Reporting research to the general public 1st May 2017 Richard Watson Todd

Relevant SoLA research goals 1. To be the national leader in a Broad Field Expected field: Applied Linguistics 2. To be the national leader in Research-based Learning Innovation Expected areas: GenEd, SALC, Outcome-based education 3. To be the national leader in an area of Social Activism Expected area: Waste communities

Routes and strategies 5 routes to goals, including Increased Public Relations to the General Public 6 strategies for IPRGP route, including Encourage publication in non-academic media

Encouraging publication in non-academic media Raise general social awareness of SoLA research Attract potential students MyEvaluation: Category 2.7 (other publications)

Potential non-academic media Newspapers English-language e.g. Bangkok Post Thai-language e.g. มติชน Professional magazines E.g. Modern English Teacher Blogs

Media and purposes Newspapers Social issues Social projects Professional magazines Teaching techniques Learning innovations Blogs Research studies

Non-academic writing Writing to the audience and the medium Focusing the message (e.g. in a research blog, focus on applications/implications) Linking to the known (e.g. in a newspaper article, highlight a link between your topic and recent news) Providing a purpose for reading (e.g. providing a structure for understanding an issue, providing in-depth information) Following the conventions of the medium (e.g. one- or two-sentence paragraphs in newspaper articles)

Non-academic writing Writing style Include idiomatic language Use less hedging than academic writing Informal style (e.g. contractions are OK) Semi-conversational style (e.g. non-formal connectives such as What’s more)

Non-academic writing Engagement (Hyland, 2005) Reader pronouns (e.g. you) Directives (e.g. Imagine you’re ...) Questions (e.g. What does this mean?) Shared knowledge (e.g. We all know that ...) Personal asides (e.g. In my experience ...)

Writing for The Bangkok Post Find the e-mail address of the relevant editor Send the article (as attachment and in the body of the message) The newspaper sub-editor creates the title In the newspaper article in the handout, can you find the features of non-academic writing?

A statement of purpose near the beginning of the article 2 With all the potential markets for Thai agricultural products opened by the trade agreements, why are Thai farmers still so mired in debt and agricultural prices supposedly still so low that even the best farmers cannot make a profit? An example makes it clear that, on occasion, the trade agreements can lead to problems for farmers.

A link to the known, such as recent news 1 Hardly a week goes by without two different kinds of news stories receiving an airing. On the one hand, with great fanfare the government announces the signing of a new trade agreement with another country. On the other, a group of farmers protests some injustice.

Examples of idiomatic language 15 Every year the company faces problems like these which could try the patience of Job, so should our sympathies lie with the company rather than with the tricky farmers out for a quick baht? 20 Local government officers and administrative bodies are of little help to farmers in such predicaments. Frequently, the government officials and elected representatives are too busy hobnobbing with the company owners and serving their own interests to help the uninfluential farmers.

An overt lack of hedging 22 With no help forthcoming from those who are supposedly duty-bound to help them, protests are the only option left to the farmers. Next time you're stuck in a traffic jam because of such a protest, spare a thought for the farmers and consider that protest may be the only way they can get a fair deal.

Informal style markers 6 Today, the farmers still grow the tobacco and send it to the company. The quality is evaluated as before, but now the farmers don't get paid.

Conversational style markers 7 Well, that's not quite true. If the farmers agree to become ensnared in a cycle of dependence on the company, they will get some money but at a heavy cost. A few more details will make things clearer. 11 Full payments can take eight months to a year to get to the farmer after delivery of the tobacco to the company, during which time the farmer becomes increasingly indebted. Little wonder then that farmers stage protests so regularly.

Reader pronouns 15 Every year the company faces problems like these which could try the patience of Job, so should our sympathies lie with the company rather than with the tricky farmers out for a quick baht? 22 With no help forthcoming from those who are supposedly duty-bound to help them, protests are the only option left to the farmers. Next time you're stuck in a traffic jam because of such a protest, spare a thought for the farmers and consider that protest may be the only way they can get a fair deal.

A directive 22 With no help forthcoming from those who are supposedly duty-bound to help them, protests are the only option left to the farmers. Next time you're stuck in a traffic jam because of such a protest, spare a thought for the farmers and consider that protest may be the only way they can get a fair deal.

Rhetorical questions 2 With all the potential markets for Thai agricultural products opened by the trade agreements, why are Thai farmers still so mired in debt and agricultural prices supposedly still so low that even the best farmers cannot make a profit? An example makes it clear that, on occasion, the trade agreements can lead to problems for farmers. 15 Every year the company faces problems like these which could try the patience of Job, so should our sympathies lie with the company rather than with the tricky farmers out for a quick baht?

Thai-language newspapers Professional magazines Research blogs