Corpus-informed EAP syllabus design: a study of lecture functions

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


Research rationale

English for lecturers

A framework for course design

An overview of lecture functions

Corpus-informed syllabus design


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.


Overview

Corpus Analytical methodology Functional framework Issues Contribution


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




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



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



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


Main functional categories

Informing

Organising discourse

Evaluating

Demonstrating

Interacting

Managing the class


Subfunctions: example

Managing the class

Audience Delivery Organisational matters


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


Contribution

Getting a fuller picture: lecture discourse and disciplinary variation

Mapping out different realisations of functions – input for quantitative studies – EAP course design



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)


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

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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


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

Corpus-informed EAP syllabus design: a study of lecture functions

Documents

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