Reading to Learn, Reading the World How Genre-based Literacy Pedagogy Is Democratizing Education

As several chapters in this volume presage, a third generation of Sydney School pedagogy and curriculum is now underway. These developments have been triggered by the implementation of genre-based literacy programs in schools where two or more languages are used for teaching and learning. This raises important questions for curriculum - i.e. what is the ultimate goal as far as accessing knowledge is concerned? Are we aiming for access in one language (perhaps a 'national' or 'international' one), or two or more? And it also raises important questions for pedagogy - i.e. which language (local, national or international) should be used when? And how might this change as students gain control of second, third languages or more in school? However this resolves, I am confident David and his colleagues can be more than a little bit proud of what they will have achieved. I had tears in my eyes in Boston; I have tears in my eyes as I write this now. The commitment and achievements of the educational linguists in this volume are stunning. I commend them to you.
From the Foreword by JR Martin, Professor of Linguistics, University of Sydney