Pedagogical and content registers in a writing lesson

Abstract

This article discusses a method for exploring the construction of classroom talk. Drawing upon Halliday's systemic functional grammar (1985), associated models of register and genre (Martin, Christie & Rothery, 1987), and Bernstein's notions of a pedagogic discourse (1986), it argues that (1) any teaching event may be thought of as representative of some curriculum genre, and (2) two registers operate to realise such a genre, a pedagogical register and a content register. A genre is defined as a social process that is both staged and purposive, and it takes its character from the context of culture (Malinowski, 1935) in which it is found. Register relates to the patterned manner of using language particular to the given context of situation (Malinowski, 1923) in which the genre is generated. Of the two registers that realise a curriculum genre, a pedagogical register has the function of generating and sustaining educational activity (directing and defining goals). The content register realises the information, activity, or both of concern in the lesson. The operation of the pedagogical register determines the operation of the content register. The method presented here for exploring classroom talk is used to examine an instance of what I term a genre. The method shows some of the limitations of the instructional approach.