AbstractThe application of genre-based pedagogy (GBP) has a long tradition both in L1 educational contexts and more recently in L2 contexts, such as Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) programmes. In these CLIL contexts, oral and written interaction are not always carried out through full genres. Thus, the concept of Cognitive Discourse Functions (CDFs) (Dalton-Puffer 2013) has been proposed to characterize frequently occurring functional units necessary for learning in classrooms across different disciplines. This paper addresses the roles of genres and CDFs in the analysis of student literacy performance and explores their interplay. Results show that some CDFs are closer to genres than others; for example, the CDF define demonstrates complete stages or functional component, approximating a genre. In contrast, the CDF evaluate, appears in more wave-like structures and is used across genres. We discuss the benefits for educational research of both constructs as tools for analysis and teaching.