Teaching Academic Writing

The book is the results of the writer’s PhD studies on the implementation of a critical genre-based approach (GBA) in teaching academic English writing to student teachers who were learning English as a foreign language in a state university in Indonesia. The model of the GBA was distinctive in that it sought to synthesise principles from other theories, such as critical thinking (CT), critical pedagogy (CP), and critical literacy (CL). The approach was also distinctive in that it sought to use a genre-based pedagogy with a community of English as a foreign language (EFL) students, whereas hitherto most uses of this pedagogy have been with native speakers or English as a second language (ESL) students. The book shows that an SFL GBA, combined with other critical dimensions could enhance students’ performance of their argumentative writing skills, CT and CL. The book can be an important source for anyone interested in implementing such a program in ESL or EFL contexts in Indonesia and other countries, with some modification adapted to each context, to improve the teaching of English and enhance the students’ critical capacity needed to create a democratic society.