Using the Await Strategy for the Orientation Phases of Narrative

Texts’ Development: A Genre-based Approach

Naury Amilia Qisti

School of Post-graduate studies, Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia, Bandung, Indonesia

nauryamilia@yahoo.com

Keywords: Narrative Writing, Orientation Phase, Genre-Based Approach, AWAIT strategy.

Abstract: The text-based approach has been involved in Indonesian EFL curriculum to support the realization of

communicative competence as its educational goal. Among the text types taught in schools, narrative has

become central since it is the most commonly read of all genres and serves as the prominent tools for

language learning. First of all, a genre analysis using Systemic Functional Linguistic framework was

conducted to take a closer look at the language used by the author of a narrative text model and Indonesian

EFL learners. The analysis included the language use within interpersonal, ideational, and textual

metafunctions. Later on, the results of analysis were identified in order to suggest some pedagogical

implications to teachers for teaching narrative texts. The results of this study revealed that the orientation

phases of students’ narrative texts were poorly developed as the introduction of the characters and settings

were mostly finished in one sentence unlike the phases in experts’ texts which were elaborated vividly.

Therefore, the AWAIT strategy was suggested as an alternative to teach narrative writing within genre-

based framework. It is used to scaffold students in developing their narrative texts, especially the orientation

phases of the texts.

1 INTRODUCTION

In Indonesian EFL context, the text-based approach

has been involved in three consecutive curricula to

support communicative competence as its

educational goals of language learning. The

approach emphasizes on using multitude texts not

only as the final outcomes but also as the tools to do

multiple activities in real-life (Indonesian EFL

syllabus 2016). Thus the teaching and learning

process is carried out by presenting explicit

instruction regarding to texts’ forms and functions in

highly systematic and logical ways. it also focuses

on providing information about the development of

effective texts for particular purposes within the

contexts of real and purposeful language use (Feez

& Joyce 1998; Hyland 2007; Emilia 2010,

Arimbawa 2012).

Among text types taught in schools, narrative has

become central attention in this paper for its

importance. First, Narrative texts are taught in both

primary and secondary school level in Indonesia.

The students are required to have knowledge on

social function, structure, and linguistic elements of

narratives in accordance with the context of their

use. They also need to be able to construe meaning

available in the text and to construct narrative texts

on their own (Indonesian EFL Syllabus 2016).

Second, Knapp & Watkins (2005) also argue

that narrative is one of the most commonly read of

all genres. It also has been prominent as a means of

naturally inducting students to intricacies and

idiosyncracies of the English language. In addition,

it encompasses much of daily discourse as whatever

people say and think about a certain time or place

would naturally become narrative (Herman &

Vervaeck 2005.

However, in reality, students have been

encountering difficulties in constructing narrative

texts. Several studies suggest that the difficulties

include limited elaboration on each stage of

narrative texts, no settlement of crises in the story,

limited character description depicted through

descriptions and speeches, and some vocabularies

and language features problem (Luthfiyati, Latief, &

Suharmanto 2015; Nuzhatun 2016). Many students

are still not aware of characterization, creating

incidents and building atmosphere for setting are

important to enhance the development of successful

narrative text. Most of them only mention the name

Qisti, N.

Using the Await Strategy for the Orientation Phases of Narrative Texts’ Development: A Genre-based Approach.

DOI: 10.5220/0007165802710277

In Proceedings of the Tenth Conference on Applied Linguistics and the Second English Language Teaching and Technology Conference in collaboration with the First International Conference

on Language, Literature, Culture, and Education (CONAPLIN and ICOLLITE 2017) - Literacy, Culture, and Technology in Language Pedagogy and Use, pages 271-277

ISBN: 978-989-758-332-2

271

or the role of the characters and/or settings without

giving vivid characterization to show their

personalities whereas personalities of the character

were central to the story (Derewianka 1990).

Past studies (Luthfiyati, Latief, & Suharmanto

2015; Nuzhatun 2016) appear to have been restricted

to identifying students’ weaknesses and difficulties

in narrative writing while some pedagogical

implications are needed to overcome such problems.

Therefore, this study attempts to do genre analysis

using systemic functional linguistic framework by

analysing the language use to express the content of

the text, the role of participants within the texts, and

the text organization in both expert and students’

text. The analysis within interpersonal, ideational,

and textual metafunctions was carried out to increase

language awareness and writing styles of different

genres (Iddings & Oliveira 2011; Correa &

Dominguez 2014; Cao and Guo 2015).

Later on, the result of analysis will become the

basis for teachers to derive some pedagogical

implications to teach narrative writing effectively.

2 LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 Systemic Functional Linguistic

Systemic functional analysis was coined by M.A.K.

Haliday since 1960s. Systemic functional linguistic

–henceforth SFL framework is believed as a

substantial approach to analyse texts in a sensible

and meaningful manner for years (Eggins 2004;

Halliday and Webster 2009). The perspective of this

framework includes language for its functional use.

Language is therefore seen as a means to make

meanings that are conceptualised by the social and

cultural context (Eggins 2004). Moreover, language

is functional in two essential domains, namely how

people use language and how the language is

structured.

Dealing with how people use language, Eggins

(2004) explains that it covers the relationship

between language and context. Meanwhile,

Derewianka (1990) states that a functional approach

looks at how language enables people to do things. It

is concerned with how people use real language for

real purposes.

Differences in texts are accounted since

language is used differently according to purposes.

Texts are structured in different ways to achieve

their purposes. As an attempt to achieve purposes in

their writing, authors are considering their genres as

they take a look at the schematic structure of a text.

The genre of a text is partly determined by culture,

situation, and register (Derewianka 1990).

The genre of a text is partly determined by the

culture in which the text is used. It means that

different cultures achieve their purposes through

using language in different ways. In addition, the

type of language used in a text for particular

situation will depend on the tenor –relationship

between the participants, field –subject-matter of the

text, and the mode –the channel of communication

being used. These three factors will determine the

language that is typical of different types of

purposes and situations.

There are three metafunctions as the basis for

text analysis through SFL framework, namely

interpersonal, ideational, and textual metafunctions.

Interpersonal metafunction denotes relationship

between speakers. Its coverage concerns with type

of interaction taking place and the kind of

commodity being change (Butt et al. 2000) that is

expressed through wording structures or clauses

(Eggins 2004).

Ideational metafunction represents something

that is being talked about or the content of

conversation (Eggins 2004). The clauses are

combined together as resources to talk about process

or experiences (Butt et al. 2000). Last, the textual

metafunction is realized through signposts at the

beginning of a text, paragraph, or clause which tells

readers and listeners what the speaker or writer has

in mind as a starting point (Butt et al. 2000). Further,

textual metafunction is the level of clause

organization which enables the clause to be

packaged in ways which make it effective given its

purpose and its context (Eggins 2004).

2.2 Narrative Text

Among many text types exist, narrative has become

one important text type to learn as it is always been

central in life. Whatever people say and think about

a certain time or place would naturally become

narrative (Herman & Vervaeck 2005). Knapp &

Watkins (2005) argue that narrative is one of the

most commonly read of all genres. It also has been

prominent as a means of naturally initiating students

into intricacies and idiosyncracies of the English

language. In addition, Derewianka (1990) states that

basically, narrative is a text type to entertain though

it also to teach or inform or embody the writer’s

reflections on experience, and to nourish and extend

reader’s imagination.

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Conference in collaboration with the First International Conference on Language, Literature, Culture, and Education

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Thus, narrative is a text type in which its basic

purpose is to entertain and engage readers’

imagination to see how writer’s reflections on

experiences are depicted. To make narrative to be

entertaining, the character have to be confronted

with some sort of problems or complications, so that

the reader is engaged with the plot, curious to see

how the problem gets resolved (Derewianka 1990).

The basic text organization of narrative text

consists of orientation, complication, resolution

(Derewianka, 1990). Narratives usually begin with

an orientation where the writer creates setting of the

story, introduces the characters, establishes an

atmosphere of the story. The details of story

development, e.g. the personality of the main

characters, situation, and the relationship among

characters may also be given in this part. Later on,

complication arises as a series of events unfolds

where characters are confronted with unexpected

situations. The complications usually reflect to

problems that readers often face in life. The last part

is resolution where the problems are sorted out or

resolved for better or worse. The Evaluation part of

the story highlights the significance of the events for

characters.

2.3 AWAIT Strategy

AWAIT strategy is a scaffolding strategy for reading

and writing narrative development introduced by

Shejnost & Thiese (2010). Specifically, AWAIT

strategy is utilized to scaffold students to enhance

their writing of orientation phase for their narrative

texts in the realm of building characterization and

settings atmosphere.

AWAIT is an abbreviation for Appearance,

Words, Action, Interactions, Thoughts. Then the

teacher poses some questions based on AWAIT to

help students enrich their characters and settings of

the story.

2.4 Related Research Study

The first related research used in this study belongs

to Correa & Dominguez (2014). They report the

insights on analysis of a student’s narrative text

using SFL theories. The analysis focuses on how the

student constructs field, tenor, and mode and how

the result of this analysis becomes the basis for

instructors to better assist the student in writing the

text. The study reveals that when students are

knowledgeable of SFL theories and approaches, they

will become more effective writers of genres they

are writing.

The second related research belongs to Iddings &

Oliveira (2011). Their research demonstrates a genre

analysis of a narrative to show how a focus on

language can identify some important aspects of a

text to highlight. A genre analysis is conducted to

see how the author of the text expresses the

ideational, interpersonal, and textual metafunctions

in the text. It becomes the basis to suggest the

teachers what they can discuss with their students to

provide explicit genre instruction.

Both researches suggest that SFL analysis is

helpful for the teachers to identify the structure and

languages used in successful writing of narrative

texts. Referring to both related studies, this article

will provide readers an insight on the conventional

genre moves of narrative text as a result of text

analysis within SFL framework. Later on, some

pedagogical implication can be drawn for teachers to

teach successful narrative text within genre-based

framework.

3 METHODS

This study involves document analysis as a part of

qualitative research design. Document analysis is a

systematic procedure for reviewing or evaluating

documents (Bowen 2009). The analytical tool used

in this study is Halliday’s framework of Systemic

Functional Linguistics (Halliday & Matthiessen

2004) to analyse one expert’s text and three

students’ texts of narrative.

One narrative text entitled “The Origin of

Cianjur” was considered eligible to be chosen as an

expert text since it was used as a reading exercise for

students and as one of the passages in National

Examination. Moreover, three students’ texts of

narrative from grade nine of one junior high school

in Bandung.

In the matter of data analysis, it included the

process of superficial and thorough examination and

interpretations involving content analysis. In this

respect, both expert’s and students’ texts were

analysed within SFL framework to identify the genre

moves of the text including interpersonal, ideational,

and textual meanings. First of all, the texts were

broken down into clauses and classified into the

generic structures of narrative texts. As shown in the

figure, each clause is put in the table and then

analysed in terms of three metafunctions, namely

interpersonal, ideational, and textual.

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Table 1: The example of genre analysis.

4 FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION

4.1 The Expert’s Text Analysis of

Narrative Text

The expert’s text entitled “The Origin of Cianjur” is

an imaginary narrative text which tells the readers

about the story of the origin of Cianjur region from

writer’s own perspective. The main characters

involved in the story are Mr. Stingy (as villain),

Tetep (as protagonist), and some supporting

characters (the villagers and an old lady). There are

some impossible scenes to engage the readers such

as water comes out from a hole and create

unendurable flood). The aforementioned criteria

conform to Derewianka (1990) who stated that the

purpose of Narratives is to entertain readers or

listeners and hold their interest in reading the story,

and more importantly, to nourish and extend the

readers’ imagination.

The language features shown in the text is in line

with Derewianka’s (1990) feature of narrative texts

as follow: It has specific individual participants with

defined identities, the verbs are mainly action verbs

including to what human participants said, felt, or

thought, the verbs are past tense, except the verbs

which are used in dialogue, many linking words to

do with time, dialogues are included, descriptive

languages are chosen to enhance story by providing

images in the reader’s mind, it was written in the

third person point of view.

In the matter of text organization, the text

comprised conventional genre moves of narrative

text as suggested by Derewianka (1990) including

orientation, complication, resolution and coda. Each

stage was elaborated properly and interestingly. The

text begins with the description of the characters

involves in the story, the place, and the time they

lived. Derewianka (1990) states that this is the stage

of orientation where a writer attempts to create the

possible world for the story. The orientation was

elaborated properly as the expert writer includes sort

of details like personality of the main characters, the

initial crises faced by them, and the relationship

between characters to enhance the later development

of the story.

Later on, a series of events were unfold in the

next paragraphs. The problems or complication were

presented to gain readers’ interest. Two

complications were presented in the texts within

three paragraphs. The resolution phases of the story

were written after complication to show how the

characters of the texts confront the problems and

how the problems are resolved. Last, two paragraphs

of evaluation or coda were presented to indicate the

interpretation of the story.

From interpersonal metafunction perspective, it

can be summed up that Subject and Finite are the

most frequent metafunction used in this text. The

Finites are mostly in past form and only a few modal

Finite is found within dialogue. Meanwhile, from the

perspective of ideational metafunction, the material

process is the most used metafunction, followed by

relational and verbal processes. Last, from textual

metafunction perspective, topical theme is the most

emerged theme in the text and marked theme is

mostly found in Orientation and Complication.

4.2 The Students’ Texts Analysis of

Narrative Text

Three narrative texts were analysed in this article in

terms of interpersonal, ideational, and textual

metafunctions. The first text is entitled “An Old

Apple Tree”, the second text is “The Land of Toys”

and the last one is “A Shy Rooster”.

The overall analysis of the texts shows that in

general, two texts –“An Old Apple Tree” and “The

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Conference in collaboration with the First International Conference on Language, Literature, Culture, and Education

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Land of Toys” consisted of good structures of

narrative texts. Both texts conform to genre type of

narratives as they include orientation, complication,

resolution, and ended by resolution. However, only

the third text, entitled “A Shy Rooster” did not show

a clear organization and distinction for each stage of

narrative text.

In particular, the orientation phase of the first

text complies with the expert’s one in which it is

used to introduce the setting of the story including

time, place, and character though it was written in

shorter paragraph than the expert’s one. As for the

complication phases, the students demonstrate the

crisis of the story in text one and two. On the other

hand, the complication in the third text was not

entailed elaborately and interestingly as the crisis

was introduced within a sentence. Moreover, text

one and two presented resolution paragraph that

consist of the solution to crises arise in the

complication paragraph.

Meanwhile, according to the analysis of

language features presented in the texts, students

tend to be confused with the finite use to realize the

appropriate interpersonal metafunction of narratives.

There were found some confusion and inconsistency

of finite use. The students used both past and present

finite interchangeably. For example, the third text

dominantly used seven present finites out of 11

finites found in the texts whereas past finites should

be dominant as shown in the expert’s text.

Later on, the analysis of ideational metafunction

reveals that the texts used material process

dominantly in the text like the expert text did. Last,

the analysis of textual metafunction shows that the

students still not aware of using cohesive device of

the texts such as conjunctions and reference

correctly.

In addition, The other point that needs to be

taken into account is the broken register present in

the text, for instance so the adults were agreed to

that plan, it is supposed to be so the adults agreed

on that plan. The good thing from the text is that it

employs certain conjunctions, such as but, and, so,

because. It implies that the writer possesses

cohesion awareness to link a phrase to another.

In comparison with the expert’s text, the

students’ texts lack of several things. For example,

in regards with the text organization, the orientation

phase of expert’s text unveils with very well

developed description of the characters involved in

the story, the place and the time they lived. The

orientation is written in three paragraphs where the

main characters (Mr. Stingy and Tetep), the place

where the story took place, and the time when the

story happened are introduced to the readers. Some

sorts of details is also present in this stage such as

the personality of the main characters, the situation

they were in, and the relationships among characters

are depicted vividly in expert text. The orientation

phase of the expert’s text was written Long time ago,

in a small village around West Java, there lived a

rich farer that own a huge rice field. Many people

worked for him as laborers to cultivate his field.

On the other hand, the orientation phase of

students’ texts mostly consists of only one

paragraph. For example, the orientation phase of “A

Shy Rooster” was written Once upon a time in the

farm there’s many animals without further

elaboration of character’s vivid personality like in

the expert’s text.

4.3 AWAIT Strategy for Narrative

Writing

The following paragraph will elaborate how to

utilize AWAIT strategy to scaffold learners to

develop orientation phase of their narrative texts

within genre-based framework. Genre-based

approach lesson cycle consists of five stages, namely

building knowledge of field, modelling and

deconstructing, joint construction, independent

construction of the text, and linking related text

(Feez 2002, p. 65). Particularly, the strategy will be

used dominantly in building knowledge of field and

modelling and deconstructing the text stages. Later,

the teacher’s assistance will be gradually reduced in

joint construction of the text and finally the students

will have full responsibility to independently

construct their narrative writing.

In the stage of building knowledge of field, the

students will be assisted to understand the context

for writing. In this phase, the teacher will share the

plan to students that they will learn narrative text

over n meetings. It is intended to make students be

expectant of learning process for each meeting.

Then, the teacher will remind the students to be

aware of the social purpose, structures and language

features of narrative texts.

Later on, in modelling and deconstructing text

cycle, an enlarged text of each stage of narrative text

will be put up, beginning from orientation,

complication, and resolution respectively. Two

examples of narrative texts are also displayed to the

students to be identified which one is a good and a

poor developed text of narrative. Further, both

teacher and students discuss how the good text

engage the reader, the plot, characters, and setting of

the story interwoven while the bad one fails to do so.

Using the Await Strategy for the Orientation Phases of Narrative Texts’ Development: A Genre-based Approach

275

Next, how characterization is developed will be

identified through AWAIT checklist.

AWAIT is an abbreviation for Appearance,

Words, Actions, Interactions, and Thoughts. To

scaffold the students, the teacher may poses some

questions based on AWAIT checklist. First, related

to the appearance of the character, for example, the

teacher may ask “What does the character look like?

What does he/she wear? Or how does the forest

(setting) look in the morning? What do you smell

when you are in the forest? And many other

questions. Second, by adding dialogues or words to

give vivid characterization. The teacher should

invite students to think what the character would say

in particular circumstances.

Next, in regard of A for Actions, the teacher

invites students to imagine character to do some

action or something to build their own personality

throughout the text. Later on, in regard of I for

Interaction, a sentence or expression may be

formulated to create conflicts between characters.

Last, in regard of T for thoughts to enhance setting’s

atmosphere or characters’ personality, one of the

way is through one-line assertion about what the

character is like.

Through displaying an example of poor

developed text of narrative, the teacher invites the

student to make the story more engaging and

interesting. The teacher asks students to identify

who the characters of the story were, where the story

took place, or what happened to the characters then

asks them to develop the word by using AWAIT

checklist. Through deconstructing the text in such a

way, the students will have knowledge on how to

utilize AWAIT strategy as guidance for them to

develop the orientation phase of their narrative texts.

Later on, in joint construction text, the students

will work in pairs to rehearse creating an orientation

phase of narrative text. They will highlight and

identify which words, indicating characters and

setting that can be developed. Then they will utilize

AWAIT strategy to modify and develop those words

into a good orientation phase of their narrative text

depicting rich and vivid characterization and setting

atmosphere. Last, in independent text construction,

the students will work independently to write their

own narrative text.

However, it is necessary to bear in mind that

further research is still needed to be conducted

related to the use of AWAIT Strategy to teach

narrative writing within genre-based approach so

that the empirical advantages and disadvantages of

this strategy can be derived.

5 CONCLUSION

The conclusion drawn from the data analysis is that

the expert’s text conforms to the conventional genre

of narrative texts. Each stage is realized through

proper registers and language features such as

dominant use of past finites, material process and

various types of cohesive markers to show

references, temporal events, and many others. On

the other hand, in general, the students’ texts still

lack some characteristics of a successful narrative

text unlike those existed in the expert’s text. The

dominant use of present finites and limited use of

material process and cohesive markers appeared to

be one of their problems in writing narrative text. In

addition, due to inadequate vocabulary repertoire,

the orientation phase of students’ narrative texts are

mostly poorly developed as the introduction of the

characters, setting, and plot tend to be finished in

one sentence without further elaboration. As the

result, the pedagogical implication concerns with the

use of AWAIT strategy to scaffold students to

develop or enrich the orientation phase of students’

narrative writing.

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