Pub Date : 2014-02-01DOI: 10.1515/cercles-2013-0011
J. Winchester, Simon A Williams
Abstract This paper aims to provide Business English and EAP practitioners with a rationale for including the analysis of narrative elements in business addresses in their language teaching in order to encourage critical thinking in learners. By studying these elements, and the rhetorical function of the narrative in particular, students can become more aware of how the use of narratives can be part of a strategy to convey a particular message in order to influence perceptions and to enact change in a company (Moon 2010: 133). This is especially the case when the company has undergone a crisis (Hearit 1995). The business addresses chosen for the study are the annual reports of two global companies, BP and Toyota, both written post-crisis. According to a narrative analysis of both reports, outlined in the paper, there are significant differences between the two papers in the use and effect of rhetoric. The findings of a quantitative study show that Business English students are able to identify differences in rhetorical functions and corporate identity construction within the texts, suggesting that such a contrastive analysis can develop students' critical thinking skills. These findings are supported by a further small-scale study assessing potential classroom applications of the reports in which example activities and tasks were piloted with small groups of EAP students.
{"title":"Narratives and accounts: “Post-crisis” narration in annual company reports","authors":"J. Winchester, Simon A Williams","doi":"10.1515/cercles-2013-0011","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1515/cercles-2013-0011","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract This paper aims to provide Business English and EAP practitioners with a rationale for including the analysis of narrative elements in business addresses in their language teaching in order to encourage critical thinking in learners. By studying these elements, and the rhetorical function of the narrative in particular, students can become more aware of how the use of narratives can be part of a strategy to convey a particular message in order to influence perceptions and to enact change in a company (Moon 2010: 133). This is especially the case when the company has undergone a crisis (Hearit 1995). The business addresses chosen for the study are the annual reports of two global companies, BP and Toyota, both written post-crisis. According to a narrative analysis of both reports, outlined in the paper, there are significant differences between the two papers in the use and effect of rhetoric. The findings of a quantitative study show that Business English students are able to identify differences in rhetorical functions and corporate identity construction within the texts, suggesting that such a contrastive analysis can develop students' critical thinking skills. These findings are supported by a further small-scale study assessing potential classroom applications of the reports in which example activities and tasks were piloted with small groups of EAP students.","PeriodicalId":60797,"journal":{"name":"高等建筑教育","volume":"32 1","pages":"207 - 229"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2014-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"84223961","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2014-02-01DOI: 10.1515/cercles-2013-0018
Heidi Rontu, Ulla-Kristiina Tuomi
Abstract The role of research in university institutions whose primary task is to provide teaching remains ambiguous and controversial. In principle, all university teaching is based on pertinent research. However, for some university units, such as language centres, the basic tasks, and consequently their funding, are very often defined in a manner which excludes research done by the personnel. In this article, we will focus on the language centres in Finland and, based on recent data, discuss their current situation regarding engagement in research as part of their institutional strategy. The results show that research plays an important role in many of the language centres in one way or another. For all the centres, research is already part of their strategy or they aim to include it in the future. We will also consider recruitment vis-à-vis research, and we will introduce and examine ways to enhance and support the involvement of language centres and their teachers in research.
{"title":"The role of research in teaching-oriented institutions: A case study of university language centres in Finland","authors":"Heidi Rontu, Ulla-Kristiina Tuomi","doi":"10.1515/cercles-2013-0018","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1515/cercles-2013-0018","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract The role of research in university institutions whose primary task is to provide teaching remains ambiguous and controversial. In principle, all university teaching is based on pertinent research. However, for some university units, such as language centres, the basic tasks, and consequently their funding, are very often defined in a manner which excludes research done by the personnel. In this article, we will focus on the language centres in Finland and, based on recent data, discuss their current situation regarding engagement in research as part of their institutional strategy. The results show that research plays an important role in many of the language centres in one way or another. For all the centres, research is already part of their strategy or they aim to include it in the future. We will also consider recruitment vis-à-vis research, and we will introduce and examine ways to enhance and support the involvement of language centres and their teachers in research.","PeriodicalId":60797,"journal":{"name":"高等建筑教育","volume":"59 1","pages":"339 - 354"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2014-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"86618330","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2014-02-01DOI: 10.1515/cercles-2013-0012
Fergus O’Dwyer, Alexander Imig, N. Nagai
Abstract This paper, fundamentally a procedural paper, outlines pedagogical practices which others may want to adapt for their own purposes. We demonstrate how a strong form of task-based language learning and teaching (TBLT), classroom implementation of the CEFR, cyclical learning, and assessment fulfilling roles, such as informing the next learning stage, can be combined in a connected pedagogy. We place this pedagogy in a theoretical framework, which includes explaining: how tasks in a strong form of TBLT are authentically linked to each other; the potential of the scaled descriptors of the CEFR (Council of Europe 2001); possible phases of cyclical learning; and how classroom assessment can perform roles such as a decision making tool, a participatory pedagogical process, and informing the next learning task. We provide examples of pedagogical implementation and attempt to map this pedagogy to the theoretical framework above. We show how scaled descriptors from the CEFR are used to create clear and concrete descriptors for a course that implements a strong form of TBLT. The implementation of a learning cycle is explained in terms of how assessment is performed, and the roles it undertakes. The concluding discussion outlines our opinions on why the practices outlined in the paper can create pedagogical synergy and a positive classroom assessment culture.
{"title":"Connectedness through a strong form of TBLT, classroom implementation of the CEFR, cyclical learning, and learning-oriented assessment","authors":"Fergus O’Dwyer, Alexander Imig, N. Nagai","doi":"10.1515/cercles-2013-0012","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1515/cercles-2013-0012","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract This paper, fundamentally a procedural paper, outlines pedagogical practices which others may want to adapt for their own purposes. We demonstrate how a strong form of task-based language learning and teaching (TBLT), classroom implementation of the CEFR, cyclical learning, and assessment fulfilling roles, such as informing the next learning stage, can be combined in a connected pedagogy. We place this pedagogy in a theoretical framework, which includes explaining: how tasks in a strong form of TBLT are authentically linked to each other; the potential of the scaled descriptors of the CEFR (Council of Europe 2001); possible phases of cyclical learning; and how classroom assessment can perform roles such as a decision making tool, a participatory pedagogical process, and informing the next learning task. We provide examples of pedagogical implementation and attempt to map this pedagogy to the theoretical framework above. We show how scaled descriptors from the CEFR are used to create clear and concrete descriptors for a course that implements a strong form of TBLT. The implementation of a learning cycle is explained in terms of how assessment is performed, and the roles it undertakes. The concluding discussion outlines our opinions on why the practices outlined in the paper can create pedagogical synergy and a positive classroom assessment culture.","PeriodicalId":60797,"journal":{"name":"高等建筑教育","volume":"28 1","pages":"231 - 253"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2014-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"88025703","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2014-02-01DOI: 10.1515/cercles-2013-0017
María del Carmen Arau Ribeiro
Abstract In this paper plurilingual and autonomy building activities are described with reference to the CercleS European Language Portfolio and some parts of the original Council of Europe Language Portfolio. For this extracurricular plurilingual learning project in Portugal, eight secondyear female students studying for a degree in Executive Secretarial Studies voluntarily formed a Community of Practice by taking part in some introductory workshops and regular meetings in order to gain familiarity with the official but userfriendly nature of the European learning tool. Their translation proposals in Portuguese covered two parts, one from each of the official organisations, and specifically: (i) the general introduction to the European Language Portfolio and (ii) the introduction to the language passport (CercleS 2002), accompanied by a written reflection on their individual development. Subsequent workshops focused alternately on ongoing expansion of the participants' language horizons and on specific Portuguese expressions for appropriateness of register, accessibility, syntactic and lexical tuning. The results are reported as an illustration of the importance of this kind of activity as a contribution towards the development of plurilingual competences, growing autonomy and selfconfidence, and using a complete language toolkit within a Community of Practice.
{"title":"Translating the CercleS European Language Portfolio into Portuguese for plurilingual development in a Community of Practice","authors":"María del Carmen Arau Ribeiro","doi":"10.1515/cercles-2013-0017","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1515/cercles-2013-0017","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract In this paper plurilingual and autonomy building activities are described with reference to the CercleS European Language Portfolio and some parts of the original Council of Europe Language Portfolio. For this extracurricular plurilingual learning project in Portugal, eight secondyear female students studying for a degree in Executive Secretarial Studies voluntarily formed a Community of Practice by taking part in some introductory workshops and regular meetings in order to gain familiarity with the official but userfriendly nature of the European learning tool. Their translation proposals in Portuguese covered two parts, one from each of the official organisations, and specifically: (i) the general introduction to the European Language Portfolio and (ii) the introduction to the language passport (CercleS 2002), accompanied by a written reflection on their individual development. Subsequent workshops focused alternately on ongoing expansion of the participants' language horizons and on specific Portuguese expressions for appropriateness of register, accessibility, syntactic and lexical tuning. The results are reported as an illustration of the importance of this kind of activity as a contribution towards the development of plurilingual competences, growing autonomy and selfconfidence, and using a complete language toolkit within a Community of Practice.","PeriodicalId":60797,"journal":{"name":"高等建筑教育","volume":"02 1","pages":"323 - 338"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2014-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"85909105","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2014-02-01DOI: 10.1515/cercles-2013-0021
Micòl Beseghi
Abstract This article analyses the role of subtitles both as a functional activity and a didactic tool in translation teaching and foreign language learning. It presents the results of a didactic project carried out with a class of university students enrolled in the first year of Laurea Magistrale in Lingue e Letterature Straniere (University of Parma). In particular, the aim of the project was to exploit the potentials of subtitling – and in particular those of fansubbing – in a formal teaching context such as a translation course (Lingua e Traduzione Inglese). More specifically, students were asked to engage in multimodal activities in order to create interlingual subtitles for a variety of TV series, acting as non-professional subtitlers. Such activities included the translation of episodes of their favourite TV programmes, ranging from medical dramas to crime, legal and science fiction series, thus presenting students with a variety of backgrounds and different fields. Using the software Subtitle Workshop, students were asked to complete the translation of the episode in a very short time, trying to solve as many problems as possible (regarding terminology, cultural references, language varieties, taboo language, etc.) and making the most of their fan cultural knowledge.
摘要本文分析了字幕在翻译教学和外语学习中的功能作用和教学工具作用。它介绍了与Laurea Magistrale在linguue e Letterature Straniere(帕尔马大学)入学的一年级大学生进行的教学项目的结果。该项目的目的是在翻译课程(Lingua e Traduzione Inglese)等正式教学背景下,开发字幕,特别是粉丝字幕的潜力。更具体地说,学生们被要求参与多模式活动,为各种电视剧创作语际字幕,扮演非专业字幕师的角色。这些活动包括翻译他们最喜欢的电视节目,从医疗剧到犯罪、法律和科幻系列,从而为学生们提供了不同的背景和不同的领域。通过软件Subtitle Workshop,学生们被要求在很短的时间内完成这一集的翻译,尽可能多地解决问题(术语、文化参考、语言变异、禁忌语等),并充分利用他们的粉丝文化知识。
{"title":"Having fun in the classroom: Subtitling activities","authors":"Micòl Beseghi","doi":"10.1515/cercles-2013-0021","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1515/cercles-2013-0021","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract This article analyses the role of subtitles both as a functional activity and a didactic tool in translation teaching and foreign language learning. It presents the results of a didactic project carried out with a class of university students enrolled in the first year of Laurea Magistrale in Lingue e Letterature Straniere (University of Parma). In particular, the aim of the project was to exploit the potentials of subtitling – and in particular those of fansubbing – in a formal teaching context such as a translation course (Lingua e Traduzione Inglese). More specifically, students were asked to engage in multimodal activities in order to create interlingual subtitles for a variety of TV series, acting as non-professional subtitlers. Such activities included the translation of episodes of their favourite TV programmes, ranging from medical dramas to crime, legal and science fiction series, thus presenting students with a variety of backgrounds and different fields. Using the software Subtitle Workshop, students were asked to complete the translation of the episode in a very short time, trying to solve as many problems as possible (regarding terminology, cultural references, language varieties, taboo language, etc.) and making the most of their fan cultural knowledge.","PeriodicalId":60797,"journal":{"name":"高等建筑教育","volume":"6 1","pages":"395 - 407"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2014-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"81797951","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2014-02-01DOI: 10.1515/cercles-2013-0013
Vincent Pradier, O. Andronova
Abstract This study is a temporary assessment of the impacts of the use of support tools as part of a distance language training course for non-specialist students implemented at the Diderot Paris VII University in 2011/2012. The study mainly focuses on the uses of the support tool Sounds Right APP and details the results of the analysis of these uses. Relying on data from usage statistics, responses to online questionnaires and semi-guided interviews, we seek to test the validity of hypotheses about the possible link between the use of this type of tools and the emergence of an environment conducive to acquisition. To further our investigations on these points, we analyze the learners' reactions triggered by the use of this type of support tools and link these to the issue of distributed mediation (based on the optimal distribution of roles between man and machine) that such learning environments seem to require.
摘要本研究是一个临时的评估的影响支持工具的使用的距离为非专业学生语言培训课程实施狄德罗巴黎第七大学的2011/2012。本研究主要关注支持工具Sounds Right APP的使用情况,并详细介绍了这些使用情况的分析结果。根据使用统计数据、在线问卷回答和半引导访谈的数据,我们试图检验关于这类工具的使用与有利于习得的环境的出现之间可能存在联系的假设的有效性。为了进一步研究这些问题,我们分析了由使用这种支持工具引发的学习者的反应,并将这些反应与分布式中介(基于人与机器之间角色的最佳分配)的问题联系起来,这种学习环境似乎需要分布式中介。
{"title":"Impacts of the use of “support tools” on a distance language learning course","authors":"Vincent Pradier, O. Andronova","doi":"10.1515/cercles-2013-0013","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1515/cercles-2013-0013","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract This study is a temporary assessment of the impacts of the use of support tools as part of a distance language training course for non-specialist students implemented at the Diderot Paris VII University in 2011/2012. The study mainly focuses on the uses of the support tool Sounds Right APP and details the results of the analysis of these uses. Relying on data from usage statistics, responses to online questionnaires and semi-guided interviews, we seek to test the validity of hypotheses about the possible link between the use of this type of tools and the emergence of an environment conducive to acquisition. To further our investigations on these points, we analyze the learners' reactions triggered by the use of this type of support tools and link these to the issue of distributed mediation (based on the optimal distribution of roles between man and machine) that such learning environments seem to require.","PeriodicalId":60797,"journal":{"name":"高等建筑教育","volume":"13 1","pages":"255 - 270"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2014-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"87629109","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2014-02-01DOI: 10.1515/cercles-2013-0019
Anje Dijk, Christine Engelen, Liesbet Korebrits
Abstract This article assesses the current trends in language centre (LC) management in the Netherlands and Dutch-speaking Belgium. Twenty-five LCs are united under the umbrella of NUT, which offers its members the possibility to meet and discuss concrete professional subjects. Solutions, strategies and decisions emphasise the importance of national organisations of LCs like NUT, whose management wants to stimulate transparent communication on business policies and management experience between LCs. NUT is constantly looking for ways to transform ideas into innovative products and services, or to improve existing ones. Internationalisation is a hot topic, and universities primarily base their language policy on English and Dutch. University LCs could play an important role in making recommendations to policymakers – they test proficiency, offer remedial training, and provide translation and editing services. The importance of other languages is also an issue. Although multilingualism, especially proficiency in a third (or fourth) language in addition to one's mother tongue and English, deserves to be encouraged, available budgets are shrinking. Furthermore, LCs sometimes have to implement policy that is diametrically opposed to their own vision, and opportunities for cooperation are not yet being exploited to the full. University LCs are flexible, dynamic, independent entities that often behave differently from the faculty or service they are affiliated to – LCs can be seen as small businesses within a larger academic context. NUT LCs also cooperate with each other in the fields of mutual quality assurance and innovation. Other exciting projects include interuniversity cooperation in the area of language testing and partnerships with Dutch as a Second Language departments and with publishers of teaching materials and digital language tests. All three authors of this article are members of the board of NUT and directors of LCs (two in the Netherlands and one in Belgium). The article is based on their experiences as directors and on the trends they have observed within NUT.
{"title":"The changing world of higher education: Where do language centres fit in?","authors":"Anje Dijk, Christine Engelen, Liesbet Korebrits","doi":"10.1515/cercles-2013-0019","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1515/cercles-2013-0019","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract This article assesses the current trends in language centre (LC) management in the Netherlands and Dutch-speaking Belgium. Twenty-five LCs are united under the umbrella of NUT, which offers its members the possibility to meet and discuss concrete professional subjects. Solutions, strategies and decisions emphasise the importance of national organisations of LCs like NUT, whose management wants to stimulate transparent communication on business policies and management experience between LCs. NUT is constantly looking for ways to transform ideas into innovative products and services, or to improve existing ones. Internationalisation is a hot topic, and universities primarily base their language policy on English and Dutch. University LCs could play an important role in making recommendations to policymakers – they test proficiency, offer remedial training, and provide translation and editing services. The importance of other languages is also an issue. Although multilingualism, especially proficiency in a third (or fourth) language in addition to one's mother tongue and English, deserves to be encouraged, available budgets are shrinking. Furthermore, LCs sometimes have to implement policy that is diametrically opposed to their own vision, and opportunities for cooperation are not yet being exploited to the full. University LCs are flexible, dynamic, independent entities that often behave differently from the faculty or service they are affiliated to – LCs can be seen as small businesses within a larger academic context. NUT LCs also cooperate with each other in the fields of mutual quality assurance and innovation. Other exciting projects include interuniversity cooperation in the area of language testing and partnerships with Dutch as a Second Language departments and with publishers of teaching materials and digital language tests. All three authors of this article are members of the board of NUT and directors of LCs (two in the Netherlands and one in Belgium). The article is based on their experiences as directors and on the trends they have observed within NUT.","PeriodicalId":60797,"journal":{"name":"高等建筑教育","volume":"5 1","pages":"355 - 371"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2014-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"88254274","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2014-02-01DOI: 10.1515/cercles-2013-0014
Olga Sobolev, T. Nesterova
Abstract Language testing and second language acquisition research are both concerned with proficiency in the second language; given this shared interest, the rapprochement between these two domains may prove revealing and productive not only in terms of teaching practices, but also in taking a wide view of language, ranging across cognition, society and linguistics. The paper is focused on the conceptual notion of cognitive fluency as a fundamental indicator of students' oral production in a foreign language. Within the framework of this theoretical approach, it provides a critical appreciation of the performancebased speaking tests (in terms of their reliability in measuring fluency), devised within the Russian State TORFL system. It also reflects on the policy and practice of designing pedagogical materials for developing oral proficiency (cognitive fluency) in Russian learners at A1–B1 stages at LSE. Specific attention is paid to such key issues of the cognitive perspective as the transfer appropriate setting and flexibility of fluency related processing and thinking for speaking, which are seen to serve as important criteria both for effective testing, and in enhancing fluency.
{"title":"Oral communication in the framework of cognitive fluency: Developing and testing spoken Russian within the TORFL system","authors":"Olga Sobolev, T. Nesterova","doi":"10.1515/cercles-2013-0014","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1515/cercles-2013-0014","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Language testing and second language acquisition research are both concerned with proficiency in the second language; given this shared interest, the rapprochement between these two domains may prove revealing and productive not only in terms of teaching practices, but also in taking a wide view of language, ranging across cognition, society and linguistics. The paper is focused on the conceptual notion of cognitive fluency as a fundamental indicator of students' oral production in a foreign language. Within the framework of this theoretical approach, it provides a critical appreciation of the performancebased speaking tests (in terms of their reliability in measuring fluency), devised within the Russian State TORFL system. It also reflects on the policy and practice of designing pedagogical materials for developing oral proficiency (cognitive fluency) in Russian learners at A1–B1 stages at LSE. Specific attention is paid to such key issues of the cognitive perspective as the transfer appropriate setting and flexibility of fluency related processing and thinking for speaking, which are seen to serve as important criteria both for effective testing, and in enhancing fluency.","PeriodicalId":60797,"journal":{"name":"高等建筑教育","volume":"1 1","pages":"271 - 282"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2014-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"74739655","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2014-02-01DOI: 10.1515/cercles-2013-0020
Gillian Mansfield
Abstract This article intends to show how situation comedies may be used in the English language classroom to develop awareness-raising activities aimed at soliciting an understanding of essentially pragmatic and cultural aspects of everyday language. After a brief overview of studies on pragmatic teachability (Rose and Kasper 2001, 2002) and learnability (Taguchi 2011) in the language classroom over the last twenty years or so, verbal humour in situation comedy will be investigated with a view to presenting learners with the kinds of word play that are clearly intended to invoke laughter. With reference to a second-year degree course in modern languages at the University of Parma (Italy), it will be seen how learners can be motivated to resort to previously acquired theoretical knowledge of various pragmatic expedients (Brown and Levinson 1978; Leech 1983; Levinson 1984; Yule 1996) with a view to recognizing the intended illocutionary force of utterances and exchanges in the light of Grice's (1975) co-operative principle in conversation. This approach is justified by Bouton's (1994) claim that an understanding of implicature is a necessary learning target. Although it comprises written-to-be-spoken text, the situation comedy is an excellent source of “real” everyday language in which Grice's maxims are constantly broken or flouted through intentional ambiguity for the purposes of provoking laughter. By encouraging learners to perceive the fuzzy line of demarcation between the form and communicative function of words and phrases in the ongoing exchange structure of a conversation, it will be possible to see how they become more motivated to search for examples of their own (Bardovi-Harlig 1996) and discuss them with the teacher during their post-course assessment. The teacher is thus able not only to discern whether learners have effectively become more aware of the subtleties and implicatures of language meaning in the creation of verbal humour, but also incidentally, benefit from a subsequent addition to her sitcom corpus for future courses.
摘要:本文旨在展示情景喜剧如何在英语课堂上运用,以提高学生对日常语言的认识,并从语用和文化的角度出发。在对过去二十年左右语言课堂中的语用可教性(Rose and Kasper 2001, 2002)和可学性(Taguchi 2011)的研究进行简要概述之后,将对情景喜剧中的言语幽默进行调查,目的是向学习者展示各种明显旨在引起笑声的文字游戏。参考意大利帕尔马大学(University of Parma)的二年级现代语言学位课程,我们将看到如何激励学习者诉诸于先前获得的各种语用权谋的理论知识(Brown and Levinson 1978;水蛭1983;莱文森1984;Yule 1996),以期在Grice(1975)的对话合作原则的基础上,认识到话语和交流中有意的言外力量。这种方法得到了Bouton(1994)的证明,他认为理解含义是一个必要的学习目标。尽管情景喜剧包含了书面的口语文本,但它是“真实的”日常语言的绝佳来源,在这些日常语言中,格赖斯的格言不断被打破或嘲笑,通过故意模棱两可的方式来引发笑声。通过鼓励学习者在对话的持续交流结构中感知单词和短语的形式和交际功能之间的模糊界限,可以看到他们如何变得更有动力去寻找自己的例子(Bardovi-Harlig 1996),并在课后评估中与老师讨论。因此,教师不仅能够辨别学习者是否在创造言语幽默的过程中有效地意识到语言意义的微妙和含义,而且还可以顺便从随后添加到她的情景喜剧语料库中为未来的课程受益。
{"title":"Mind the gap between form and function. Teaching pragmatics with the British sitcom in the foreign language classroom","authors":"Gillian Mansfield","doi":"10.1515/cercles-2013-0020","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1515/cercles-2013-0020","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract This article intends to show how situation comedies may be used in the English language classroom to develop awareness-raising activities aimed at soliciting an understanding of essentially pragmatic and cultural aspects of everyday language. After a brief overview of studies on pragmatic teachability (Rose and Kasper 2001, 2002) and learnability (Taguchi 2011) in the language classroom over the last twenty years or so, verbal humour in situation comedy will be investigated with a view to presenting learners with the kinds of word play that are clearly intended to invoke laughter. With reference to a second-year degree course in modern languages at the University of Parma (Italy), it will be seen how learners can be motivated to resort to previously acquired theoretical knowledge of various pragmatic expedients (Brown and Levinson 1978; Leech 1983; Levinson 1984; Yule 1996) with a view to recognizing the intended illocutionary force of utterances and exchanges in the light of Grice's (1975) co-operative principle in conversation. This approach is justified by Bouton's (1994) claim that an understanding of implicature is a necessary learning target. Although it comprises written-to-be-spoken text, the situation comedy is an excellent source of “real” everyday language in which Grice's maxims are constantly broken or flouted through intentional ambiguity for the purposes of provoking laughter. By encouraging learners to perceive the fuzzy line of demarcation between the form and communicative function of words and phrases in the ongoing exchange structure of a conversation, it will be possible to see how they become more motivated to search for examples of their own (Bardovi-Harlig 1996) and discuss them with the teacher during their post-course assessment. The teacher is thus able not only to discern whether learners have effectively become more aware of the subtleties and implicatures of language meaning in the creation of verbal humour, but also incidentally, benefit from a subsequent addition to her sitcom corpus for future courses.","PeriodicalId":60797,"journal":{"name":"高等建筑教育","volume":"28 1","pages":"373 - 393"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2014-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"84204481","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}