A Study on the Teaching Method of Writing a Book Review Based on Genre Awareness in University Writing

This study aims to present an educational plan for writing a book review based on genre awareness. Drawing upon previous discussions, this study analyzed the problem of perception of book review and presented a book review education plan based on modern genre theory. After reviewing previous discussions on how to write a book review, this study found that there were many cases that proposed a book review method based on the comparison between a book report and a book review. However, by looking at the contents of the book reviews written by students, it was found that the distinctions between the instructor's book report and the book review were unclear. Accordingly, this study aimed to propose an educational plan for writing a book review based on genre awareness. It was designed to foster an understanding of the book review genre through individual and group activities, which included the following stages: “collecting samples of the genre,” “identifying the scene and describing the situation in which the genre is used,” “identifying and describing the genre’s features,” “analyzing what these patterns reveal about the situation and scene,” “understanding genre transformation patterns,” and “conceptualizing a summary of genre awareness.” Subsequently, as part of the genre-writing practice stage, this study proposed a procedural instructional model for writing a book review. This model includes the following stages: “drafting the book review,” “feedback regarding the book review,” “writing a final version of the book review,” and “reflecting on the process of writing the book review.” This study is significant in that it allows students to self-directedly write a book review based on their awareness of the genre, which is distinct from the familiar genre of book report. In addition, by presenting detailed procedures for genre awareness learning stages that have not been dealt with so far, this study can be evaluated as meaningful in that it allows students to develop a genre awareness of book review.