Register analysis of English for specific purposes discourse: An in-depth exploratory and descriptive theory- and corpus-based study of the case of biology texts in secondary education in Hungary - Softcover

Borza, Natalia

Softcover

ISBN 10: 3346700151 ISBN 13: 9783346700155

Publisher: Grin Verlag, 2022

Synopsis

Doctoral Thesis / Dissertation from the year 2015 in the subject Didactics for the subject English - Pedagogy, Literature Studies, grade: Summa cum laude, Eötvös Loránd University (PhD Programme in Language Pedagogy), language: English, abstract: Imagine a classroom where the textbooks themselves become the barrier to learning. This groundbreaking study delves into the linguistic complexities hidden within English language biology textbooks used in Hungarian secondary schools, revealing potential hurdles for ESL and ESP students. Through the development and application of a novel Pedagogically Oriented Text-Analytical Instrument (POTAI), this research meticulously dissects the language of science, uncovering the specific features that may impede comprehension. The analysis, focusing on register analysis within the framework of English for Specific Purposes (ESP), explores the gap between the language proficiency expected of students and the actual linguistic demands of their learning materials. By examining a carefully curated corpus of biology texts (BIOCOR), the study identifies key areas of linguistic difficulty and provides invaluable insights for educators seeking to bridge this gap. This investigation not only sheds light on the challenges faced by bilingual learners navigating complex academic texts but also offers practical pedagogical recommendations for ESL and ESP teachers. Discover how linguistic complexity impacts text comprehension in secondary education, particularly in the context of biology. Learn how corpus linguistics can be used to improve educational outcomes. Gain valuable tools for enhancing ESL and ESP teaching, ultimately fostering a more inclusive and effective learning environment for all students. The research contributes to the field of language pedagogy by providing a data-driven approach to understanding and addressing the linguistic challenges inherent in academic texts. It further investigates how register analysis can inform teachin

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From the Back Cover

Doctoral Thesis / Dissertation from the year 2015 in the subject Didactics - English - Pedagogy, Literature Studies, grade: Summa cum laude, Eötvös Loránd University (PhD Programme in Language Pedagogy), language: English, abstract: While the prevalent linguistic features of academic writing at a tertiary level are widely researched in the field of register analysis, those at a secondary level have not yet been thoroughly investigated. Even less attention has been dedicated to the exploration of the linguistic characteristics of biology textbooks in English for secondary students. The present study seeks to address this lacuna from a pedagogical perspective. Accordingly, the aim of the current research is to design a pedagogically oriented text-analytical instrument (POTAI) which is capable of yielding linguistic data relevant for ESL and ESP teachers. A further aim of the research is to apply the POTAI to the corpus of biology texts (BIOCOR) which the 10th grade students in a bilingual secondary school in Hungary are assigned to process in order to gain insights into the possible linguistic reasons why the target group finds the texts challenging to comprehend. Data was collected through quantitative and qualitative register analytical methods and through interview studies with ESL and biology teachers instructing in the bilingual programme of the secondary school. Keeping the 10th graders¿ difficulty of tackling academic subjects in English in the foreground, the present theoretically and pedagogically motivated study attempts to answer the following overarching research questions: A) By what means, relevant to English as a second language teaching, is it possible to describe the dominant register features of the biology texts used at an English-Hungarian bilingual secondary school? B) From a linguistic point of view, to what extent do the general English reading texts assigned in the intensive language preparatory course in the 9th grade at an English-Hungarian bilingual secondary school enable students to handle the biology texts used in the subsequent term?

Edition details

• Publisher: Grin Verlag
• Publication date: 2022
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 3346700151
• ISBN 13: 9783346700155
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 276