Applied Linguistics and Language Teacher Education by Nat Bartels

376 STORYTELLING INTO UNDERSTANDINGE: So when we explain this whole format to the kids, we have to explain to them thatKnown means words that have already been mentionedR: Yeah.E: not necessarily words they know what they are [i.e., not necessarily familiar lexicon]at that point.R: Yeah, at that point.E: So the Known is just what’s already been stated.R: Right.E: New is new information.R: Right. Now you’re also going to have to be dealing with the issue of their notknowing vocabulary.E: Yeah.R: And not having the background information that they need. OK?E: But that part doesn’t really matter necessarily, when they’re sketching out their thingbecauseR: I think it does because that is the second aspect of this that you need to apply asthey’re working on a field model, which is issues that may confront them, especiallysecond language learners. So you may even be dealing with defining the word symbolwhen you talk about the first sentence.E: Say that one more time.R: You may even have to define words as you go that are defined later by the text of theparagraph.E: Right. That’s what I meant by it wouldn’t necessarily matter at that particular moment,when they’re saying this is Known information, even though they still don’t necessarilyknow what it means. Because later they will know what it means.R: That’s right. And if it’s something . . . I think that’s a good point because...I think thatif it’s something that is not explained in the paragraph—you’re going to know whether ornot it is—then you need to deal with it as a background information issue and probablyas a vocabulary issue.E: Mm-hmm.R: That’s right.E: OK, I think I’ll be able to do this with the kids.Eve’s comfort with the terminology of Teaching FMC is so well developed by this pointthat she is able to seek refinements in her understanding and even problematizes theissue of New information versus new vocabulary. The concluding assertion that she willbe able to use FMC effectively in her classroom signifies that her identification withTeaching FMC is well on its way to completion.