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A Social Semiotics Framework for Conceptualizing Content Area Literacies
Author(s) -
Wilson Amy Alexandra
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
journal of adolescent and adult literacy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.73
H-Index - 49
eISSN - 1936-2706
pISSN - 1081-3004
DOI - 10.1598/jaal.54.6.5
Subject(s) - semiotics , content (measure theory) , literacy , social semiotics , pedagogy , sociology , relation (database) , discipline , social studies , psychology , mathematics education , linguistics , social science , computer science , mathematical analysis , philosophy , mathematics , database
The author outlines ways in which conceptions of texts and literacy may be distinctive across academic disciplines. Framed in theories of social semiotics, she asserts that each discipline is recreated through a series of texts, defined broadly to include any instances of communication. Texts in each content area not only instantiate a particular body of content, but also instantiate social practices and roles in relation to that content. After outlining how content and social roles may vary according to each discipline, the author concludes that content area literacy instruction can include encouraging students to recognize and reflect on these differences in texts and the practices surrounding them, thereby helping students to develop metadiscursive frameworks for navigating content area literacies.