William Cope
Nithin Kalorth
Jako Olivier
Ida Brandão
Mitchell PetersMultimodal Literacies MOOC’s Updates
social and cognitive interactions in writing
An approach to learning to write that I have used is composition writing, which consists of introduction, body, and conclusion. I had been taught how to get readers’ attention in the introduction part. Some of the strategies are asking a question, referring to some well-known quotes. In the body part, I need to put the main ideas of my writing, provide evidences by supporting sentences. Also, some statistic facts may be needed to support the evidence. In this point, knowledge on citation styles is learnt. For the conclusion part, I learned how to summarize my ideas but not copy exactly the same words I had written in the body of work. It is interesting that what I had written in the introduction can be different from what appears in the conclusion. It shows a plot twist. I also learned the cohesive devices such as conjunctions and collocations to make the a piece of writing coherent.
After learning all videos and materials provided in this section, I am interested and agreed in Functional Grammar by Michael Halliday, which counters the Traditional Grammar (focusing on morphemes, parts of speech, and syntax) and Chomsky’s Transformational Grammar (Universal grammar). Functional Grammar is interested in the ways language is used for purposes in communication. It provides ideas of three metafunctions of language. The first metafunction is ideational, which means that language is as reflection. The second one is interpersonal, which means that language is as action. The last one is textual, which is about the form, sequences, coherence of the language use. The approach of Functional Grammar is expanded in the Grammar of multiliteracies. The context is brought into consideration because meanings are not just in the text. They are in the context. What interests me the most is social and cognitive interactions in writing with the five mechanics of writing (plan, fraft, review, revise, and publish). I never realize that my writing process works in this way. However, when I learned what is going on the writing process I do agree with the ideas.
It's great to hear about your experience with composition writing and how you've incorporated strategies for introductions, body content, and conclusions. The emphasis on cohesive devices and plot twists in the conclusion adds an interesting dynamic to your writing process.
Your interest in Functional Grammar by Michael Halliday and its focus on the ideational, interpersonal, and textual metafunctions resonates with the broader context of communication. It's fascinating how this approach considers language use in real communication situations, and it's noteworthy how it aligns with the Grammar of Multiliteracies by emphasizing the importance of context in understanding meaning.
Discovering the social and cognitive interactions in the writing process, along with the mechanics of planning, drafting, reviewing, revising, and publishing, provides valuable insights into the complexities of effective writing. Recognizing and understanding these elements can significantly enhance one's approach to writing.