A contrastive study of engagement resources between English spoken and written texts

2020 ◽  
Vol 40 (6) ◽  
pp. 755-776
Author(s):  
Yang Yang
Keyword(s):  
Distribution Pattern ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Contrastive Analysis ◽  
Contrastive Study ◽  
News Reports ◽  
Written Texts ◽  
New Perspective ◽  
Engagement System

AbstractEngagement can be used to describe and explain the various styles or strategies of intersubjective positioning that have been observed operating recurrently within different discourse domains. Based on the engagement system of appraisal framework, this study offers a contrastive analysis of dialogic contraction and dialogic expansion between English spoken and written texts. Thirty TV interviews and 30 news reports, each with a length of 1500–2000 words, were compared in terms of the distribution pattern and the quantitative use of engagement resources. The findings show that the English spoken and written texts are generally different in the distribution pattern of engagement resources. More specifically, in the spoken texts the contractive devices are much more prominent than the expansive devices while in the written texts the expansive devices are used slightly more frequently than the contractive devices. As for the quantitative use, most of the frequencies of dialogic contraction and dialogic expansion in the spoken texts are significantly different from those in the written texts, except endorsement and distance. This study may provide a new perspective for the contrastive study of spoken and written languages. The findings may also provide some pedagogical implications, especially for the teaching and learning of oral and written English.

scholarly journals Contrastive Study between Pronunciation Chinese L1 and English L2 from the Perspective of Interference Based on Observations in Genuine Teaching Contexts

2016 ◽  
Vol 9 (10) ◽  
pp. 90
Author(s):  
Feng Li
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Speech Production ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
First Language ◽  
Contrastive Analysis ◽  
L2 Acquisition ◽  
Contrastive Study ◽  
Learning Contexts ◽  
Asian Languages ◽  
L1 And L2

<p>Much research has been conducted on factors that impact on second language (L2) speech production in light of the age of L2 acquisition, the length of residence in the L2 environment, motivation, the amount of first language (L1) usage, etc. Very little of this research has taken the perspective of interference between L1 and L2, especially with respect to Asian languages. This article tries to locate the differences in pronunciation between Chinese L1 and English L2 by contrastive analysis through observing genuine teaching and learning contexts, in hope of facilitating English pronunciation pedagogy in China.</p>

scholarly journals A Contrastive Analysis of Classroom-Based Language Assessments

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 110
Author(s):  
Haoran Chen
Keyword(s):  
Formative Assessment ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Summative Assessment ◽  
High Standard ◽  
Contrastive Analysis ◽  
Immediate Feedback ◽  
Contrastive Study ◽  
Whole Process ◽  
Teaching Goals ◽  
Language Assessments

Classroom-based language assessments mainly include formative assessment and summative assessment, which are the most commonly used evaluation methods. The present study adopts a contrastive method to analyze the two types of assessments. Results of the study show that: 1) the characteristics of formative assessment contain teachers&rsquo; adaptation to classes and immediate feedback provided for teachers, while summative assessment, as a high-risk one, needs a high standard control and safety for dependability and effectiveness; 2) formative assessment is suitable for any places with multiple standards for the judgement of learners&rsquo; achievements while summative assessment evaluates the educational effect or the whole process of special education at a certain time point, and both assessments can always be conducted on network platforms nowadays; 3) evidence and interpretation are taken into consideration in formative assessment and summative assessment respectively while the two types of assessment complement each other for the related teaching goals; 4) more attention may be paid to both assessment for learning (AfL) and assessment as learning (AaL) in the future development of assessment. The contrastive study is expected to provide a reference for classroom-based language teaching and learning.

scholarly journals Morpho-syntactic variations in English and Spanish clipped words: a contrastive study

2018 ◽  
Vol 134 (3) ◽  
pp. 734-760
Author(s):  
Félix Rodríguez González ◽  
José A. Sánchez Fajardo
Keyword(s):  
Linguistic Variation ◽  
Contrastive Analysis ◽  
Contrastive Study ◽  
Syntactic Features ◽  
Functional Motivations

Abstract Clipping and linguistic variation are inexorably interconnected. Shortened or elliptical words reflect a great deal of variability of the language, especially in the morphological and phonological levels. The object of this study is precisely to explore the phono-graphemic and grammatical variations occurred in the visible changes undergone by clipped words in Spanish and English. A contrastive analysis of this type reveals both expectedly different correspondences in terms of gender and number, and surprisingly parallel lexico-syntactic features. This suggests that clipped or elliptical units are not only necessarily dependent on intrinsic morpho-grammatical and phonological traits, but they are also characterized by regularities and universal patterns that might show disruptive or “corrupted” constructs. This analysis confirms the peculiarities of clipping and linguistic variations in both languages, in an attempt to comprehend the interconnection between functional motivations, and morphological and phonological changes.

scholarly journals Move Structure of Research Article Abstracts on Management: Contrastive Study (the Case of English and Russian)

2017 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 63-72 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elena Zanina
Keyword(s):  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
English Language ◽  
Russian Language ◽  
Research Articles ◽  
Linguistic Differences ◽  
Contrastive Study ◽  
Research Article ◽  
Linguistic Research ◽  
Academic Communication

Although a plethora of papers have proved a seminal role of move-based genre analysis in cross-linguistic research of academic communication and EAP/ESP teaching and learning, there is a lack of respective linguistic or pedagogically motivated studies of research articles (RAs) and their parts aimed at comparing English and Russian. Using Hyland’s (2000) 5-move model, the current research seeks to determine the most obvious cross-linguistic differences in the move structure of abstracts of research articles on management for these languages. Based on a move analysis of the English- and Russian-language corpora each comprising 20 unstructured RA abstracts, the research revealed conformity of most English-language abstracts to Hyland’s model, while the Russian abstracts principally displayed a three-move structure containing ‘purpose’, ‘method’ and ‘product’, and included the ‘introduction’ and ‘conclusion’ moves only occasionally. Other significant discrepancies comprised the English-language authors’ tendency to provide precise or detailed indication of research methods and results, in contrast to their brief indication or over-generalized mentioning by Russian writers, as well as greater length of the English-language abstracts and their stricter concordance to standard move sequence than those of the Russian abstracts. Though the research was conducted on relatively small corpora and was descriptive in nature, its findings might be of interest to genre analysts as well as to L2 theorists and practitioners.

scholarly journals Teaching Arabic oral and written communication among the Yoruba speakers in Nigeria: A constrastive analysis

2014 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhammad Olatunde Yaqub
Keyword(s):  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Communication Skill ◽  
Native Language ◽  
Oral Communication ◽  
Arabic Language ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Written Communication ◽  
Contrastive Analysis ◽  
Simplified Method

The teaching and learning of Arabic language especially in the non-native environment require a simplified method to make the job a more fruitful enterprise. This paper explores the application of a contrastive analysis of both the target language and the native language in encouraging, motivating and simplifying the teaching and learning of oral Arabic communication skill among the native Yoruba speakers. The work identifies the major areas of difficulties facing the students from this region. This includes phonetics, phonology and agreement relation (otherwise known as concord in grammar). The agreement consists of gender, person, terms and numbers which form a major component of grammatical Arabic sentence. It is observed that understanding these major areas will enhance the performance of the students in achieving the required standard in Arabic oral communication. The paper concludes that Arabic phonetics, phonology and grammar are more elaborate than those of Yoruba. Hence, the instructors need to focus more attention on these difficult areas; especially those areas that do not exist in the native language (Yoruba).

Avoidance of Phrasal Verbs—A Case for Contrastive Analysis

1985 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 73-79 ◽  
Author(s):  
Menachem Dagut ◽  
Batia Laufer
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Error Analysis ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Negative Transfer ◽  
Teaching Experience ◽  
Analysis Approach ◽  
Learning Difficulty ◽  
Contrastive Analysis ◽  
Phrasal Verbs ◽  
Group Structures

Schachter (1974) drew attention to the importance, in error analysis, of examining not only the L2 forms actually produced by the learners of a foreign language in their attempts to express themselves in L2, but also the L2 forms they seem consistently to avoid using. She also noted the close interrelation between such avoidance phenomena and the Contrastive Analysis approach to L2 teaching and learning: avoidance is the reverse side of negative transfer, since learners tend to avoid using in L2 those structures that have no parallel in their L1 and therefore provide them with no pattern for transfer. Of course, as Kleinmann (1977) has pointed out, “avoidance” implies that the structure in question is known to (i.e., can be passively recognized by) the learners, but not freely used by them; failure to use a structure or word that is unknown to the learners is an indication merely of ignorance, not of learning difficulty. Now a prime constructive purpose of error analysis is (or should be) to identify the sources of a learner's difficulties, as a necessary preliminary to helping him or her overcome them. Hence the importance of genuine avoidance phenomena that, when properly identified, can throw light on what would otherwise remain hidden recesses of uncertainty in the learner's mind. Levenston (1971) has convincingly argued, with numerous illustrations, that avoidance (“under-representation” in his terminology) of various English “clause (or group) structures” by Hebrew-speaking learners of English can be explained by the lack of Hebrew “translation-equivalents” for the English structures in question and the learners' consequent choice of less appropriate but more L1-equivalent structures. However, since Levenston was concerned not with avoidance phenomena as such, but rather with the evidence they provide of L1 interference with L2 learning and their stylistic effect on the learner's L2, he took the phenomena in question as established facts (on the basis, presumably, of his own teaching experience), without attempting to examine their frequency and extent.

Students’ perception on developing conceptual generic skills for business

2017 ◽  
Vol 47 (4) ◽  
pp. 490-505 ◽  
Author(s):  
Constantin Bratianu ◽  
Elena-Madalina Vatamanescu
Keyword(s):  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Classical Approach ◽  
Learning To Learn ◽  
Generic Skills ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Core Skills ◽  
Learn By Doing ◽  
New Type ◽  
New Perspective ◽  
Undergraduate Programs

Purpose The classical approach of teaching and learning mostly based on knowledge transfer is questionable as knowledge life cycle is shortening and new type of jobs appear every day with new knowledge request. In this vein, the purpose of this paper is to investigate how to switch the focus from learning knowledge to learning generic skills liable to help future professionals to think and learn by doing. Design/methodology/approach The research is based on a 30-item questionnaire that was addressed to over 500 students involved in management and business undergraduate and graduate programs from two well-reputed Romanian universities. Three hundred and forty questionnaires were filled in and processed using SPSS, version 19. Additionally, a factorial analysis was performed, with a view to extract the most important factors that are involved in developing generic skills in university programs. Findings Results demonstrate that most of the students from the undergraduate programs prefer the classical approach – less implication and responsibility in doing a harder conceptual work – while most students from the master programs are open to the new perspective of learning to learn, namely, to developing generic skills. Research limitations/implications In the new turbulent business landscape, universities face a significant change in teaching their students. Although the research adds to the value of the extant literature on generic skills (also known as core skills), it is mainly focused on a Romanian sample, thus reflecting a context-based perspective. Originality/value The current study provides a preliminary insight into the perception of Romanian students about developing generic skills and into their readiness to assume the role of main actors in the learning process.

The construction of attitudinal stance

2016 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 31-53 ◽  
Author(s):  
María Pérez Blanco
Keyword(s):  
Empirical Data ◽  
Structural Features ◽  
Contrastive Analysis ◽  
Descriptive Data ◽  
Linguistic Differences ◽  
Contrastive Study ◽  
Analysis Methodology ◽  
Similarities And Differences ◽  
Working Procedure

This paper is a corpus-based contrastive study of the realization of negative attitudinal stance in English and Spanish discourse through the use of evaluative adjectives. The main aim of the study is to analyse and compare the grammatical patterns in which negative evaluative adjectives occur in each language and discuss the observed cross-linguistic differences in terms of the effects that alternative linguistic realizations have in the construction of evaluative discourse. The working procedure follows a contrastive analysis methodology: description of empirical data, juxtaposition and contrast. The descriptive data have been extracted from a large comparable corpus of English and Spanish newspaper opinion discourse. The study has revealed interesting similarities and differences in the construction of Attitude in each language, which are inferred by contrasting its surface structural features.

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