cover 1 10/10/08 10:45 AM Page 1 ‘I mean’ see what you ‘I This practical and accessible handbook encourages teachers of language and literacy to examine why using authentic spoken discourse in the classroom benefits second language learners. It gives them clear guidelines on how do this as part of their own teaching program. see The book derives from the Spoken Discourse Project conducted through NCELTR, whose main aim was to increase knowledge and understanding of how authentic language could be used in teaching. ‘I see what you mean’ contains: what • a useful introduction to current key theoretical approaches to spoken discourse analysis • a study of the implications of ethnographic research into spoken language use • advice on how to collect and transcribe samples of spoken language you comparisons of scripted spoken dialogues with natural samples of language • sample analyses of data as models of how to analyse spoken language data • guidelines for incorporating spoken discourse into teaching frameworks for analysing learner needs and structuring units of work The book is an excellent, accessible introduction to the field, and uses a mean’ practical task and case study approach. Burns, Joyce, Gollin Anne Burns is Senior Lecturer in Linguistics at Macquarie University and Using spoken Coordinator of the Publications Development section at NCELTR. Helen Joyce works in Program Support and Development Services in the discourse in NSW Adult Migrant English Service and lectures at the University of Technology, Sydney the classroom: Sandra Gollin is a lecturer in Linguistics at Macquarie University. Her research interests include spoken and written discourse analysis and English a handbook for academic and professional purposes. for teachers Anne Burns NCELTR Helen Joyce Sandra Gollin AND GLADLY TECHE NATIONAL CENTRE MACQUARIE UNIVERSITY for SYDNEY AUSTRALIA ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING and RESEARCH prelims and stuff 21/11/07 3:00 PM Page I ‘I see what you mean’ Using spoken discourse in the classroom: a handbook for teachers Anne Burns Helen Joyce Sandra Gollin prelims and stuff 21/11/07 3:00 PM Page II Published and distributed by the National Centre for English Language Teaching and Research Macquarie University NSW 2109 Burns, Anne. ‘I see what you mean’: using spoken discourse in the classroom: a handbook for teachers. Bibliography ISBN 978 1 86408 220 3 1. Discourse analysis 2. Oral communication – Study and teaching. 3. English language – Study and teaching. I. Joyce, Helen II. Gollin, Sandra III. National Centre for English Language Teaching and Research (Australia). IV. Title 401.41 The publishers have used their best efforts to contact all copyright holders for permission to reproduce artwork and text extracts. The publishers wish to acknowledge the following for providing copyright permission. Language, context and text: Aspects of language in a social-semiotic perspective M.A.K. Halliday and Ruqaiya Hasan, © Deakin University 1985 Language and gender: making the difference Cate Poynton, © Deakin University 1985 NCELTR Spoken discourse project workshop, September 1990 Suzanne Eggins and Diana Slade Making the links Jenny Green, AMES Victoria, 1992 An Introduction to Systemic Functional Linguistics Suzanne Eggins, Pinter Publishers Ltd Exploring how texts work Beverly Derewianka, PETA, 1990 AND GLADLY TECHE © Macquarie University 1996 The National Centre for English Language Teaching and Research (NCELTR) is a Commonwealth Government-funded Key Centre of Research and Teaching established at Macquarie University in 1988. The National Centre forms part of the Linguistics discipline within the School of English, Linguistics and Media at Macquarie University. NCELTR is funded by the Commonwealth Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs. Copyright This book is sold subject to the conditions that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out, or otherwise circulated without the publisher’s prior consent in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser. All rights reserved. No parts of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher. prelims and stuff 21/11/07 3:00 PM Page III Contents Introduction Chapter 1 Theoretical approaches to spoken discourse 1 Chapter 2 Spoken language in society 29 Chapter 3 Spoken discourse and the language classroom 43 Chapter 4 Transcribing and analysing spoken discourse for the classroom 60 Chapter 5 Using spoken discourse in your teaching program 71 Chapter 6 Sample analyses 96 References 122 I SEE WHAT YOU MEAN III prelims and stuff 21/11/07 3:00 PM Page IV Acknowledgments This handbook draws on data from the Spoken Discourse Project which was conducted through the Professional Development Section of the National Centre for English Language Teaching and Research (NCELTR) at Macquarie University, Sydney from 1990 to 1993. The project was conducted through an action research process in which teachers from the Adult Migrant English Program and researchers from NCELTR and other institutions in Sydney and Adelaide worked together to collect, transcribe and analyse natural samples of spoken data. We would like to acknowledge the commitment and collaboration of the following colleagues and participants who took part in the NCELTR Spoken Discourse Project. Project Funding The project was funded through the Commonwealth Department of Immigration and Ethnic Affairs (DIEA). Project Coordinator Anne Burns, Coordinator, NCELTR Professional Development Section. Project Research Officer Special mention must be made of the valuable contribution which Barbara Pedler made to the project through the collection and analysis of texts and to the drafting of an initial report. Teachers and other personnel involved in the project From New South Wales: Christopher Candlin, Susan Cornish, Suzanne Eggins, Eleanor Er, Susan Feez, Sandra Gollin, Jenny Hammond, Julianne Harrison, Sue Hood, Helen Joyce, Joanna Lewis, Margaret Lopez, Marie Manidis, Wendy Mrowka, Rosemary Mula, Patti Nicholson, Lloyd Norris, Clare Painter, Philomel Perry, Jeffrey Quinn, Lisbeth Reyment, Diana Slade, Yvette Slomovits, Ken Willing. From South Australia: Bronwen Blight, Jill Burton, Cathy Clennell, Helen Fraser, Fenisia Giglio, Ursula McGowan, Barbara Pedler, Sally Richards. The authors would also like to thank: Ken Willing and Diana Slade for their review of the manuscript and for their valuable comments. Sharon Boland and Helen Watt of the NSW AMES Program Support and Development Services for their assistance with the diagrams in this publication. IV I SEE WHAT YOU MEAN prelims and stuff 21/11/07 3:00 PM Page V Introduction How this book came to be written This book arose from a national project entitled the Spoken Discourse Project. This was an action research and professional development project conducted through the Professional Development Section of the National Centre for English Language Teaching and Research (NCELTR) at Macquarie University, Sydney. The project involved two groups of teachers from the Adult Migrant English Program, one from New South Wales and one from South Australia, who worked together at regular intervals during the period 1990–93. The Spoken Discourse Project aimed to complement and extend an earlier action research project, the NCELTR National Literacy Project, which had been conducted during International Literacy Year and which focused on the analysis of written texts and on the pedagogical issues and approaches in teaching literacy as a part of adult ESL programs1 . In the Spoken Discourse Project, the two groups of teachers met with the project coordinator and other researchers on a regular monthly basis over a period of a year. The various workshops that were held provided theoretical input on discourse analysis, as well as opportunities for discussion and analysis of the samples of natural spoken data which were collected by the participants. The project was structured in such a way that it aimed to draw collaboratively on the expertise of both practitioner and researcher. The research process involved interrelated cycles of theoretical input, data collection and analysis, and action research in the classroom. A major aim of the project, both for the teachers and the researchers, was to increase our knowledge and understanding of how authentic spoken language data could be used in the teaching of English as a second language to adult immigrant learners. We set out to: • explore the role of the teacher as ethnographic researcher of spoken language • apply a range of theoretical perspectives to the analysis of spoken discourse • understand the typical features of naturally occurring spoken language • understand the discourse strategies used by native speakers to negotiate meaning • develop some relevant analyses of authentic spoken discourse which could be used to teach spoken language in the classroom • trial various teaching approaches which could be used with groups of adult ESL learners who were at different stages in their learning. The researchers and the teachers adopted complementary roles which changed in emphasis as the project proceeded. The focus at the beginning was on the presentation of the theoretical input which would provide the basis for undertaking the analyses.