Colloquia - British Association for Applied Linguistics

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BAAL Conference 2004 37 th Annual BAAL Meeting Research on CLIL is still in its infancy. While there is some research suggesting that its results are quite encouraging in terms of language development and subject mastery, we still know little about the discoursal effects of the use of English as the medium of instruction. Questions that have not been investigated in detail include: What are the forms and functions of English used in CLIL settings? In what ways is English used for the complex and diverse tasks that instructional events involve? How is language use shaped by the institutional and cultural contexts and linguistic backgrounds of the participants? Such questions will be tackled in this paper that reports on research on CLIL classrooms in the Finnish context from a discourse-pragmatic perspective, with particular reference to how the way in which English is used in CLIL settings relates to discourse in traditional EFL classrooms. The data consist of secondary level CLIL and EFL classrooms. The findings show differences between the two contexts that point toward their discursive practices being differently placed on the pragmatic dimension of detachment vs. involvement, CLIL discourse tending towards the latter. The findings also show how the role of English as an object and tool of study is discoursally constructed in these settings with, for example, students and teachers activating different identities towards English in each. On-Line Planning and its Focus-on-Form Effects in L2 Oral Performance: A case of a single learner of English Ryo Nitta Centre for English Language Teacher Education, University of Warwick R.Nitta@warwick.ac.uk Research on planning effects on L2 performance suggests that planning leads to better fluency and complexity but not always better accuracy. Yuan and Ellis (2003) indicate the inconsistent results of accuracy are due to confounding pre-task planning (PTP) with on-line (while-task) planning (OLP), and propose OLP as an effective implementation to enhance accuracy and complexity. Drawing on psycholinguistic rationale (e.g. Levelt, 1989; VanPatten, 1996; Skehan, 1998), the purpose of my research is to develop the framework and to investigate whether OLP induces L2 speakers to have focus-on-form opportunities through accurate performance and raising conscious awareness of form. The study addressed two main questions: One is, following Yuan and Ellis (2003), to investigate whether OLP significantly leads to better accuracy and complexity than the other conditions (i.e. PTP and non-planning [NP]); to develop this understanding, the second part explores whether the L2 speakers notice their conscious effort to make accurate form through OLP using retrospective interview and transcription analysis. The pilot study was conducted by investigating a single learner with story-telling tasks in order to understand the nature of OLP and the feasibility of the research design. The results are that, consistent with Yuan and Ellis (2003), OLP led to disfluent but more complex and accurate performance; beyond their received findings, the speaker was more consciously engaged in formulation in OLP. The second stage particularly reveals that the speaker performed more correct past tense use in OLP, suggesting that past tense formation may devour much attention in the speech processing which is less available when the cognitive capacity is pressured (i.e. NP). Results using the two-part research design suggest that OLP is a useful device to investigate L2 speakers' formulation process, as well as a powerful pedagogic implementation to provide focus-on-form episodes. References Levelt, W.J.M. 1989. Speaking: From Intention to Articulation. Cambridge,Mass: MIT Press. Skehan, P. 1998. A Cognitive Approach to Language Learning. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Yuan, F. and R. Ellis. 2003. The effects of pre-task planning and on-line planning on fluency, complexity and accuracy in L2 monologic oral production. Applied Linguistics 24: 1-27. VanPatten, B. 1996. Input Processing and Grammar Instruction. New York: Ablex. Teaching and learning through interaction: A case study of a Japanese primary EFL classroom Yumi Ohashi School of Education, University of Leeds ohashi_yumi@hotmail.com This paper will examine the spoken discourse of a primary EFL classroom in Japan from a sociocultural perspective. It applies Rogoff‟s (1990) the notion of “guided participation” as a mean of interpreting learning in daily life to language learning. Language learning is seen as a process of educational “participation” enabling pupils to use English to become active social members of the classroom community. Thus the study examines the process of EFL learning through classroom discourse, based on the assumption that classroom activity is the process by which the learner becomes a participant in the community of the EFL classroom. King‟s College, London 9 – 11 th - 22 - September, 2004
BAAL Conference 2004 37 th Annual BAAL Meeting A total of 8 lessons (6 hours) of spoken data from a Year 3 Japanese primary classroom was collected over 5 months. Transcribed data was coded for “discourse actions” which were then condensed into “discourse patterns”. As a result of the analysis, seven discourse patterns emerged, capturing the major characters of participation such as control and support. Of the patterns identified, one in particular, which has been labelled as “scaffolding” appears to lead to active participation. This is an open and uncontrolled pattern that invites pupils‟ participation together with teacher‟s support. Such a discourse pattern provides the class with rich affordances, encouraging and inviting pupils to participate in language learning activity. The result is a process in which learning is co-constructed by the teacher and pupils, the teacher playing an important role in the guiding of social interaction leading to active participation. The pedagogic implications for primary pupils at the beginner level are that teachers need to (1) be responsive to pupils‟ needs (2) provide a rich “semiotic budget”(Van Lier, 2000) such as the use of pictures and gestures and (3) establish a mutually supporting relationship with the pupils, involving the handing over of control to nurture autonomy in participation. References Rogoff, B. (1990) Apprenticeship in thinking: cognitive development in social context. New York: Oxford University Press. Van Lier, L. (2000) From input to affordance: Social-interactive learning from an ecological perspective. In J. P. Lantolf.(ed.) Socio-cultural Theory and Second Language Learning. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Appropriating academic discourses: the intersection of the academic curriculum with student voices in a South African context Moragh Paxton Commerce Academic Development Programme, Centre for Higher Education Development, University of Cape Town, South Africa mpaxton@ched.uct.ac.za The research for this paper is set in a changed and changing political and cultural context as the South African Higher Education system transforms itself to address the needs of a new social order. In South Africa as in Europe, language shapes and is shaped by these changes and there may be interesting comparisons to be drawn between countries and continents. The paper describes some of the findings from an interpretive qualitative study which used linguistic and intertextual analysis of student writing to consider the relationship between the academic curriculum and student voices in the first year of studying economics at a South African university. It illustrates the way students from diverse social backgrounds draw on past discourses as well as a variety of new ones they encounter as they negotiate the new literacy of the academy and attempt to make sense of new concepts in economics. In the process of acquiring the new discourses students reaccentuate and rework past texts so that they blend more acceptably into the new discourse. The challenge is to understand the impact of these experiences and these past discourses in order to successfully mediate the transition to university. The paper emphasises that cultural and linguistic difference may be used as a resource so that students learn to understand and appreciate the diversity of discourses in the university environment. It is felt therefore that the findings of this study may have the potential to impact on the way that economics and economic literacy is taught in South Africa and the way teaching materials are designed. Negotiating participant roles and status in intercultural communication Hermine Penz Department of English Studies, University of Graz hermine.penz@kfunigraz.ac.at In intercultural communication, instances of miscommunication and consequently repair activities are frequently only viewed as resulting from people's cultural differences. However, miscommunication can be attributed to a number of factors which are not restricted to differences in the participants' cultural background. Differences in interpretation may be caused by situational factors, different social or professional roles, status or perceived status differences, gender differences, age, etc. In the data analysed it is peoples' different professional roles and different levels of expertise which tend to cause communication problems. People's perceptions of roles are frequently also closely related to their inactment and interpretation of status. This is why the second aspect addressed in this presentation is participants' negotiation of status. The discussion shows that role and status negotiations form an inherent part of international project work and should therefore be paid sufficient attention to in international cooperation. I argue that research in intercultural communication should shift towards King‟s College, London 9 – 11 th - 23 - September, 2004
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