Grammar and variation in the classroom

Grammar is the structural foundation of successful communication, language use, and literacy development. Grammar is therefore sometimes viewed as the heart of language with an important place in language teaching. In a classroom setting, regulation of grammar knowledge through teachers is strongly influenced by teachers’ linguistic competence and beliefs. In this paper, we will first show the diversity in this knowledge by means of teacher interviews and speeded grammatical-acceptability data from pupils and students. We will then sketch a socio- and psycholinguistic perspective on several selected morphosyntactic variables in German. These will be discussed with reference to social forces that determine what is standard in a language (language norm authorities, language experts, model texts, and codifiers). Finally, we will draw a roadmap for teachers, language practitioners and editors looking for a qualified solution to grammatical cases of doubt in contemporary German and provide practical examples by drawing upon the German reference corpus.

Are EFL Writers Motivated or Demotivated by Model Texts and Task Repetition? Evidence from Young Collaborative Writers

Studies on multi-stage writing tasks with adults and children have shown that model texts and task repetition aid language acquisition, especially when learners work in collaboration. However, these studies have not included measures of task motivation, which is vital in young learners (YLs) and could help develop a more comprehensive understanding of task effectiveness. The present study analyses task motivation in 24 EFL YLs writing in pairs during three sessions divided into a model group (MG) and a task repetition group (TRG). Results show that students’ task motivation is high in general but declines in the MG while it is maintained in the TRG. As for the motives, working together is the main reason students give to justify their positive scores. These results complete previous knowledge about models and TR, reinforce the value of collaborative writing and encourage the inclusion of motivation measures in task-based research.

Using a Modified Dictogloss to Improve English as a Second Language Learners’ use of Genre-appropriate Conventions and Style

This article explores the potential for using a modified dictogloss task to improve ESL learners' use of genre-appropriate conventions and genre-appropriate style in the context of genre-based instruction for writing. Dictogloss has been traditionally used to enhance learners' focus on lexical and grammatical features through discussions during the joint reconstruction of a text. The innovation of the current practice lies in its application to teach generic aspects specific to a particular text type, such as formatting, register, and organization. This practice is potentially important as it is a meaningful, productive task that raises learners' awareness of genre-related features of writing – an often-neglected but important aspect of learning to write. This practice was carried out in a secondary ESL classroom in Hong Kong, and the evaluation was based on an analysis of improvements in learners' genre-specific conventions and genre-specific style. Implications of this practice are discussed in terms of the possibilities for using model texts in dictogloss tasks within a genre-based approach to writing.

Model texts in collaborative and individual writing among EFL children: noticing, incorporations, and draft quality

When written corrective feedback is provided via model texts, language learners notice and incorporate features from the models into their subsequent writings. However, little is known about the accuracy of these incorporations or about the impact of model texts on draft quality. Also, model texts have often been implemented with children working in pairs but, to date, studies including individual and collaborative conditions are extremely scarce. This study examines the impact of model texts among 33 EFL children (aged 11–12) divided into a pair (N = 22) and an individual (N = 11) group. Our findings do not reveal any significant differences between pairs and individuals. The students in both conditions noticed features, mainly lexical. They incorporated around 50% of these features from the model texts into their final drafts, with an accuracy rate of 60%. Regarding draft quality, the second draft was significantly better than the first one when rated holistically.

The emergence of grammar in the Western world

The origins of Western grammar (and grammar teaching) lie in ancient Greece. Grammar took shape as a text-based discipline, taking as its object the literary language of the past. The focus was on mastering the morphological structures of classical Greek, of which the forms had to be memorized, and activated through the analysis of literary texts. The teaching of grammar involved the flexible use of manuals, offering the indispensable terminological apparatus and the descriptive categories. The parts-of-speech system remained the corner piece of Western grammar. The condensation of grammatical doctrine in manuals was supplemented with grammatical exercising, focusing on verbal and nominal morphology, and, sporadically, issues of syntax. Grammatical education was extended, through copying, memorizing and analysing of model texts, with lexical and phraseological materials.

From Topic Networks to Distributed Cognitive Maps: Zipfian Topic Universes in the Area of Volunteered Geographic Information

Are nearby places (e.g., cities) described by related words? In this article, we transfer this research question in the field of lexical encoding of geographic information onto the level of intertextuality. To this end, we explore Volunteered Geographic Information (VGI) to model texts addressing places at the level of cities or regions with the help of so-called topic networks. This is done to examine how language encodes and networks geographic information on the aboutness level of texts. Our hypothesis is that the networked thematizations of places are similar, regardless of their distances and the underlying communities of authors. To investigate this, we introduce Multiplex Topic Networks (MTN), which we automatically derive from Linguistic Multilayer Networks (LMN) as a novel model, especially of thematic networking in text corpora. Our study shows a Zipfian organization of the thematic universe in which geographical places (especially cities) are located in online communication. We interpret this finding in the context of cognitive maps, a notion which we extend by so-called thematic maps. According to our interpretation of this finding, the organization of thematic maps as part of cognitive maps results from a tendency of authors to generate shareable content that ensures the continued existence of the underlying media. We test our hypothesis by example of special wikis and extracts of Wikipedia. In this way, we come to the conclusion that geographical places, whether close to each other or not, are located in neighboring semantic places that span similar subnetworks in the topic universe.

«Vi kastet elevene ut på dypet før». Bruk av eksempeltekster i skriveopplæringen hos fire norsklærere

Bruk av eksempeltekster i skriveopplæringen har historiske røtter tilbake til antikken, men fikk fornyet interesse i Australia på 1980-tallet. I denne artikkelen forteller fire norsklærere fra ungdomsskolen og den videregående skolen hvordan de har tatt i bruk eksempeltekster i skriveopplæringen etter at eksempeltekstbegrepet ble introdusert i den reviderte læreplanen fra 2013 (LK13). Artikkelen undersøker lærernes beretninger i lys av planleggingsmodellen «Sirkelen for undervisning og læring», og den konkluderer med at lærerne i mange tilfeller oppfyller intensjonene bak planleggingsmodellen. Samtidig finnes det et ikke-forløst potensiale ved bruken av eksempeltekster hos de fire lærerne, ettersom ingen av dem konstruerer tekst i fellesskap med elevene sine. Nøkkelord: Eksempeltekster, «Sirkelen for undervisning og læring», dialogteori, dekonstruksjon, felles tekstkonstruksjon «Earlier, we threw students in at the deep end». Use of model texts in writing instruction among four Norwegian teachers Abstract The didactics of model texts has ancient roots, and has received renewed interests since the 1980s, particularly in Australia. In this article, four teachers, teaching Norwegian at the lower and upper secondary school, tell how they have made use of model texts since these were introduced into writing education with the revision of the Norwegian curriculum in 2013 (LK13). Their accounts are seen in light of the planning model “Teaching Learning Cycle”. This article concludes that the teachers generally fulfill the intentions behind the planning model. At the same time, the interviews show an unfulfilled potential in the use of model texts, for instance a lack of collaborative writing. Keywords: Model texts, “Teaching Learning Cycle”, dialogue theory, deconstruction, collaborative writing

Do we need a biobank law?

This paper deals with the question of whether it is necessary to pass a special law for the establishment and operation of biobanks. For this purpose, some legal aspects are presented by way of example that are involved in operating a biobank (data protection, personal rights, consent, protection against seizure, etc.). The authors then discuss a draft law from 2010 which, however, was rejected by parliamentary committees on the grounds that there was no need for legislating this issue. This is then followed by the description of a second attempt to create a biobank law, which was undertaken by a group of professors from Augsburg and Munich in 2015. Again, the authors conclude that there is no acute need for such a law. Biobanking science and practice have already given rise to regulations (guidelines, model texts, procedural rules, etc.) that create a sufficiently secure basis for bio-banking.