The TLC cycle stands for the Teaching and Learning Cycle—

 The TLC cycle stands for the Teaching and Learning Cycle—a structured, scaffolded approach to teaching writing and literacy, especially within the Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL) framework.

It’s widely used in genre-based pedagogy, especially in contexts like CLIL, English as a Second Language (ESL), and language across the curriculum.

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🔁 The 4 Stages of the TLC Cycle

Stage	Description	Teacher’s Role	Student’s Role
1. Building the Field	Introduce the topic, develop background knowledge	Guide with visuals, texts, discussions	Explore, observe, build vocabulary
2. Modeling/Deconstructing the Genre	Analyze a model text (structure, language features)	Explain genre purpose and features	Identify parts, ask questions
3. Joint Construction	Co-write a similar text as a class or group	Scaffold writing, ask guiding questions	Contribute ideas collaboratively
4. Independent Construction	Students write their own texts	Monitor and give feedback	Write independently using the model

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📘 Example (from your article):

In the CLIL science class:

• Students first learned about levers (Building the Field)

• Then analyzed reports (implicitly or previously) (Modeling)

• Worked with graphic organizers and group drafts (Joint Construction)

• Finally wrote independent reports on levers (Independent Construction)

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✅ Benefits of the TLC Cycle:

• Scaffolds learning for all levels

• Makes genre features explicit

• Promotes deeper thinking and language use

• Can be used across subjects (science, history, etc.)