SCHEMING WAYS: PREPARING LOWER LEVEL EFL
LEARNERS TO INTERACT WITH LITERARY TEXTS
GEORGE MURDOCH*
UAE Uni e si y, Uni ed A ab Emi a es
ABSTRACT
This a icle suppo s he posi ion ha language-based app oaches o li -
e a y ex s can make li e a u e ele an o he needs o lowe le el lea ne s.
I is a gued ha well-selec ed ex s and ma e ials can p o ide immensely s im-
ula ing cu iculum con en , which p o ides an excellen basis o de eloping
hough -p o oking, in e ac i e and imagina i e ac i i ies o s uden s. Howe -
e , he p incipal ocus he e is he impo ance o elici ing / supplemen ing he
backg ound knowledge, o schema a, which s uden s equi e o engage wi h
ex s. I is seen as pa icula ly impo an ha o eign s uden s, s udying in coun-
ies whe e English is no he i s language o communica ion, and who d aw
on e y di e en socio-cul u al backg ound knowledge and pe sonal expe i-
ences o ha o a Wes e n w i e , should be suppo ed in applying he cul-
u al awa eness ha he w i e assumes om he eade . The di icul y o a
ex is he e o e seen as a unc ion o a wide se o ac o s han su ace lin-
guis ic ones. The implica ions o a schema based model o he eading p ocess
o he s udy o li e a u e in ELT a e discussed. P ac ical sugges ions o p epa -
ing s uden s o engage wi h a li e a y ex a e pu o wa d. Finally, pa o a
poem by Tony Ha ison, Long Dis ance II, is analysed om a pedagogic poin
o iew. The in en ion is o illus a e an app oach and associa ed ac i i ies
which ake ull accoun o he need o de elop and in ol e o eign s uden s’
backg ound knowledge and expe ience, in o de o enable hem o access he
dimensions o a ex which a e o uni e sal in e es and appeal.
KEY WORDS
Schema, Backg ound knowledge, hema ic app oach, cul u al awa eness,
language-based ma e ials, ex econs uc ion.
CAUCE, Re is a de Filología y su Didác ica, nº 24, 2001 / págs. 493-506 493
* Geo ge Mu doch is in ol ed in cu iculum de elopmen wo k o he UAE Uni-
e si y’s ounda ion English P og am. He was o me ly a B i ish Council ad ise o a
eache de elopmen p ojec in S i Lanka. His ELT ca ee has also included spells in
Mo occo, I an, Kuwai , Oman and he UK. He has gi en in e na ional con e ence p e-
sen a ions, un wo kshops and published a icles on his a eas o special in e es : li e -
a u e in ELT, in e ac i e eading skills, cu iculum enewal and eache e alua ion.
GEORGE MURDOCH
494
RESUMEN
La ap oximación lingüís ica a ex os li e a ios puede hace de la li e a u-
a un ú il ins umen o en la enseñanza del inglés en ni eles básicos. Bien
seleccionados, los ex os y ma e iales pueden apo a un con enido cu icula
que mo i e al es udian e y le si a de alioso pun o de e e encia pa a el de-
sa ollo de ac i idades e lexi as, in e ac i as e imagina i as. Es e a ículo, sin
emba go, se cen a especialmen e en la necesidad de acili a al es udian e el
conocimien o de ondo, o “schema a”, que necesi a pa a pode en en a se a
ex os li e a ios. El es udian e ex anje o, que es udia inglés donde és e no es
la p ime a lengua de comunicación y cuyos conocimien os sociocul u ales y
expe iencias pe sonales di ie en de las de un esc i o occiden al, p ecisa un
apoyo especial a la ho a de inco po a la conciencia cul u al que el esc i o
supone en su lec o . La di icul ad de un ex o sob epasa po an o el ni el
me amen e lingüís ico pa a in eg a se en un conjun o de ac o es más amplios.
De ahí p o iene la impo ancia de enseña les un modelo de lec u a de ex os
li e a ios basado en esquemas cul u ales, que inco po e suge encias p ác icas
de apoyo en el en en amien o a dichos ex os. En es e sen ido, y desde una
pe spec i a pedagógica, se analiza pa e de un poema de Tony Ha ison, Long
Dis ance II. Con es o se in en a ilus a un ipo de ap oximación que desa olle
y al mismo iempo in eg e el conocimien o de ondo y las expe iencias de
dichos es udian es en su camino de pe cepción de las dimensiones de un ex-
o cuyo a ac i o e in e és son uni e sales.
PALABRAS CLAVE
Esquema, conocimien o de ondo, en oque emá ico, conciencia cul u al,
ma e iales basados en la lengua, econs ucción ex ual.
RÉSUMÉ
Selon l’au eu , une app oche linguis ique du ex e li é ai e peu épond e
aux besoins des é udian s de langue à ous les ni eaux. Des ex es li é ai es
soigneusemen choisis peu en en ichi les p og ammes e se i de base à des
ac i i és qui s imulen la é lexion, l’imagina ion e l’in e ac ion chez les é u-
dian s. Le hème cen ale de l’a icle es l’impo ance de la connaissance sché-
ma ique e cul u elle pou abo de le ex e li é ai e. Cela es pa iculiè emen
impo an pou les é udian s des pays non-anglophones qui disposen sou en
d’une expé ience e d’une conscience socio-cul u elle di é en es de celles que
l’au eu p ésuppose chez les lec eu s. La di icul é du ex e li é ai e dépend
donc de ac eu s qui ne son pas seulemen d’o d e linguis ique. L’au eu dis-
cu e les implica ions d’un modèle de lec u e basé su la connaissance sché-
ma ique pou l’é ude de la li é a u e e pou l’enseignemen de l’anglais. Il
p opose aussi des sugges ions p a iques pou p épa e l’é udian à abo de le
ex e li é ai e. En in, l’au eu ai une analyse pédagogique d’un ex ai du
poème de Tony Ha ison, Long Dis ance II, a in d’illus e une app oche du
SCHEMING WAYS: PREPARING LOWER LEVEL EFL LEARNERS…
495
ex e e des ma e iels qui pe me en les é udian s d’accéde aux dimensions
uni e selles e in é essan es du ex e.
MOTS-CLÉ
Connaissance schéma ique, connaissance socio-cul u elle, app oche hé-
ma ique, conscience cul u elle, ma e iels pou une é ude linguis ique des ex es
li é ai es, econs uc ion ex uelles.
LITERATURE FOR LOWER LEVEL EFL STUDENTS?
O e he pas decade a con incing case has been made o he
inclusion o li e a y ex s in ELT cu icula. Ca e (p. 96) eminds us
ha li e a y ex s need no be ese ed o use wi h mo e ad anced
s uden s in o de o de elop highe o de c i ical skills, such as app e-
cia ion o he socio-cul u al pe spec i e o an au ho - hei con en can
equally alidly be exploi ed o c ea e s imula ing language de elopmen
and awa eness aising ac i i ies o in e media e/lowe -in e media e le -
el lea ne s o English. Ca e s esses ha a language-based app oach
o li e a u e gea ed owa ds lowe le el lea ne s will equen ly in ol e
applying amilia ELT ac i i y ypes, such as p edic ion, cloze and jum-
bled eading asks, in o de o no only p o oke engagemen wi h a
selec ed poem o p ose ex ac , bu also de elop s uden s’ eading skills
and sensi i i y o selec ed linguis ic ea u es o di e en ypes o li e -
a y ex s. Meanwhile, McRae (pp. 91, 96) has a gued pe suasi ely o
he use o li e a y and o he non-in o ma ion ypes o ex s wi h all le -
els o language s uden s, on he g ounds ha wha he e ms ‘ ep e-
sen a ional ma e ials’ ha e he abili y o engage s uden s’ imagina i e
and cogni i e acul ies, he eby adding an impo an in e ac i e dimen-
sion o he ELT cu iculum.
Language-based app oaches can ap, hen, he po en ial o li e a-
u e o p o ide hough -p o oking and in e es ing ma e ials wi hou
launching in o a ull s udy o li e a u e as a subjec wi h all he c i ical
baggage ha na u ally en ails ( hough ha ype o s udy can be p o-
ided o hose s uden s who a ain p o iciency le el). Howe e , wi h
he lowe le el s uden s whose needs his a icle is conce ned, he main
objec i e will na u ally be o p o ide ways in o a basic unde s anding
o he con ex , cha ac e s, e en s, hemes, emo ions and iewpoin s ha
he ex p o ides. In e ac ion wi h he ex a hese le els will, o cou se,
also p o ide excellen condi ions o de eloping s uden s’ mo e gene -
al eading, w i ing, speaking, lis ening and hinking skills.
GEORGE MURDOCH
496
The need o de elop cohe en app oaches o li e a y ex s udy o
lowe le el lea ne s mus be gi en high p io i y, gi en he appa en
eluc ance o many ELT eache s o use li e a u e wi h lowe le el lea n-
e s, and he ac ha he majo i y o cou se ma e ials seem o be pi ched
owa ds mo e ad anced le el s uden s (P e an, 2000). A amilia mix o
p e-/while-/pos - eading ques ions is used in mos sound in e ac i e EFL
collec ions designed o guide adul and younge lea ne s owa ds a
meaning ul eading expe ience (e.g. Chap e & Ve se, McRae & Pan-
aleón, p. 91; Voices in Li e a u e, McCloskey & S ack, p. 96). Ques-
ions and ac i i ies o lowe le el s uden s mus , as hese collec ions
illus a e, be ca e ully selec ed so as o encou age and suppo he ead-
ing and esponse p ocess wi hou u ning he whole expe ience in o
ano he se o exe cises o he poo s uden o plough h ough mechan-
ically. Any ex asks mus ha e a clea pu pose in e ms o de elop-
men o eading skills o enhancing s uden s’ in e es in eading imag-
ina i e ex s. The poin o en y o unco e ing dimensions o he ex
will o en be pa icula linguis ic ea u es, such as choice o lexis, eg-
is e o p onoun ela ed o a swi ch o iewpoin . Such an app oach
o ex s has been shown o be equally ele an o ex s selec ed om
new li e a y sou ces as i is o adi ional B i ish and Ame ican ex s
(see Ve hamani, p. 96).
An in e es ing ea u e o language-based ma e ials is ac i i ies ha
in ol e pe sonal esponse o he ideas, images and emo ions commu-
nica ed ia he ex s. Such pe sonalisa ion can be e ec ed by elici ing
memo ies and expe iences ele an o he heme p io o an encoun e
wi h he ex , o pos - eading ques ions ha call on he lea ne o a ic-
ula e hei eac ion o, say, he cha ac e s and hei ac ions. Rew i ing
ac i i ies can in ol e ex ual in e en ion (Pope, p. 95) o p oduce an
al e na i e ending o w i e he ex in a di e en s yle. Mo e imagina-
i e and less igh ly ex ocused ex ension asks migh in ol e asking
s uden s o c ea e a dialogue inco po a ing cha ac e s and emo ional
ela ionships om a sho s o y which has al eady been exploi ed ia
a mo e ypical se o ques ions abou he plo and he cha ac e s.
The ongoing in e es in li e a u e in he con ex o eaching lan-
guage o all le els o s uden s can o a la ge deg ee be a ibu ed o
cu en conce ns abou cou se con en . On many in e na ional, e ia y
le el ELT p og ammes, he e is an inc easing conce n o de elop cou s-
es ha o e mo e han he bland opics and limi ed cha ac e s and
li es yles se ed up by mos gene al cou sebooks. The e is a new desi e
o selec cou se ma e ials ha ackle global hemes and se ious opics
which ela e o impo an aspec s o people’s li es (see, o example,
No h S a : Focus on Reding & W i ing, In e media e, Sa dinas &
DuPaquie , p. 98). A hema ic app oach can p o ide e ile g ound o
de elop in e ac i e language and hinking skills o s uden s a all le -
els.. Li e a u e can make a i al con ibu ion o his hema ic agenda,
as i clea ly ela es o he con en o people’s li es in imagina i e, s im-
ula ing ways. Seamus Heaney, in a ecen in e iew*, eminded us ha
li e a u e is so a ac i e because i p o ides g ea pleasu e and mo es
us emo ionally. Fo his eason, i is a e y powe ul esou ce which
can p omo e language lea ning. Also as P e an (2000) poin s ou , i
in ol es lea ne s as people wi h eelings and esponses, he eby con-
nec ing wi h hei inne li es.
DEVELOPING STUDENTS’ BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE
Howe e , he inclusion o mo e subs an ial, ep esen a i e ex
ma e ial does equi e mo e ca e ul pedagogic s uc u ing. The need o
p epa e s uden s o hei encoun e wi h he ex becomes e en mo e
i al when he ex s call o engagemen a di e en le els, no jus
mechanical ex ac ion o key ac s and ideas. S uden s need o be
p imed o deal wi h he hemes, emo ions, cha ac e s, se ings, social
and cul u al unde s andings e c. ha he ex calls in o play. Fo exam-
ple, s uden s li ing in ela i ely s able and peace ul socie ies, which
ha e no been h ough majo wa s in hei ecen pas , may need con-
side able his o ical, social and emo ional p epa a ion o be able o
app ecia e he con ex s and expe iences ha esul in he bi e emo-
ional one o a Wil ed Owen poem, such as An hem o Doomed
You h, wi h i s s a ling opening lines:
Wha passing-bells o hose who die as ca le
–Only he mons ous ange o he guns
The necessa y p e- eading awa eness aising migh be achie ed by
using documen a y oo age om he Fi s Wo ld Wa , o pe iod pho o-
g aphs, o help s uden s unde s and he poe ’s ange and choice o
image y.
The impo ance o elici ing pe sonal expe ience and ensu ing a lea n-
e g asp o i al backg ound knowledge becomes e en mo e c ucial
when eaching English in an o e seas se ing. I is qui e equen ly he
*In e iew in The Sunday Times, epo ed in a Gul News a icle o he 13.2.2000.
SCHEMING WAYS: PREPARING LOWER LEVEL EFL LEARNERS…
497

GEORGE MURDOCH
498
case ha ce ain socio-cul u al aspec s o he ex may be un amilia o
s uden s. S eps aken ia ex wa m-up/p epa a ion ac i i ies o enhance
backg ound knowledge can make ex s mo e imagina i ely and in el-
lec ually accessible, and ende hem mo e use ul and in e es ing as
cou se eadings. Mos Middle Eas o Asian g oups o s uden s who had
no li ed in Eu ope o he US, migh , o example, need o be made
awa e o he use o he e m he “Old Mas e s” o e e o classic
pain e s like Remb and and B eughel, whose amous pain ing, Ica us,
and he scene i depic s, is a key poin o depa u e o he ideas de el-
oped in he poem by W. H. Auden, Musee des Beaux A s. Tex p epa-
a ion wo k which discussed he wo k o he classic pain e s and in ol ed
s uden s in iewing and discussing his ac ual pic u e would, o cou se,
help s uden s immensely o unde s and he Auden poem.
The need o ca e ully p epa e he o eign lea ne o imagina i e
ex s acco ds well wi h he essence o schema heo y as i ela es o
eading as an in e ac i e p ocess (see Ca ell & Eis e hold, 1988, o a
use ul synopsis o schema heo y). The essence o schema heo y is
ha p e-exis ing ields o knowledge a e ac i a ed in he p ocessing o
any ex . This concep ual knowledge will include knowledge o socio-
cul u al con en ions, a i udes and beha iou s associa ed wi h di e en
a eas o expe iences. The abili y o ac i a e app op ia e ields o knowl-
edge is he e o e a i al necessi y o engagemen wi h any li e a y ex .
Now, as poin ed ou abo e, EFL s uden s, pa icula ly hose s udying
o e seas, may, as a esul s o di e en cul u al expe iences and in lu-
ences, ha e de eloped equally alid, bu ne e heless di e en se s o
schema a o hose assumed by Wes e n w i e s. This si ua ion has a
numbe o e y impo an implica ions o he eaching o li e a u e o
EFL s uden s:
•Tex s may be di icul o s uden s, no p incipally because o
hei linguis ic di icul y, bu because hei di e en social cul u al and
a ec i e schema do no empowe hem adequa ely o ec ea e and
in e ac wi h he w i e ’s discou se.
•Ou pedagogic ac i i ies should p o ide he necessa y hema ic,
cul u al and linguis ic p epa a ion and/o supplemen , so as o make
li e a y ex s accessible. Howe e , he desi e o ensu e ha s uden s
ha e adequa e backg ound knowledge should no esul in selec ion o
ex s o s udy which only d aw on si ua ions and con ex s which a e
amilia o s uden s. Pa o he agenda o li e a y s udy is always o
ex end ho izons and make lea ne s use hei imagina ion. Wha is
SCHEMING WAYS: PREPARING LOWER LEVEL EFL LEARNERS…
499
impo an is ha s uden s should be able o engage wi h a ex a a
cogni i e and emo ional le el. The e o e, ex s will need o be selec -
ed hema ically o sui s uden s’ age and ange o li e expe iences. Cul-
u al cons ain s ega ding wha opics can be discussed com o ably in
di e en in e na ional educa ional se ings should also be aken in o
accoun . Fo example, a ex dealing wi h an adul e ous ela ionship
could be p oblema ic in some school o e ia y eaching si ua ions. I
li e a u e is o be mo e widely in eg a ed in o ELT cu icula, hen s u-
den s mus be able o discuss and espond o i eely.
•The eade ’s backg ound knowledge is an ex emely impo an
pa o he eading p ocess and can e en compensa e o lea ne s’ lin-
guis ic de iciencies, such as p oblems wi h lexis o syn ax. I is c ucial
o he p edic ion and in e ence making p ocesses ha a e so i al o
dealing o eading poe y, whe e he e is gene ally so li le edundan-
cy, and he poe ies o ge maximum seman ic mileage om each
wo d.
Ac ual p epa a o y ex engagemen ac i i ies o elici /build back-
g ound knowledge will only be success ul i hey can connec s o he
expe ience o s uden s in in e es ing ways. As s essed in a ecen ELTJ
su ey o books on he eaching o li e a u e (Pa an, 2000), i is i al,
oo, o ensu e ha he ac i i y ype i s he ex s and aids he p ocess
o unco e ing i s meanings. The possibili ies o ac ual ac i i ies a e
nume ous, bu will ypically include:
1. Using pic u es o a sho ideo sequence o s imula e hough
o discussion ele an o he heme o he ex o he si ua ion o he
cha ac e s.
2. Asking s uden s o ind ou abou a pa icula place, pe iod o
his o y, amous pe son, ci y, a is e c. ha is highly ele an o he con-
en o he ex .
3. Ge ing s uden s o ead non-li e a y ex s ela ed o a cen al
heme o he ex o be s udied, in o de o de elop he awa eness
needed o unde s and i ully. Fo example, a le e om a soldie o
his gi l iend o pa en s om he wa on , migh p o ide an app o-
p ia e way in o he Wil ed Owen poem, An hem Fo Doomed You h,
al eady e e ed o abo e.
4. Ge s uden s o discuss pe sonal expe iences o an emo ion ha
is a he co e o a li e a y ex . Fo example, s uden s migh ecoun
expe iences o ecei ing shocking news be o e eading Raymond Ca -
e ’ poem, Wha The Doc o Told Me, in which he poe desc ibes his
GEORGE MURDOCH
500
eac ion o being in o med by a doc o ha he is su e ing om lung
cance .
5. Di ec ocus on pa icula socio-cul u al con en ions, con ex s
o e e ences ha a e c ucial o unde s anding he impac o he ex .
6. Focus on possibly p oblema ic lexical, syn ac ic, egis e ea-
u es o a ex a an ea ly s age, so as o ensu e s uden s will no ind
a ex oo demanding on i s eading.
7. Use a sho ex ac om he ex o a ex econs uc ion ac i -
i y, such as pu ing pa s o a ex in o a co ec o de , so as o ease
he s uden s in o he ex ia a ask ha will make hem amilia wi h
some pa o he si ua ion. The ac i i y also se es o amilia ise hem
wi h he language o he ex wi hou equi ing hem o deal wi h i s
deepe le els o meaning.
PREPARING STUDENTS FOR LONG DISTANCE II
In o de o illus a e he ype o ex ended p epa a o y ex app oach
ha ocuses on ac i a ion/supplemen a ion o he backg ound knowl-
edge ha he EFL lea ne needs o in e ac wi h a li e a y ex , I ha e
selec ed he second pa o a poem, Long Dis ance, by Tony Ha ison
(see Appendix), which I ha e used success ully wi h s uden s and
eache s in aining in di e en coun ies. The poem uses con empo-
a y language o ms and does no con on he eade wi h di icul lex-
is. I deals wi h close amily ela ionships - a heme ha s uden s a ound
he globe can de ini ely ela e o, e en hough he si ua ion o isola-
ion ha he cha ac e s ind hemsel es in may be mo e un amilia in
non-Wes e n socie ies. Howe e , he emo ional impac o he poem is
one which ce ainly has uni e sal alence. Impo an ly, oo, om an
in e na ional eaching pe spec i e, he ex does no con ain con en o
scenes which could be po en ially emba assing o s uden s o discuss
o espond o in mo e cul u ally conse a i e/ adi ional class oom
se ings.
In he poem i sel , a a he ’s endu ing need and lo e o his wi e
is obse ed h ough he eyes o his son. We see he a he ’s o al inabil-
i y o come o e ms wi h he dea h. Ou exposu e o his a emp s o
ca y on as i she we e s ill ali e ake us in o he emo ional e i o y
o eac ions o he loss o a close and much lo ed ela i e. A alid way
in o he heme o his ex , would be o ge s uden s o discuss in
g oups he mos happily ma ied eal o ic ional couples hey know,
SCHEMING WAYS: PREPARING LOWER LEVEL EFL LEARNERS…
501
and pool lis s o he ea u es o hese couples’ li es and pe sonali ies.
They migh hen ead a magazine a icle abou happily ma ied Wes -
e n o in e na ional couples wi h child en, o see whe he hei s able
ela ionships we e based on he same quali ies as had been b ains o med.
The i s ask ob iously aims o elici he kind o schema ic awa eness
abou ma ied li e ele an o he poem, while he ole o he maga-
zine a icles would be o b ing o s uden s’ minds aspec s o a solid,
a ec iona e ma iage so hey can connec wi h he pligh o he a he
and son in he ex .
A he nex s age, s uden s migh be asked o do a ex econ-
s uc ion ac i i y, such as a cloze wi h he hyming wo ds a he end
o lines 3 and ou o each e se omi ed, wi h s uden s being asked
o selec he co ec wo ds om a lis : bed, pass, alone, c ime, g ie ,
ea, name, call o econs uc he ull poem. Besides ale ing s uden s
o he hyme pa e n, and making hem awa e o he simplici y o he
ocabula y, he ac i i y also ale s hem o he change o hyming pa -
e n in he las e se, which e lec s an impo an change o di ec ion
in he poem –some hing which can be explo ed wi h s uden s la e .
Ano he bene i is ha he ac i i y p o ides a mo i a ing way in o he
poem wi hou bu dening he ex wi h lo s o ques ions when he s u-
den s i s mee i .
A e his, some o he ocabula y i ems exp essions which a e e y
loaded in e ms o he poem’s cul u al and social con ex can be made
clea o he s uden s. The ha sh no h o England clima e, domes ic
ou ines in badly hea ed houses and he adi ional oles o men and
women in lowe middle and wo king class homes in he 1950’s and
60’s pe ade e e ences o pu ing ho wa e bo les in beds, keeping
slippe s wa m and enewing anspo passses in e se 1. The e e -
ence o being able o “d op in” has deep esonances in ela ion o
close communi ies whe e amilies and neighbou s we e iendly and
suppo i e. I is also impo an o explo e he way ha he i s line
o e se 2, “I belie e li e ends wi h dea h, and ha is all.” should be
in e p e ed in he ligh o he ac ha mos people in he UK ha e
no s ong belie in eligion o li e a e dea h, since ha si ua ion con-
as s d ama ically wi h ha in many coun ies a ound he wo ld whe e
English is s udied. This awa eness can help s uden s e en ually app e-
cia e how he poe ’s lack o belie lea es him so emo ionally de as-
a ed by he loss o his pa en s and in need o communica ing wi h
hem.