A Corpus-based Study of Spoken and Written Registers

Aim : to provide a relatively comprehensive linguistic description of the range of university registers, surveying the distinctive linguistic characteristics of each register

Question: How is language used across a wide range of university registers? (spoken and written, formal and informal, embracing the major disciplines (humanities, natural and social sciences), the main academic levels (undergraduate and postgraduate), and the typical situations in which students might find themselves (lectures, seminars, tutorials, interaction with administrative staff))

Corpus : T2K-SWAL corpus. The T2K-SWAL corpus consists of 2.7 million words captured at four US universities. Unusually for an academic corpus, almost 1.7 million of those words are from recorded spoken sources, while only 1 million originated in written material. Within these categories, most of the spoken data were obtained from class sessions (1.2 million words), while only 50,000 were from office hours.

Findings : Despite a certain superficial similarity of pragmatic function, textbooks employ vastly more nouns and fewer verbs than are used in classroom teaching. Textbooks also contain more relative clauses but fewer complement and adverbial clauses than classroom teaching, and that the complement clauses used are less likely to be "that-" or "wh-" clauses. Classroom language on the other hand abounds in adverbs of certainty and likelihood, both of which are relatively uncommon in textbooks, and uses many more modal verbs of all kinds. Classroom teaching situates firmly towards the "spoken" pole of the continuum from spoken to written, putting paid to any notion that a class is somehow equivalent to a textbook: the objective may be the same, but the way in which it is achieved is linguistically quite different.

Source: http://tesl-ej.org/ej42/r5.html

We've learned about words, its usage, its application.
We've learned about how computer application eases the process
of us analyzing words and sentences.
We realized then, that human mind alone is incapable of processing or
collecting or arranging such large amount of words, be it in English or any other languages.
Even if we could, we wouldn't have enough time anyway.
When we learn corpus linguistics, we've come across databases that contains millions
of words, yet, it is still a fraction of the usage of the words that has been compiled.
We marvel at the efficiency of computer and its technology of formatting words and compiling them. This should allow us to further marvel the work of our creator, Allah SWT.

[18:109]Say: "If the ocean were ink (wherewith to write out) the words of my Lord, sooner would the ocean be exhausted than would the words of my Lord, even if we added another ocean like it, for its aid."

The language we speak or learn today, is a gift worth learning. Grammatical Analysi,which is a general theory of the organization of natural language, explores the complexity of sentences and its categorization of words into a system. As we learn about it, at the same time, we are also learning about God's gift.

[2:37]Then learnt Adam from his Lord words of inspiration, and his Lord Turned towards him; for He is Oft-Returning, Most Merciful.

It is not enough for us to just marvel at the comlplexity of language, it is also and obligation for us to learn about language, because in Islam we have to know what we say, and what we say is in form of language.

[24:15]Behold, ye received it on your tongues, and said out of your mouths things of which ye had no knowledge; and ye thought it to be a light matter, while it was most serious in the sight of Allah.

For us to fully utilize language, we have to learn about it, and merely speaking it is not enough. There should be a very good reason why language is worth learning. For one, we have hundreds of different languages in the world, and each language is shaped by the society (or vice versa, its really a chicken or egg question). And for each language, it comes with an underlying system of grammar that is also shaped by the community. Ever wonder why Bahasa Malaysia doesn't have a grammar system that differentiates male and female but English and Arabic does?
Language, then, is very important for the society.

[14:4]We sent not a messenger except (to teach) in the language of his (own) people, in order to make (things) clear to them. Now Allah leaves straying those whom He pleases and guides whom He pleases: and He is Exalted in power, full of Wisdom.

Last but not least,
whatever knowledge that we've gained through the learning of language
should be appreciated and used in the right way. Language is wisdom.

[40:67]It is He Who has created you from dust then from a sperm-drop, then from a leech-like clot; then does he get you out (into the light) as a child: then lets you (grow and) reach your age of full strength; then lets you become old,- though of you there are some who die before;- and lets you reach a Term appointed; in order that ye may learn wisdom.

One of the particular courses that we have taken where we need to use computer to assist us with the course is Research Methodology. In this course, we were required to find some references to back up our research. We were encouraged to use the IIUM database system whereby we can access a wide variety of data storage such as journals, dissertations, and thesis by Masters and Phd students.

Among the common database search engines that we used was 'Academic Source Premier', 'A-Z List of Journals', and 'Expanded Academic Asap'.

In order to fully utilize these search engines, we were even taught by the IIUM library management of the correct way to use it. Therefore, we were able to find topics that supports our research with relative ease. Hopefully, in the future we would be able to use these search engines when we further our studies in Masters and Phds.

Our group has chosen grammatical analysis as an example of corpus linguistic. This assignment required us to analyse a set of lines and classify them into its word group. For example we have chosen theme and rheme. Theme is the topic or the subject that we want to talk about and rheme is the explanation of the theme.

I/ went to the Olden Theatre
theme rheme

The theatre/ is quite an old one
theme rheme

Findings:
How we organize the words affect the meaning of the sentences.

Topic: Public Speaking
Language Skill: Speaking
Level of student: Secondary School / Higher Education
Time: 2 Periods (80 minutes)
General Objective: 1. To train the students to speak English confidently and fluently.
2. To give an impact to students when speaking at length, either in
formal presentations or 'off the cuff' talks.
3. To train the students to be more outspoken.
4. To encourage students to be more participative in discourses.

Teaching Aids : Clarity English, a web-based system with over 40 programs to assist
with English language learning.
www.clarity.com.hk

The Splendid Speaking Self-Study Course
http://www.clarity.com.hk/program/splendidspeaking.htm

Procedure: Step 1. Introductions with small talk.
Students are asked to make a 15 second introduction. Listen
effectively and show interest in what others have to say.

Step 2. Powerful Presentation
Students are asked to choose one of five memorable ways to start a
Presentation, and then signpost it clearly to help the audience.
Introduce photographs and information graphics.

Step 3. Splendid Expressions!
A bonus bumper quiz with hundreds of colloquial expressions,
organized by topic area to further help learners develop their speaking
skills.

Evaluation: Speaking test.
1. Give a topic for them to talk about.
2. Questions related to the topic are asked.
3. The students are asked to give questions.
4. Organizing a debate contest- debate among themselves.

Reflection: At the end of the lesson the students should be able to speak in
English fluently and confidently. Also, they are able to elaborate points when
they are engaged in a conversation with fellow classmates or lecturers.

Asmaa' Aljuned : http://profiles.friendster.com/84590686