Themed meeting series 1
Term 3 2011 regular meetings
Theme for discussion: The interface between text based discourse analysis, and linguistic ethnography.
Thursday 12 May, 4.00 p.m. - 5.00 p.m., S 2.85: The interface between text-based discourse analysis and linguistic ethnography #1.
The featured paper will be: Bruce, I. (2010) Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 9, 153-166. Bruce 2010
For our first summer, themed, meeting of PAD I (Malcolm) wanted to select a reasonably recent example of a text-based analysis which incorporates ‘mainstream’ approaches, some of which are promulgated within our UG and PG courses as well as in some of our research. I also began to realize in corridor conversations with Gerard that we could also relate this to applications of academic writing within the Centre, and tie this in with Gerard's concluding themed session at the end of this term. This 2010 paper, published in the flagship Journal of English for Academic Purposes, by a prominent genre analyst, goes one stage better by drawing on the BAWE corpus for the texts for analysis. It will give us an opportunity to critique mainstream approaches to genre analysis from our different paradigmatic perspectives and possibly to consider how to move our collective approach to the analysis of academic writing forward in order to improve pedagogy, both in-house and beyond. Here is a link to Ian Bruce's webpage:
Wednesday 18 May 2011, 11.00 p.m, Room R0.12: Invited Talk - Dr Steve Walsh, University of Newcastle.
Promoting Classroom Interactional Competence: In this talk, I offer an initial conceptualisation of classroom interactional competence (CIC), defined as teachers' and learners' ability to use interaction as a tool for mediating and assisting learning. The first part of the talk argues that any conceptualisation of learning has to recognize that the process of learning is embodied in classroom interaction. The second part of the paper looks at ways in which CIC can be promoted, using video extracts from language classrooms. The implications of an understanding of CIC for both learning and teaching and teacher education are discussed.
Here is a link to Steve's webpage:
Thurs 26 May 4.00 a.m. - 5.00 p.m. S 2.85: The interface between text-based discourse analysis and linguistic ethnography #2
Th featured paper will be: Ann M. Johns. Genre awareness for the novice academic student: An ongoing quest. Lang. Teach. (2008), 41:2, 237–252.
(Log-in required)
For second summer, themed meeting of PAD I wanted to select a reasonably recent example of a more ‘ethnographic’ investigation into genre analysis. In the event the thing that came to hand was this theoretical 2008 restatement by Ann M. John of the different approaches to genre analysis , also suggesting some practical solutions for pedagogy. So I think it would be worth reading this together - and then in our third themed meeting I will definitely find an empirical paper with a more ‘ethnographic’ approach. You will also note that the theme for this term has segued into genre + academic writing – text-based and/or ethnographic approaches. I hope this will give us more applied focus and appeal to the widest possible constituency within the Centre and beyond.
Here is a link to Ann Johns's webpage:
Thurs 9 June 4.00 p.m. - 5.00 p.m. S 2.85: The interface between text-based discourse analysis and linguistic ethnography #3
In the last meeting, I (Malcolm) proposed an empirical study deriving from the New Rhetoric Approach as a counterpoint to the ESP and SFL approaches with which we are most familiar. In the event the thing that popped out most effortlessly was a conceptual paper grounded in a meta-report of two empirical studies – and I think this will give as enough grounds for an informed discussion. This comes from the Journal of Business and Technical Communication, which I bet is not well known to most of us! The paper focuses on our favourite discursive field of medicine, here the medical presentation – rather than a stodgier written genre such as the RA. Please read this paper for the next seminar:
Genre Theory, Health Care Discourse and Professional Identity Formation
For those wanting a bit more on the New Rhetoric approach, I also attached two papers by Carolyn Millar, popularly regarded as its matriarch. Here is her foundational 1984 article 'Genre as Social Action' (Miller_1984); and her 1994 update 'Rhetorical Community: The Cultural Basis of Genre (Miller 1994). Here is Miller's webpage with many more downloads: Carolyn Miller
Fri 24 June 9.30 a.m. - 5.00 p.m. Reflection in the round: Discourses and Practices of Reflection in HE (Oxford Brookes University).
It was decided at the last PAD meeting to declare the fifth and final meeting of the term a 'return away game' at Oxford Brookes, after the excellent paper given to PAD on reflective writing by Paul Wickens last term. Jane Spiro and Paul Wickens are convening a BAAL/CUP seminar at which Steve, Malcolm and Sue are all giving papers; and one or two other members declared an interest in joining the seminar. Reflective writing/the discourse of reflection appears to be an emergent theme in PAD, and it is hoped that this very solid day's engagement might generate some tangible research output in the next academic year, when it may well be worth our whiles revisiting this theme yet again.
