Language learning as discourse analysis: Implications for the LSP learning environment

Abstract

Au cours de la deuxième moitié du vingtième siècle, l’enseignement des langues de spécialité a été fortement influencé par l’approche communicative et par la recherche en analyse du discours, surtout dans le domaine du genre. L’intégration de la recherche en linguistique de corpus dans l’apprentissage des langues est un phénomène plus récent. À partir de 1990 les publications sur l’emploi des concordances par les professeurs et les apprenants de langues se sont multipliées. Le but de cette étude est de rapprocher d’une part l’apprentissage des langues, vu comme analyse du discours, et, d’autre part, l’apport potentiel des corpus à l’acquisition par les apprenants de ce que Swales (1990 :27) nomme l’expertise du discours (« discoursal expertise »). Des exemples sont tirés de plusieurs domaines, dont l’article de recherche, les sciences économiques et la communication en entreprise. L’auteur se penche non seulement sur le potentiel des corpus mais aussi sur les obstacles qui entravent la réussite de leur intégration dans l’apprentissage des langues.

Data‐Driven Learning: Taking the Computer Out of the Equation

“…As he remarked, “experience in using concordance data reactively has indicated that it could be used proactively also in a more traditional teacher‐centered setting, and has suggested also a range of concordance‐based exercise types” (Johns, 1991a, p. 31). Although there have been only occasional attempts by others to promote prepared concordance printouts from publicly available resources (e.g., Chambers, 2007a; Chambers & Kelly, 2004), the consensus seems to be that paper‐based materials are not in themselves incompatible with DDL (e.g., Breyer, 2006; Frankenberg‐Garcia, 2005a).…”

“…As he remarked, "experience in using concordance data reactively has indicated that it could be used proactively also in a more traditional teachercentered setting, and has suggested also a range of concordance-based exercise types" (Johns, 1991a, p. 31). Although there have been only occasional attempts by others to promote prepared concordance printouts from publicly available resources (e.g., Chambers, 2007a;Chambers & Kelly, 2004), the consensus seems to be that paper-based materials are not in themselves incompatible with DDL (e.g., Breyer, 2006;Frankenberg-Garcia, 2005a). This is not to deny that direct consultation is essential if learners are to benefit fully and autonomously from the possibilities that corpora have to offer, but at the same time there seems to be no reason to rule out more teacheroriented applications in earlier stages:…”

“…Prepared materials such as concordance printouts are certainly limited in many ways compared to hands-on investigation, but that can also be seen as part of their advantage (cf. Aston, 1997;Chambers, 2007a). In particular, they reduce some of the cognitive burden in initial stages by allowing learners to focus on a single new element.…”

Taking the Measure of the Universe: Precision Astrometry withSIM PlanetQuest

“…Given the importance of accurate pre-SIM astrometry, we note that large-scale ground-based photometric surveys such as Pan-STARRs will also provide astrometry at the required (sub-mas) level (Chambers 2005). Also, data from the Gaia mission (Perryman 2002) will help explore and characterize SSGAs more fully.…”

Mauna Kea Sky Transparency from CFHT SkyProbe Data1

“…The density of air fluctuates with barometric pressure and temperature, and the concentrations of water vapour and other atmospheric constituents such as aerosols (see, e.g. Chambers 2005, and references therein). To first order, however, airmass will increase linearly with barometric pressure p and relative humdity ρ, Z = pρ/(pρ).…”