Download Wk14b-Acad Lang and SLA

Lynn W Zimmerman, PhD
Register
 The language used in a specific context
 Formal


professional or academic language
formal grammar, syntax, vocabulary,
 Informal


Social/conversational language
less formal grammar, syntax, vocabulary
Components of Register
 3 components which combined constitute the register
of language used in a certain context
 Field

the subject being discussed
 Tenor

relationship between speaker and listener or reader and writer
 Mode

means of communication
Register and Academic Texts
 Characterized by
 Technicality
 Specialized vocabulary
 Authoritativeness
 the tone achieved by using dense, abstract, technical
writing
 Informational density
 result of syntax and vocabulary used
 Abstraction
 result of syntax and vocabulary used
Lexical Density
 Texts are made up of content words and grammatical
function words.
 Academic texts generally contain many complex
sentences and syntax of noun phrases is complex
 Lexical density/informational density – measured by
determining the number of content words in each
clause.
 Nouns, verbs, adjectives and some adverbs
 Texts written in the academic register have more
content words in each clause
 information load is greater, therefore more challenging.
Lexical Density Example
 Count how many words are in it, then circle all nouns,
underline all verbs, put a box around all adjectives; and
draw a squiggly line under any adverbs.
Like many organisms studied in this chapter,
planarians are hermaphrodites. During sexual
reproduction, individual planarians exchange
sperm, which travel along special tubes to
reach the eggs. Fertilization occurs internally.
The zygotes are released in capsules into the
water, where they hatch into tiny planarians.
Abstraction
 Academic texts also tend to be linguistically abstract.
 Two of abstract features
 passive voice
 complex noun phrases
Active and Passive Voice
 Complete the two sentences.
 Which is active? Which passive?
 The burglar _____ (break) the window.
 The window _____ (break) by the burglar .
Active voice
 The burglar _____ (break) the window.
 Straightforward and concrete
 Follows subject – verb – direct object pattern
 The subject is the doer.
Passive Voice
 The window was broken by the burglar.
 The subject is acted upon by something else and
receives the action of the verb. It is not the doer.
 ‘The window’ is the grammatical subject, it is not the
logical subject, making the sentence abstract.
 The zygotes are released in capsules into the water.
Nominalization
 Turning verbs or adjectives into nouns
 Often done in academic register
 reproduction
 fertilization
 What verbs are they from?
 A more direct way to express the ideas in the
paragraph would be to use the verb forms:
 Individual planarians reproduce when they exchange
sperm. The sperm fertilize the eggs.
Nominalization and Lexical Density
 Nominalization makes the text more abstract and
increases the lexical density.
 Usually reflected in the length of noun phrases.
 Compare these two sentences:
 Ecosystem destabilization can be the consequence of
invasion.
 Invasion can destabilize ecosystems.
Cognitive Demands
 Academic texts that are lexically dense are also
cognitively demanding because of the number of
content words in each clause.
 The abstract manner in which ideas are expressed, also
reduces the context.
 A demonstration of the effect of pH was performed.
 We demonstrated the effect of pH.
Impact on SLA
 Scaffolded instruction
 specific vocabulary instruction focusing on the words in
these types of texts
 work with various forms of verbs and nouns to identify
when and how they are used
 practice using the passive voice and interpreting it
References
 Freeman, D. & Freeman, Y. (2014). Essential linguistics.
Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.