TEACHING THEMATIC PROGRESSION

TO TOURISM STUDENTS AND ITS

IMPACTS ON THEIR WRITINGS
Tatang Sopian
taso1009@yahoo.com
SEKOLAH TINGGI PARIWISATA BANDUNG
WHY AND WHAT FOR?
Introduction
PERSONAL TEACHING EXPERIENCE
Observation:
MOTIVATION: 1) Ss know their future
(tourism industry), 2) focus on core
subjects, 3) happy and enjoy youth life
style.
PREFERENCE: 1) Ss used to do
vocational work pattern, 2) rely on SOP,
3) rely on senior supervision.
PROBLEMS IN WRITING: 1) ability to
expand idea – low, 2) ability to control
focus of message – low.
SO, THE CHALLENGE IS:
To find ways to make writing exercises
feel like doing or executing an ‘SOP’ or
‘vocational skills’ style, or has pattern
or kinda model to follow, etc.
THINK SOMETHING NEW!
THINK OUT OF THE BOX!
Common approach to teaching writing:
5 Paragraph Essay:1) Ss are introduced
to what essay, etc., 2) thesis statement
and how to write one, 3) to develop topic
sentence into paragraph.
Paragraph Development: 1) introduce
paragraph structure – topic sentence,
supporting sentences, main idea,
controlling ideas, and 2) practice the
approach one by one.
THE OPTION IS:
o To avoid using to many ‘names’ or
‘terminologies;
o To focus on ‘do’ something
o To try Thematic Progression as the
entering point
Research Questions: …
HOW DID IT DONE?
Research Method
RELATED THEORIES
Writing:
 McCrimmon (1984: 5-6) states that
writing is hard work. Most people
experience at least a mild case of
nervousness – and sometimes
absolute alarm – when they start
writing an assignment.
 Writing is defined as a process of
transferring thoughts into written words
and connecting those thoughts
systematically one upon another in a
coherent manner. Writing is a
transmission process of ideas from an
addresser to an addressee via a text
(Clancy and Ballard, 1987:1).
Theme-Rheme and thematic
progression in Writing
 The Theme is the starting point of a message,
“that which the clause is about” (Halliday,
2014, p. 89). It is followed by the Rheme,
which is “part of the assembly of the new
information that the text offers” (Cummings,
2003, p. 133). What comes first (i.e., in Theme
position) in an English clause is vital for how
readers view the text as message because
they are culturally primed to have certain
expectations about Theme and Rheme (Hoey,
2005).
 As the text unfolds, the Themes connect to the
Themes and Rhemes of preceding clauses in
various ways, picking up or repeating the
important concepts and developing them
further. These connections form patterns of
thematic progression (Daneš, 1974).
 Theme and thematic progression is a major
aspect of “how speakers construct their
messages in a way which makes them fit
smoothly into the unfolding language event”
(Thompson, 2014, p. 117).
 (in Wei Jing, 2015)
 PREVIOUS STUDIES
 Studies have illustrated the usefulness of T/TP as a tool to
characterize EFL/ESL writing as successful or less
successful in terms of coherence (Bloor & Bloor, 1992;
Christie & Dreyfus, 2007; Rørvik, 2012; Schleppegrell,
2004, 2009; Vande Kopple, 1991; Wang, 2007; Wei,
2013a, 2013b; Wei, 2014).
 However, as Hawe and Thomas (2012) pointed out, while
native speakers of English may have acquired how to use
T/TP to produce coherent discourse when they grow up
learning the language, EFL/ESL students are yet to learn
what kind of information to place in the Theme position
and how to continually pick up the information which is
already in the text and repeat it in some way so that the
reader is always aware of what the key concepts are and
how the key concepts are being developed (Hyland, 2004).
 While studies have illustrated the usefulness of observing
T/TP to identify English learners’ writing difficulties (Bloor &
Bloor, 1992; Christie & Dreyfus, 2007; North, 2005;
Schleppegrell, 2004, 2009; Vande Kopple, 1991; Wang,
2007; Wei, 2013a) and suggested that T/TP should be
included in English writing lessons to help students write
more coherently (Bloor & Bloor, 1992; Christie & Dreyfus,
2007; Rørvik, 2012; Schleppegrell, 2004, 2009; Vande
Kopple, 1991; Wang, 2007; Wei, 2014), there has been
little more than theoretical advice as to how teachers could
apply the theory of T/TP (Wang, 2007), and very few
studies have developed and studied teaching materials
informed by T/TP (Bonhnacker, 2010).
METHOD
 The 5 meetings lesson plan:
1) Using general approach of teaching
writing the pre-test, a writing
composition was administered,
2) Lecture1 - introduction to the building
block of text and text development
through examples,
3) Lecture2 – introduction to information
structure in general, theme-rheme,
thematic progression,
4) Quiz / progress test followed by review
and discussion of Ss understanding
about the lesson,
5) Ask Ss to do post-test, a writing
composition test where Ss were asked
to control the flow of message while
developing their essay.
 Compare the Pre vs. Post test writings,
 Measuring Ss perception
THE RESULT
Finding and Discussion
QUESTION1: QUESTION3:
Knowing how a text or paragraph is developed through thematic I am happy to know that changing focus to a sentence can
progression is really useful to improve my writing skill. have great impact to readers.

QUESTION2: QUESTION4:
Understanding thematic progression makes me able to develop Sometime it is better to put the focus of a text to product so
my paragraph better. that it is friendlier to customers.
QUESTION5:
Multiple thematic progression fits for developing paragraph
about description that is composite.
Analysis of Ss Writings
Text development: Pre-test essays show that
there are 6 out of 24 (25%) student produce very
short composition, on the other hand the post-test
essays show that 17 out of 24 (71%) produce
longer composition.
Paragraph coherence: The post-test essays
show better coherence as students know pay
more attention to theme and rheme of the coming
clauses or sentences. Student have better control
to paragraph coherence.
Paragraph structure: Students writings show
that the structure of paragraph look better in ways
that the topic sentence is explained further as the
the text develop sentence by sentence. In pre-test
many of undeveloped paragraphs consist only one
sentence without any further explanation.
Thematic progression: Students writings now
exhibit application of all the three types of
thematic progression i.e. constant, linear, and
multiple thematic progression.
Focus of text: The text produce in either pre and
post test does specifically asked students to
exhibit changing focus of text. So, it needs further
measurement.
SO WHAT DOES IT ALL
MEAN, THEN?
The Conclusion
 CONCLUSION
 How good or bad is students’ understanding toward theme-
rheme and thematic progression? Reflecting from students
answer to the five statements of questionnaire it is found that
most of them obtained good understanding. There are 88% of
students who say that theme-rheme and thematic progression THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
useful to improve their writing skills, 83% says understanding
theme-rheme and thematic progression enable them to develop HATUR NUHUN PISAN
better paragraphs, and 71% happy to know the impact of
changing focus of a sentence (exchange theme and rheme).
The two final statements were designed to measure to
application of i.e. focus product text and the use of multiple
thematic progression. 71% agree that focus product text is more
friendlier to customer, hence 21% choose neutral which
possible interpreted as lack of understanding or teaching failure.
The last statement aims to test students cognitive through one
type of thematic progression; multiple – only 8% out of 46% Biodata:
answer convincingly (SA). However, 46% choose neutral which
possibly interpreted as lack of understanding or teaching failure Tatang Sopian
or else lose of memory. taso1009@yahoo.com
SEKOLAH TINGGI PARIWISATA BANDUNG
 How are the differences of students’ writing prior and after the
introduction to theme-rheme and thematic progression? Overall, After gaining Bachelor of Education in English
the results show improvements in students’ writings in terms of Education (UNINUS, 2003) he started teaching ESP
text development, paragraph coherence, and paragraph for Tourism. His Master of Humanities in English
structure. Prior to being given the lesson students’ writings were Linguistics (UNPAD, 2011) drew his attention more
short or undeveloped, the paragraphs, if it long enough, lack of toward elements of language beyond the
coherence or content more than one idea. The paragraph mechanical grammar, but toward language functions
structure reveals well thoughts sentence compare to prior texts. and how to teach them within vocational syllabus.
About Thematic progression, the students are able to apply the Now he is doing his best efforts to design his own
three types of constant, linear and multiple. The last one is English for Tourism Coursebooks that suit the needs
Focus of text; since the exercise given was in very limited in of his students and aligned with syllabus of the study
number so that it need more effort to measure. programs.