Corpus-informed EAP syllabus design: a study of lecture functions
Katrien DeroeyGhent University, [email protected]
Lecture functions Katrien Deroey ICAME 2009
Research rationale
English for lecturers
A framework for course design
An overview of lecture functions
Corpus-informed syllabus design
Research rationale
Lecture functions Katrien Deroey ICAME 2009 3
Language for Specific Purposes is successful to the extent that it is tailored to meet the needs of specific students in specific circumstances. (Huckin, 2003: 8)
Texts produced for different purposes in different contexts have different features, because different lexical and grammatical options are related to the functional purposes that are foregrounded by speakers/writers in responding to the demands of various tasks. (Schleppegrell, 2004)
Specificity
Lecture functions Katrien Deroey ICAME 2009
Research rationale
English for lecturers
A framework for course design
An overview of lecture functions
Corpus-informed syllabus design
Lecture functions Katrien Deroey ICAME 2009
Some influences: EAP and Education researchBiber (2006) University language: a corpus-based study of
spoken and written registersCrawford Camiciottoli (2007) The language of business
studies lecturesHyland (2005) Metadiscourse: exploring interaction in
writingBrown (1978) Lecturing and explainingSutherland & Badger (2004) Lecturers’ perceptions of
lecturesYoung, L. (1994). University lectures – macro-structure and
micro-features.
Lecture functions Katrien Deroey ICAME 2009
Overview
Corpus Analytical methodology Functional framework Issues Contribution
Lecture functions Katrien Deroey ICAME 2009
Corpus
The British Academic Spoken English (BASE) corpus
12 lectures 4 disciplinary groupings
– Arts and Humanities– Social Studies and Sciences– Physical sciences– Life and Medical Sciences
Analytical methodology
one of the most obvious facial characteristics when people get older apart from greying hair like mine is wrinkles well just like your face wrinkles your blood vessels wrinkle too in a sense and they start sagging and this is what we call ectasia (lslct017)
Unit of analysis = the text Main focus on larger stretches of speech→Informing function
Lecture functions Katrien Deroey ICAME 2009
Lecture functions Katrien Deroey ICAME 2009
Analytical methodology
one of the most obvious facial characteristics when people get older apart from greying hair like mine is wrinkles well just like your face wrinkles your blood vessels wrinkle too in a sense and they start sagging and this is what we call ectasia
Includes ‘embedded’ functions– Interacting: creating rapport– Managing the class: audience
Lecture functions Katrien Deroey ICAME 2009
Analytical methodology
one of the most obvious facial characteristics when people get older apart from greying hair like mine is wrinkles well just like your face wrinkles your blood vessels wrinkle too in a sense and they start sagging and this is what we call ectasia
Lexico-grammar– Informing: Code gloss
Lecture functions Katrien Deroey ICAME 2009
Analytical methodology
i thought probably what i'd do is start with a single equation and this is the only equation you're going to see in this lecture and it's on the board there now now what does that tell you does it look even vaguely familiar to anyone(1) [laughter] no i've probably got it wrong i thought it was something like the equation of relativity(2) (lslct017)
Co-text and generic features– Interacting: (1) eliciting feedback; (2) creating rapport– Managing the class: (1) audience; (2) delivery
Lecture functions Katrien Deroey ICAME 2009
Main functional categories
Informing
Organising discourse
Evaluating
Demonstrating
Interacting
Managing the class
Lecture functions Katrien Deroey ICAME 2009
Subfunctions: example
Managing the class
Audience Delivery Organisational matters
Lecture functions Katrien Deroey ICAME 2009
Subfunctions: example
Managing the audience
Attention
Mental attention
(Rhetorical) questions
Real life examples
Humour
Imperatives
…
Visual attention
Action
Issues
Corpus– Sample size and composition
Analysis– Units of analysis– Multifunctionality & overlap– Triangulation & interrater reliability– Multimodality, non-verbal communication,
suprasegmental phonology
Lecture functions Katrien Deroey ICAME 2009
Contribution
Getting a fuller picture: lecture discourse and disciplinary variation
Mapping out different realisations of functions – input for quantitative studies – EAP course design
Lecture functions Katrien Deroey ICAME 2009
Lecture functions Katrien Deroey ICAME 2009
there's no point my going on and on if you're all sitting there going either yes this is blindingly obvious or saying i haven't got a clue what she's talking about because this is for you i don't it's not for my personal gratification to come and talk here it's for something that you know you can use (ahlct009)
Lecture functions Katrien Deroey ICAME 2009
FIELD DURATION TOKENS INTERACTIVITY CLASS SIZE LEVEL
ahlct 006Classics and Ancient History
0:57:09 6352 nm0051 20-30 small UG2/3
lslct017Medicine
0:42:43 5752 nf0279, nf0280, sm0281, sm0282
(130) large UG/PG
pslct036Statistics
0:41:44 6656 nm0940 (150) large UG2
sslct031Sociology
0:58:11 7356 nm1123, sf1124, sm1125, su1126
50 medium UG
Katrien Deroey Ghent University BAAHE 22.11.2008
19
Lecture purposes
Transmitting knowledge
Facilitating learning
Socialising into the community
• To know• To do
• To understand• To apply
• Academic• Professional
Katrien Deroey Ghent University BAAHE 22.11.2008
20
Lecture purposes and functions
• Informing• Demonstrating
Knowledge transmission
• Informing• Demonstrating• Directing• Interacting• Organising discourse• Managing the class
Facilating learning
• Informing• Demonstrating• Evaluating
Socialisation
Lecture functions Katrien Deroey ICAME 2009
Disciplinary variation
Soft disciplines
– Interpretation– Focus on people
(attribution)
Hard disciplines
– Procedures, processes– More application
(professional skills)– More code glosses– More directing– Focus on research
findings