A Discourse Approach in Reading week1

 On Tuesday, 2 January, 2016 

Course Introduction

I had a discourse approach in reading class.

This is my first class of this semester. Instructor of this course is  Asst.Prof.Usa  Noytim.

Before we started the learning , the teacher talked about rules in the classroom are be punctual, do not use cell phone in the classroom, pay attention to lesson, do not cheat, follow dress code policy and listen while others are speaking or sharing. 

After that she introduce the course ( e.g.  course  description , aim , objectives , content , teaching and learning  activity , evaluation  and assessment , learning  materials as well as 5 domains of learning )

After that she taught about genre of text and discourse markers then she explained about recount.

The purpose of recount is telling what happened and it consists of 

1. Personal recount 

2. Factual recount 

3. Imaginative recount

 Genetic Structure of Recount 

1. Orientation : Introducing the participants, place and time

2. Events : Describing series of events that happened in the past

3. Reorientation : It's optional. Starting personal comment of the writer to the story

 Language Feature of Recount 

1. Specific participants (I, my group, our dog)

2. Use of simple past tense (he laughed, I went)

3. Use of action verb (went, climb)

4. Use of linking items to do with time (on Monday, next, later, before)

At my point of view, I think this matter is important for me because it makes me understand the text easily. The important point is focused on a sequence of events all of which relate to a particular occasion including Orientation, Events andReorientation. The language feature is the significant keyword to understand such as what, when, where, why etc.

Next, the teacher began the lesson by discussion the text "Furious Pace in Hockey Final" from the handout. Then the teacher gave us to analyze the text about hockey sport and then she gave us an example recount that is Our trip to the Blue Mountain. 

The teacher explained the text organization and language features where is the part of the recount.  After that she let us to analyse the text and done exercise 2 in the topic of "My Grandpa's Funeral in Toraja" .

Then, we studied "My Grandpa's Funeral in Toraja" it is about the funeral in Toraja, Indonesia. I also knew that the funeral is performed in two phases. First, they slaughter the pigs and buffaloes, and then move the corpse to face north. After that, the corpse is placed in a sandal wood coffin. Then, it is brought out of the house and placed on an open platform beneath the granary. The next phase of the ceremony is held in this place. The coffin is borne from the house and placed in the lakian. During the day, there are also buffaloes matches. In the night, we are feasting, chanting, and dancing.

The teacher assigned us to find the information about the funeral in Thailand in order to compare with Indonesia.

And the last, she gave us an assignment to read the text and answer questions about the text.

 What are your attitudes towards the lesson?

The simplicity of this learning is to find text organization and

 language features. For the problem I found that was knowing

 the mean of words. Some of the terminology I don't know 

and make me feel not smooth when read the text. I solved 

the problem by using smart phones for find the meaning of 

words.

I had fun and enjoyed the class because the atmosphere
in the classroom, not too much pressure.

The funeral in Thailand

When somebody dies, the corpse is kept 7 days in the house before the cremation. During six evenings, monks come and pray. On the coffin, light garlands and a picture of the deceased person can be found.

Guests come, often dressed with dark clothes and sometimes a white shirt. Everybody greet each other. Waiters offer water or coke. From the first to the sixth day, monks come every evening around 7 p.m. On the seventh day cremation happens during the afternoon. Usually 4 monks are coming during the evening prayers. But number can vary depending on the status and rank of the deceased person. Then they summon incantations in Pali language during 30 minutes. When prayers are over, a car brings the monks back to their temple.

Food is offered to every guests. Everybody is chatting. Even during the monks prayers, some people are still chatting. Atmosphere is not so sad, there are no loud tears. Family, relations, neighbors and even unknown people to the family can assist to those prayers. Sometimes an old and famous monk is present but doesn't take part in the ceremony. His presence indicates that the deceased person had a high rank.

On the seventh day, in traditional ceremonies, a funeral procession is organized. First monks go ahead, then the men and the women. The men carry the coffin. Nowadays the coffin is often directly transported by car to the temple.

Then, guests are arriving to the temple. Everybody is giving money, gifts for the family of the deceased person. Next, the corpse is burnt inside the temple.