DOCUMENT RESUME ED 395 507 FL 023 856 AUTHOR Parkinson, Brian, Ed.; Mitchell, Keith TITLE Edinburgh Working Papers in Applied Linguistics, 1996. INSTITUTION Edinburgh Univ. (Scotland). Dept. of Linguistics. REPORT NO ISSN-0959-2253 PUB DATE 96 NOTE 141p.; For individual articles, see FL 023 857-865. For the 1995 volume, see ED 383 204. PUB TYPE Collected Works Serials (022) JOURNAL CIT Edinburgh Working Papers in Applied Linguistics; n7 1996 EDRS PRICE MF01/PC06 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS *Applied Linguistics; Cultural Awareness; Discussion (Teaching Technique); English for Academic Purposes; Foreign Countries; Higher Education; Journalism; Learning Strategies; Modern Languages; Poetry; *Second Language Instruction; Second Language Learning; Semantics; Teacher Education; Word Recognition IDENTIFIERS Deixis; *University of Edinburgh (Scotland) ABSTRACT This monograph contains papers on research work in progress at the Department of Applied Linguistics and Institute for Applied Language Studies at the University of Edinburgh (Scotland). Topics addressed include general English teaching, English for Academic Purposes teaching, Modern Language teaching, and teacher education. Papers are: "Cultural Semantics in a Second-Language Text" (Carol Chan); "The Concealing and Revealing of Meaning in the Cryptic Crossword Clue" (John Cleary); "Learners' Perceptions of Factors Affecting Their Language Learning" (Giulia Dawson, Elisabeth McCulloch and Stella Peyronel); "Japanese Learners.in Speaking Classes" (Eileen Dwyer and Anne Heller-Murphy); "Manipulating Reality Through Metaphorizing Processes in Wartime Reporting" (Noriko Iwamoto); "Basing Discussion Classes on Learners' Questions: An Experiment in (Non-)Course Design" (Tony Lynch); "Participant Action Plans and the Evaluation of Teachers' Courses" (Ian McGrath); "Deixis and the Dynamics of the Relationship Between Text and Reader in the Poetry of Eugenio Montale" (Rossella Riccobono); and "Constructivism, Optimality, and Language Acquisition. The Shapes We Make in Each Other's Heads" (Chris Whincop). (Contains chapter references.) (NAV) *********************************************************************** * Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made * * from the original document. * *********************************************************************** EDINBURGH WORKING PAPERS IN APPLIED LINGUISTICS U S DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 0!tice a Educa!ona' Rebea,c, and ImprovOMent E CATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) ERMISSION TO REPRODUCE AND LI his document has beer reproduced as DISSEMINATE THIS MATERIAL ceined from the person or organization HAS BEEN GRANTED BY onginating if O Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction quality - \ Points of view or opinions stated in this Ck...t.---\ -\ document do not ne.essarily represenl official OERI position or dolicy 0 THE EDUCATIONALRESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER IERIC) Number 7 1996 2 EDINBURGH WORKING PAPERS IN APPLIED LINGUISTICS Number 7 1996 (ISSN 0959-2253) Published jointly by the Department of Applied Linguistics and the Institute for Applied Language Studies University of Edinburgh Scotland Editors:Brian Parkinson Keith Mitchell Subscription information Edinburgh Working Papers in Applied Linguistics (EWPAL)is published in the third term of the University of Edinburgh yearftipril-June). Details of subscription rates and journal exchange arrangements are at the end of this issue. Copyright Copyright rests with the authors of the papers in this volume,who are free to submit their work for publication elsewhere, either as published here orin a revised version. Preface EWPAL provides an annual update on some of the work being carried out in applied linguistics and language pedagogy by students and staff of the Department of Applied Linguistics and Institute for Applied Language Studies, both in the University of Edinburgh.This issue has a particularly good balance between and within these institutions: the four IALS papers relate to teaching in four of its 'sections' - General English, English for Academic Purposes, Modern Languages and Teacher Education - andthefive DAL papersrangeoverpsycholinguistics,literarystylistics, discourse/pragmatics and cross-cultural studies, together with Cleary's sui generis topic. As usualI would like to thank the 'readers' who have found time to comment on manuscripts submitted.These have included Keith Mitchell (the assistant editor), Cathy Benson, Martin Gill, Eric Glendinning, Kate Lawrence, Tony Lynch, Joan Maclean, Liam Rodger, Antonella Sorace and Hugh Trappes-Lomax. Thanks also go to Lesley Quigg for turning contributors"final' versions into .these published papers, and to Alan White and his colleagues at the University Printing Office, who have taken over the final stage of production. Brian Parkinson May 1996 I Contents CULTURAL SEMANTICS IN ASECOND-LANGUAGE TEXT 1 Carol Chan THE CONCEALING AND REVEALING OFMEANING IN THE CRYPTIC CROSSWORD CLUE 14 Ichn Cleary LEARNERS' PERCEPTIONS OF FACTORSAFFECTING THEIR LANGUAGE LEARNING 30 Giulia Dawson, Elisabeth McCulloch & StellaPeyronel JAPANESE LEARNERS IN SPEAKINGCLASSES 46 EiIe i;:eyes & Anne Heller-Murphy MANIPULATING REALITY THROUGHMETAPHORIZING PROCESSES IN WARTIME REPORTING 56 Noriko Iwamoto BASING DISCUSSION CLASSES ONLEARNERS' QUESTIONS: DESIGN AN EXPERIMENT IN (NON-)COURSE 72 Tony Lynch PARTICIPANT ACTION PLANS AND THEEVALUATION OF TEACHERS' COURnS 85 Ian McGrath DEIXIS AND THE DYNAMICS OF THERELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TEXT AND READER IN THE POETRY OFEUGENIO MONTALE 100 Rossi:Ha Riccobono CONSTRUCTIVISM, OPTIMALTTY AND LANGUAGEACQUISITION - THE SHAPES WE MAKE IN EACH OTHER'SHEADS 112 Chris Whincop CULTURAL SEMANTICS IN A SECOND-LANGUAGE TEXT Carol Y. M. Chan (DAL) Abstract Second-language writing in English may use the same linguistic structures asfirst-language texts. However, the significance of individual words often dependsgreatly on the underlying cultural frameworks. This paper presents the theory of prototype semantics as auseful approach to understanding the relationship between language and culture insecond-language texts since it relates word-meaning to social and cultural models. An exampleof a second-language text is analyzed to demonstrate how prototypical meanings can be evoked andhow they contribute to narrative signyicance. The analysis of this second-language text revealsthat a prototypical meaning based on a specific cultural model can serve as the basis for culturallysignificant meanings in the text. I. Introduction The globalization of English has been accompanied by an upsurgeof writing in English by non-native and second-language speakers. Examples from minority and post-colonialliterature reveal the use of a non- native language in native contexts which is akin to'redefining the semantic and semiotic potentialof a language, making a language mean something which is not partof its traditionarmeaning" (Kachru 1982: 341). This is because, in seeking to portray non-Englishsensibilities and local realities, such texts do not simply draw unquestioningly upon the resources of one code,they must achieve control over it in the ways described by the Singaporean poet, Edwin Thumboo: Mastering it [the English language] involves holding downand breaching a body of habitual English associations to secure the condition of verbal freedomcardinal to energetic, resourceful writing. (1976: ix) Thus, choosing a non-native language for self-expressioninvolves contending with the cultural meanings already encoded in linguistic items. In addition, the lack oflanguage structures and meaningful associations pertaining to the non-native speaker's cultural reality mustalso be overcome. Like Kachru, Thumboo describes the process in terms of remaking a language and'adjusting the interior landscape of words in order to explore and mediate the permutations ofanother culture and environment' (ibid). A study of such works can therefore contributesignificantly to an understanding of the relationship between language and culture, not least in the development ofsecond-language proficiency and the expression of the speaker's own native identity. With the spread of English acrosscultures and the resurgent interest in the role of culture in English language teaching, analysis ofsecond-language written texts can add new insight into the ways culture influences and is expressed through language. 2. C2B111IllideatifIlindsultact 2.1 Using asecond language 'rhe difficulties faced by the post-colonial writerunderscore the fact that languages are social systems structured and maintained by societies, situated withinparticular cultural contexts. As Lyons states, self- expression through language is 'very largely controlledby socially imposed and socially recognised norms of behaviour and categorisation' (1981: 144). Withthe spread of English as a world language, communities which do not identify with British norms tend to subvertthem in order to impose their own non-English patterns of usage, giving rise to varieties such asIndian, Australian, and Nigerian English. This adaptation of English across cultures would notbe possible without the creative quality of language. It is this quality that allows second-language speakers to generatenew linguistic structures, or to adapt familiar EDINBURGH WORKING PAPERS IN APPLIEDLINGUISTICS. number 7 (1996) ISSN 0959-2253 6 linguistic structures for the expression of unfamiliar concepts. In the process, they achievea form of translation which involves encoding concepts that are not part of the meaning