Genre Explained: Frequently Asked Questions and Answers About Genre-based Instruction

The idea of teaching writing through genres—rather than, say, through prescriptive forms, templates, and rhetorical modes—is intuitively appealing. Yet many teachers have questions, and they are absolutely right to ask them: What are genres? What is genre-based instruction? What do students write if they don’t write essays? Isn’t it easier to teach and learn five-paragraph essays? What’s the role of language in genre teaching? And many more. These are all excellent questions and ones that new and experienced teachers alike have also struggled with. This book sets out to tackle some of the most common questions that teachers, teacher educators, and administrators may have when moving toward a genre-based teaching approach.

Christine M. Tardy is Professor of English Applied Linguistics at the University of Arizona. 
Nigel A. Caplan is an Associate Professor at the University of Delaware English Language Institute. 
Ann M. Johns is Professor Emerita of Linguistics and Writing Studies at San Diego State University.