Getting into Interface of Text and Context Through English Literacy Coin

The main purpose of this paper is to explore the reciprocal relationship between a text and a context through a communicative function of literacy. In a move away from the traditional pedagogies that have viewed literacy as limited to the ability to process and produce the written forms of language, this paper provides a deeper insight into how contextual factors acting on the meaning-making process of a text influence discoveries about the evolving nature of literacy. In order to achieve this goal, this study adopts a theoretical lens of Situated Learning (SL), Sociocultural Theory (SCT), and Systematic Functional Linguistics (SFL) to throw light on the interface of text and context. It then uncovers the importance of the interactional and contextual aspects of a text in second language (L2) literacy education by introducing two metaphorical concepts: ‘Literacy Coin’ and ‘Literacy Window.’ Finally, based on a preliminary case study examining how 20 ESL students infer the meaning of an English idiomatic expression, it suggests pedagogical implications through which contextual intervention and intentional learning activities should take place in order to help L2 learners apply their linguistic knowledge into practice.