Discursive Writing

 

Since the arrival of the 2019-2023 NSW Senior English syllabus, the biggest point of contention (or confusion) has perhaps been the introduction of the 'discursive' writing genre for Module C: The Craft of Writing. There's a whole bunch of advice floating around on discursive writing and just about all of it is worth following, such is the flexibility of the term, and this is because the term has been partially invented to fill a 'gap' in the syllabus. I don't want to get too far into defining it but will say that it exists primarily as a useful label to cover a range of creative non-fiction writing styles. 

Getting students to understand this flexibility is one of the keys to building their level of comfort with writing in the discursive mode. In the case of my own classes, once we shook off the fear of tackling an unfamiliar term it became a preferred way of writing for quite a few students. It's really quite a freeing genre to write in.

Here's an activity that can be used for Year 11 Reading to Write or Year 12 Craft of Writing. 

Step 1: Read an example of discursive writing. I like to use a short extract from Judith Lucy's The Lucy Family Alphabet called 'B is for Bullshit' because it's funny, accessible, and can be used for either Standard or Advanced English. Lucy's book is out of print now but, honestly, it can be any piece of general non-fiction writing that fits our purpose - it doesn't have to be this particular extract. 

Step 2: Students annotate the text after reading and discussing briefly. This involves collecting together examples that reflect specific elements that are common to discursive writing. By doing this students will build up knowledge of the required metalanguage for analysing discursive texts and practise judicious selection of textual evidence. Students should look for the following:

• A thesis - what is the singular topic that the piece of writing focuses on?
• Conversational tone - give an example that reveals the author's personality.
• Use of humour.
• Evidence that wide reading or background knowledge has been called upon - find examples of allusions to other texts or historical events.
• Personal anecdotes - find an example that illustrates or adds detail to the thesis.
• Orientation - examine the opening sentence and explain how it encourages the reader to want to know more.
• Conclusion - is the ending reflective, open-ended, posing a question, or circular ('calling back' to an earlier joke, thread, or idea)?

An annotation sheet can be downloaded here.

Step 3: The best way for students to get an inside-out knowledge of discursive writing is to pen their own discursive pieces. After completing the above steps, students can practise writing their own discursive articles with the following thematic engagement activity. 

1. Select and highlight a line from 'B is for Bullshit' that stands out to you.
2. Use this line as the prompt for your own discursive piece of writing about dishonesty.
3. After you are finished, annotate your own piece in the same way that you annotated 'B is for Bullshit'.