Corpus-informed EAP syllabus design: a study of lecture functions Katrien Deroey Ghent University, Belgium

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

Research rationale Lecture functions Katrien Deroey ICAME 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 Lecture functions Katrien Deroey ICAME 2009

Some influences: EAP and Education research Biber (2006) University language: a corpus-based study of spoken and written registers Crawford Camiciottoli (2007) The language of business studies lectures Hyland (2005) Metadiscourse: exploring interaction in writing Brown (1978) Lecturing and explaining Sutherland & Badger (2004) Lecturers’ perceptions of lectures Young, L. (1994). University lectures – macro-structure and micro-features. Lecture functions Katrien Deroey ICAME 2009

Overview Corpus Corpus Analytical methodology Analytical methodology Functional framework Functional framework Issues Issues Contribution Contribution Lecture functions Katrien Deroey ICAME 2009

Corpus The British Academic Spoken English (BASE) corpus The British Academic Spoken English (BASE) corpus 12 lectures 12 lectures 4 disciplinary groupings 4 disciplinary groupings –Arts and Humanities –Social Studies and Sciences –Physical sciences –Life and Medical Sciences 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 (lslct017) Unit of analysis = the text Unit of analysis = the text Main focus on larger stretches of speech Main focus on larger stretches of speech →Informing function Lecture functions Katrien Deroey ICAME 2009

Analytical methodology Lecture functions Katrien Deroey ICAME 2009 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 Includes ‘embedded’ functions –Interacting: creating rapport –Managing the class: audience

Analytical methodology Lecture functions Katrien Deroey ICAME 2009 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 Lexico-grammar –Informing: Code gloss

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 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 AudienceDelivery Organisational matters Lecture functions Katrien Deroey ICAME 2009

Subfunctions: example Managing the audience Attention Mental attention (Rhetorical) questions Real life examples HumourImperatives… Visual attention Action Lecture functions Katrien Deroey ICAME 2009

Issues Corpus Corpus –Sample size and composition Analysis 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 Getting a fuller picture: lecture discourse and disciplinary variation Mapping out different realisations of functions Mapping out different realisations of functions –input for quantitative studies –EAP course design 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

FIELDDURATIONTOKENSINTERACTIVITYCLASS SIZELEVEL ahlct 006 Classics and Ancient History 0:57:096352nm smallUG2/3 lslct017 Medicine 0:42: nf0279, nf0280, sm0281, sm0282 (130) largeUG/PG pslct036 Statistics 0:41:446656nm0940(150) largeUG2 sslct031 Sociology 0:58:117356nm1123, sf1124, sm1125, su mediumUG

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

Lecture purposes and functions Informing Demonstrating Knowledge transmission Informing Demonstrating Directing Interacting Organising discourse Managing the class Facilating learning Informing Demonstrating Evaluating Socialisation Katrien Deroey Ghent University BAAHE

Disciplinary variation Soft disciplines Soft disciplines –Interpretation –Focus on people (attribution) Hard disciplines Hard disciplines –Procedures, processes –More application (professional skills) –More code glosses –More directing –Focus on research findings Lecture functions Katrien Deroey ICAME 2009