Translanguaging genre pedagogy: implications for teaching business communication in the Greater Bay Area

Abstract

The present paper discusses how insights from translanguaging theory and pedagogy can help inform and promote genre pedagogy for teaching business communication courses such as writing and translation. To this end, the first part traces and reviews the developments of genre theory and pedagogy in tandem with translanguaging theory and pedagogy, thus teasing out their similarities and differences in historical roots, core premises, theoretical frameworks, and research methodologies. In light of these integrated accounts, the second part of the paper proposes a genre-based pedagogical framework augmented with key tenets and general principles of translanguaging pedagogy to design and implement task activities and classroom practice in teaching business communication courses in the Greater Bay Area (GBA). The paper then outlines perceivable advantages and potential challenges to the application of this translanguaging-informed genre-based pedagogical approach in curriculum design and professional training practice in superdiverse megapolis regions such as the GBA.

The effects of providing peer feedback on learners’ genre awareness in English as a foreign language business letter writing

“…Furthermore, business letters represent a specific communication event in which there is a close match between the intentions of the writer and the expectations of the reader ( Jenkins and Hinds, 1987 ). Wen et al (2022) postulated that being able to analyze, write and/or translate business or professional genres has become an essential skill for L2 learners and in-service employees in multicultural and multilingual metropolises.…”

“…Learners are expected to have an informed understanding of how to write some typical genres (e.g., sales letters) in accordance with the established conventions shared by the targeted discourse community . Aside from some mastery of generic features, learners also need to understand the general conventions in the formats and structures like “layout of a typical formal business letter” ( Wen et al, 2022 ) or termed as “an underlying constant of formality” ( Hyland and Jiang, 2017 ), for example, where and how to put the sender’s address, the inside address, the date, salutation, the content, the complimentary close.…”

“…Fortunately, curriculum designers have begun to realize the need to teach and practice writing for various social purposes ( Yu et al, 2022 ). Undoubtedly, being able to analyze, write and/or translate business or professional genres has become an essential skill for L2 learners and in-service employees in multicultural and multilingual megapolis or city clusters ( Wen et al, 2022 , p. 1). As such, business communication and trade transactions are growing exponentially, conducted predominantly in English, which has been propelled by the corporate Englishization process in more and more multinational corporations ( Goldkorn et al, 2022 ).…”

Assisting Students’ Writing Improvement Through Reading to Learn (R2l) Program: A Review of Studies

“…While the connection between reading and writing is evident, more research is needed to understand how different writing genres may be influenced by Reading to Learn strategy. Although the effectiveness of Genre-based and Reading to Learn (R2L) pedagogies in enhancing students' writing has been widely recognized for over a decade (Tardy, et al;, Shum, et al 2018Wen, et al 2022), it is important to recognize that the effectiveness of the strategies may vary depending on the genre. Furthermore, studies focusing on examining how R2L impacts on students' writing development are scarce.…”

Enhancing student participation in learning to write a recount text: Learning from EFL pre-service teachers in implementing R2L pedagogy

“…Reading to Learn (R2L) pedagogy has gained much attention for its success in teaching writing for more than a decade (Kartika-Ningsih & Rose, 2021;Tardy et al, 2018;Wen et al, 2022;). It offers a pedagogical tool for teachers and students to examine the network of lexico-grammatical choices and use them in making meaning in their texts.…”