Intertextuality in Text-based Discussions

Abstract

One  of  the  main  issues  often  discussed  among  academics  is  how  to  encourage  active participation by students during classroom discussions. This applies particularly to students at the tertiary level who are expected to possess creative and critical thinking skills. Hence, this paper reports on a study that examined how these skills were demonstrated by a group of university students  who  employed  intertextual  links  during  a  follow-up  reading  activity involving  small-group  text  discussions.  Thirty  undergraduates  who  were  in  their  fifth semester of a TESL degree programme were prescribed reading texts consisting of two chapters taken  from  a  book.  Findings  reveal  that  intertextual  links  made  during  text discussions created successfully a “collaborative environment” where beliefs and values were shared judicially among participants. Pedagogical implications for ESL classroom practice include  heightening  the  awareness  amongst  academics  and  students  of  the  role  of intertextuality in order to promote students’ use of their critical and creative thinking skills in a supportive classroom environment.