Speaking and listening, reading
Bands A,B,C,D

What is it?

Students ask questions of the author of a text in order to develop their skills in understanding the intended message of the author and to hone their skills as critical readers. Claire Jennings and Julie Shepherd have developed an excellent approach to this strategy in their text Literacy and the Key Learning Areas.

What is its purpose?

Students are encouraged to investigate the following aspects of a text:

• What is fact and what is opinion?
• What is the intended message?
• What is the author's or illustrator's point of view? Is there a bias?
• What other readings are possible?
• What is the interplay between the written and visual text?

How do I do it?

The lesson sequence could be as follows:
Find suitable texts that match the focus you wish to investigate
Make copies for students
Read text to class, followed by students reading silently
Students make a list of questions they would like to ask:

What is the author saying?
What message is the author giving you?
What is fact and what is opinion in the text?
Is the author trying to tell you about something they believe in?
Did the author change your ideas in any way?
Does anything puzzle you about the text?

Students try out the procedure on a related text.

How can I adapt it?

To promote reflection, students could ask such questions of their own work or indeed, interview each other in pairs.

How can it be used to evaluate students' language learning?

The Author Interview strategy provides evidence of a range of learning outcomes in the way students gain meaning from a text: Analysis of author/illustrator intention, message, point of view Multiple readings Fact or opinion Questioning technique

Where can I find out more?

Jennings, C and Shepherd, J (1998) Literacy and the Key Learning Areas, Eleanor Curtain, Armadale. Hancock, J. and Leaver, C (1994) Major Teaching Strategies for English, Australian Reading Association, Melbourne.