Spreading the Word: The challenge of the corpus as an agent of change Hilary Nesi Coventry University, UK

A talk about connecting theory and practice

The original research questions of the BAWE corpus 1.What are the characteristics of proficient student writing produced for degree programmes in British universities? 2.How can this writing be categorised in terms of genres and sub-genres? 3.What are the characteristics of genres produced at different stages of university study? 4.What are the characteristics of genres produced in different disciplines, and for different degree programmes?

Its aim: to develop descriptors for all the genres of British university student assignment – identifying assignment types according to their social purposes.

6,506,995 words 2,896 texts 2,761 assignments 1,953 written by L1 speakers of English 1,251 “distinction” and 1,402 “merit” modules & 300 degree courses Year 1 Year 2Year 3Year 4 Arts & Humanities 200 Life Science 200 Physical Science 200 Social Science 200

30+ disciplines represented Arts & Humanities Archaeology, Applied Linguistics, Classics, Comparative American Studies, English, History, Philosophy Life Sciences Agriculture, Biological Sciences, Food Sciences, Health, Psychology, Medical Science Physical Sciences Architecture, Chemistry, Computer Science, Cybernetics & Electronics, Engineering, Mathematics, Meteorology, Physics, Planning Social Sciences Anthropology, Business, Economics, HLTM (Hospitality, Leisure and Tourism Management), Law, Politics, Publishing, Sociology

Contextual and Textual Information Files marked for writer (age,L1,gender,schooling, course) module (title, department, disc. group) assignment (title, level, date, grade >60) number of words, s-units, p-units, tables, figures, block quotes, formulae, lists, abstract, w/s, s/p, … and genre family

The Genre Families 1.Case Study 2.Critique 3.Design Specification 4.Empathy Writing 5.Essay 6.Exercise 7.Explanation 8.Literature Survey 9.Methodology Recount 10.Narrative Recount 11.Problem Question 12.Proposal 13.Research Report

Also tagged for 67 linguistic features Tense and aspect markersPrepositional phrases, adjectives and adverbs Place and time adverbialsLexical specificity (type token ratio, mean word length) Pronouns and pro-verbsDowntoners, hedges, amplifiers, emphatics etc. ModalsQuestions Specialized verb classes such as 'public', 'private' and 'suasive' verbs Nominal forms Reduced forms and dispreferred structures such as split infinitives Passives CoordinationStative forms NegationSubordination features

Plenty of data here! For comparisons across: Disciplines Disciplinary groupings Levels Genre families And possibly between: Writers with different L1s

Some findings: across levels Level Average 1234 Words per assignment Sentences per assignment Words per sentence InvolvedNarrativeElaboratedPersuasive Abstract / Impersonal

Across levels, L1-English students show Increase in nouns; slight decrease in verbs Increase in the use of phrasal post- modifiers of nouns Strong increase in the use of phrasal pre- modifiers of nouns Decrease in the use of complement clauses, finite relative clauses

Some findings: across genres

BUT....where’s the connection?

Recent publications on the BAWE website

An ESRC-funded follow-on project March April 2013 Intended to apply findings from ‘An Investigation of Genres of Assessed Writing in British Higher Education’ For the British Council Learn English website

Beneficiaries student writers who are not yet fully familiar with departmental writing conventions. tutors - the materials will be suitable for use in class, in one-to-one writing tutorials, or on a self-access basis, according to local requirements. subject lecturers, by providing insights into the specific language features that characterise writing in their disciplines.

Project objectives To raise teachers' and learners' awareness of the types of writing produced by students in specific disciplines To create motivating and attractive academic writing materials To improve the quality of student writing, especially the writing produced by users of English as a second or a foreign language.

The exercises on the Learn English site

The five purposes of student writing

Demonstrating knowledge & understanding

Building Research Skills

Developing powers of independent reasoning

Writing for oneself and others

Preparing for professional practice

Genre familiesDisciplines Archaeology, Applied Linguistics, Classics, American Studies, English, History, Philosophy Agriculture, Biological Sciences, Food Sciences, Health, Psychology, Medicine Architecture, Chemistry, Computer Science, Electronics, Engineering, Mathematics, Meteorology, Physics, Planning Anthropology, Business, Economics, HLTM, Law, Politics, Publishing, Sociology Exercise Critique Essay Research Report Literature Survey Methodology Recount Explanation Problem Question Proposal Design Specification Case Study Empathy Writing Narrative Recount

The British Council site

The Wordtree Word Tree

From Case Study clusters to the Sketch Engine

Some examples Methodology Recount(the) aim of this experiment/report is/was Case Studyit is important / recommended / suggested / vital that

The Writing for a Purpose team Hilary Nesi and Sheena Gardner - from the original ESRC project Andy Gillett – materials developer Tim Kelly – video and multimedia Alex Woolner – consultant from Coventry Serious Games Institute Elly Hutchins – art work Martin Peacock and Melissa Cudmore – British Council Adam Kightley – British Council website Stakeholders – representing EAP practitioners in universities and language schools A wider group of EAP practitioners – to pilot materials

The end - thanks for listening!