2021 Fiscal Year Research-status Report
Written Genres in CLIL-based University Level History Courses: A Study of Their Language and Instruction
| Project/Area Number |
18K00881
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| Research Institution | Keio University |
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Principal Investigator |
大野 真澄 慶應義塾大学, 法学部(日吉), 准教授 (50704657)
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| Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) |
ミスコウ ゴードン 神田外語大学, 言語科学研究科, 准教授 (80595398)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2018-04-01 – 2023-03-31
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| Keywords | L2 writing / appraisal / discussion genre / CLIL / grammar pattern / evaluative language / history / SFL |
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| Outline of Annual Research Achievements |
We aimed to investigate L2 writers’ use of evaluative language in arguing essay genres in CLIL-based (Content and Language Integrated Learning) English medium world history courses. We planned to analyze L2 university students’ use of key discourse features of the Discussion, Exposition, and Challenge essays using the pedagogical analytic framework we developed. However, we did not complete the coding and analysis of data this year. Instead, we considered how our preliminary findings can be used in classroom teaching. This work was written up over the past year and will appear as a book chapter (Myskow, forthcoming, 2022) in an edited volume. This chapter, titled The Buried Grammar of Racial Injustice and the Pedagogical Practices for Unearthing it, shows how the Appraisal framework (the principle framework used in our research), and other related functional grammatical resources can be adapted for use in the classroom to raise learners’ awareness of how implicit and explicit evaluative meaning is conveyed in pedagogic texts, especially as they relate to the themes of racial justice and multiculturalism―key themes that were of focus in the pedagogic materials of the course examined in this research. An important takeaway from the chapter is that grammatical analysis of evaluative positioning in pedagogic texts need not be overly challenging for students.
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| Current Status of Research Progress |
Current Status of Research Progress
3: Progress in research has been slightly delayed.
Reason
We are currently in the process of examining the target features of the Discussion essays quantitatively and qualitatively. In addition, we began coding the Exposition and Challenge essays with the same pedagogical framework we used for the Discussion essays. We are approximately halfway through this analysis. Recorded audio data of students' group activities have also been transcribed and are ready for analysis. Focusing our attention at this time on pedagogy seemed appropriate. Through our analysis, we found that the Appraisal framework is a valuable analytical tool, but it would need to be greatly simplified for use in the EFL classroom.
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| Strategy for Future Research Activity |
We plan to analyze the Discussion, Exposition, and Challenge essays using the pedagogical analytic framework we developed. Specifically, we are going to compare high-graded essays and low-graded essays to illuminate the issues that L2 university students face producing these genres. At the same time, the collected survey data is also going to be analysed to gain insight into student writers’ perceptions of genre analysis classroom activities. Transcribed audio data regarding students’ group activities will be examined to identify the classroom practices that support the learning of the evaluative language patterns of these genres.
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| Causes of Carryover |
We planned to participate in conferences but they have been either cancelled or postponed due to the COVID‐19 global pandemic. Therefore, we plan to present at future conferences.
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