LINGUIST List 11.713

Wed Mar 29 2000

TOC: Language Awareness

Editor for this issue: Scott Fults <scottlinguistlist.org>

Directory

1. Kathryn King, Language Awareness, Vol. 9, No 1, 2000

Language Awareness Vol. 9 No 1

Framing and Text Interpretation Across Languages and Cultures: A Case
Study
Joyce Bell, School of Media and Information, Curtin University, Western
Australia

Many postgraduate students of a non-English-speaking background (NESB)
studying at Western universities experience difficulties - more so
than their undergraduate counterparts. Reading has been cited as one
of the most neglected problems facing postgraduate international
students. This paper is part of a larger investigation, exploring the
reading traditions and practices which influence the interpretation of
two text types, academic and general text by postgraduate students
from Thailand and India studying in the areas of Business, Humanities,
Engineering/Science and Health Sciences. Data were collected from case
studies conducted at an Australian University and at universities in
Thailand and India. The data will be used to raise awareness among
academics of language use by different cultures in the cross-cultural
academic environment. The research method known as 'frame analysis'
has been applied when gathering data on the framing devices used by
students when interpreting texts. Results presented in this paper show
that there are various subtle changes in the framing strategies used
by a Thai postgraduate student between the first and third semester.

Customising Linguistics: Developing an Electronic Grammar Database for
Teachers
Graham Lock and Amy B.M. Tsui, City University of Hong Kong and
Department of Curriculum Studies, University of Hong Kong

This paper considers issues in customising descriptions of English
grammar in the context of creating an electronic database for
secondary school teachers in Hong Kong. In developing the database, we
have aimed to incorporate insights from functional grammar and corpus
linguistics while keeping the information accessible and relevant to
teachers familiar only with traditional approaches to grammar. This
has involved exploiting the advantages of hypertext, explicitly
foregrounding pedagogical concerns and developing a metalanguage that
will allow discussion of areas such as transitivity and theme without
alienating the teacher-users. We illustrate the kinds of compromises
that are necessary in order to match the linguistic information to the
needs and existing knowledge of the teacher-users.

A Vygotskian Perspective on Corrective Feedback in L2: The Effect of
Random Versus Negotiated Help on the Learning of English Articles
Hossein Nassaji and Merrill Swain, Modern Language Centre, Ontario
Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto, Canada

This study examined whether negotiated help provided within the
learner's zone of proximal development (ZPD) is more effective than
help provided randomly and irrespective of the learner's ZPD. Data
were collected during tutorial sessions on writing English
compositions by two Korean learners of English. Qualitative and
quantitative components of the data analysis provided support to the
hypothesis. In addition, it was found that when provided randomly and
in a non-collaborative fashion, more explicit help produced better
results than did less explicit help. The findings provide support for
a consciousness-raising view of language learning. Implications for
further research on collaborative feedback are discussed.

Pricing Information
A 2000 subscription to Language Awareness (4 issues, including the
above issue) costs pounds 45 or USD 70 for individuals (paying for
themselves by personal cheque or credit card (Master/Visa) with
billing address and expiry date) schools and teachers' centres, or
pounds 170 or USD 270 for all other subscribers.

These prices include free on-line access to the electronic version of
the journal (full details on www.catchword.com).

Copies of the above papers can be ordered by credit card at
www.catchword.com. A hard copy of the above issue only costs pounds 16
or USD 25 for individuals/schools/teachers' centres and pounds 45 or
USD 70 for all others.


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