparison Degree comparison Sequence

< big Hunter’s infomap links Classification Description Attribute comparison Degree comparison Cause-effect Sequence

Hunter’s infomap links DESCRIPTION My friend Canadian 57 English teacher

Hunter’s infomap links CLASSIFICATION Cars station wagons sedans coupes

Hunter’s infomap links COMPARISON (relative) < Calcutta Tokyo big old

Hunter’s infomap links COMPARISON (by attribute) new 3 years old M’s car K’s car white red

Hunter’s infomap links SEQUENCE insert bank card follow the directions find an ATM

Hunter’s infomap links SEQUENCE structure signals First Then and insert bank card follow the directions find an ATM

Hunter’s infomap links SEQUENCE First Then and toast two slices of bread tear some lettuce slice a tomato

Hunter’s infomap links CAUSE-EFFECT bus was cancelled be late for school rain

please study here

Uses of Iconic Graphics as is e.g. in .ppt

Uses of Iconic Graphics as is e.g. in .ppt Of course iconic graphics can -reduce ‘noise’ -enhance info accessibility -reduce cognitive load

Uses of Iconic Graphics as is no big deal e.g. in .ppt But PLAIN ENGLISH can do that. www.plainenglish.co.uk/ There is more potential to the notion of iconic graphics.

Uses of Iconic Graphics as markers of position in information structure as is no big deal e.g. in .ppt Reading text while referring to an info structure sign is empowering in a synergistic way.

Learner tasks with info mapping writing from maps summarizing mapping text

Learner tasks with info mapping writing from maps summarizing mapping text in mapping tasks, limit the number of nodes forces learners to identify main structures

Ocean thermal energy could be the wave of the future Noriyuki YoshidaThe Daily Yomiuri 01 01 23 _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ The experiment uses technology developed by Prof. Haruo Uehara and researchers at the science and engineering department of Saga University. It is hoped that the test will produce 1,000 kilowatts of electricity, and it is expected that the technology will provide cost-efficient, environmentally friendly energy in the 21st century. _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ Thermal and nuclear power plants boil water into steam, which rotates turbines to generate electricity. The basic mechanism of the OTEC is the same, but instead of water, the OTEC process uses ammonia, which is more energy efficient because it evaporates at a much lower temperature than water. _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ First, liquid ammonia is heated with water of 20 C to 30 C drawn from near the surface of the Indian Ocean and converted into steam. Then the ammonia steam rotates turbines and generates electricity. Finally the steam is cooled with 6 C deep-sea water and converted back to liquid. _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ In thermal power generators, the temperature difference between water and steam is about 500 C, which means the steam is packed with energy. But the temperature difference in the OTEC system is only about 20 C, so the energy from the ammonia steam is relatively low. To overcome this, OTEC utilizes a process developed by Uehara to improve the heating and cooling of the ammonia and use water as a solvent. _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ The OTEC system's heat efficiency rate (the percentage of generated power compared to the total energy poured into the system) has reached a high of 5.2 percent under the Uehara Cycle. This is much lower than 40-percent level in thermal power generation and the 50 to 60 percent efficiency of power generation using a combination of thermal systems and gas. _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ Uehara said, "Because the source of heat is seawater, the energy cost is zero. The overall costs of the power generation processes are not much higher than those of thermal generation and other forms," he said. e.g. Take a tech article, remove topic and conclusion sentences from each paragraph, have learners map the article with 15 nodes or fewer.

Use the infomap links to map the text. < big Classification Description Degree comparison Attribute comparison Contrast ! Sequence Cause-effect

Power generating systems General process: Boil a liquid Make steam Rotate turbines Generate electricity hunter systems

Power generating systems General process: Boil a liquid Make steam Rotate turbines Generate electricity fossil or N-heat Compare ordinary process and OTEC process: seawater heat boil NH3 boil H2O OTEC plants older type plants steam 20C steam 500C low power high power zero energy cost high energy cost hunter systems

Power generating systems General process: Boil a liquid Make steam Rotate turbines Generate electricity fossil or N-heat Compare ordinary process and OTEC process: seawater heat boil NH3 boil H2O ! OTEC plants older type plants ! steam 20C steam 500C ! low power high power zero energy cost high energy cost ! hunter systems

Thank you for your retention. And ‘thanks in advance’ for trying this concept. You can download this .ppt from http://www.core.kochi-tech.ac.jp/hunter/espgraphics/ Lawrie Hunter Kochi University of Technology http://www.core.kochi-tech.ac.jp/hunter/ lawrie_hunter@kochi-tech.ac.jp

hunter’s tools GENRES REGISTERS MOVES [a classification map]

hunter’s tools GENRES REGISTERS MOVES Genres allow us to talk about the type of information conveyed in any given utterance. This is the starting point for the L2 learner.

hunter’s tools GENRES REGISTERS MOVES Systemic Functional Linguistics SFL talks about these genres: • Narrative: construct a pattern of events • Procedure: tell how to do something • Information report: present information • Explanation: tell how and why things occur • Exposition: argue a case • Discussion: look at sides of an issue

hunter’s tools GENRES REGISTERS MOVES KUT’s genres ... reflect information types (Mohan's (1986) knowledge structures) rather than speech act types such as SFL's text types. This allows us to use Hunter's information mapping as the graphic embodiment of what we are hearing/saying/reading/writing.

hunter’s tools GENRES REGISTERS MOVES Hunter’sREGISTERS allow a separation of language domains according to intention and situation • Do this once genres are established • Do this once genres are mastered

hunter’s tools GENRES REGISTERS MOVES Hunter’s REGISTERS • Here are the ad hoc (but definable) registers I talk about with my students:

Unambiguous Graphics: making entry-level ESP materials