University Language: A Corpus-based Study of Spoken and Written Registers

University Language: A Corpus-based Study of Spoken and Written Registers

September 2007 | Douglas Biber
The passage discusses the importance of language in the university setting and how students often face challenges in adapting to various linguistic registers, especially non-native speakers. It highlights the book "University Language" by Douglas Biber, which aims to describe the range of university registers, including spoken and written, formal and informal, across different disciplines and academic levels. The book is based on the T2K-SWAL corpus, which consists of 2.7 million words from four US universities, with a focus on class sessions and textbooks. The analysis reveals significant differences in language use between textbooks and classroom teaching, such as the use of nouns, verbs, and different types of clauses. The book also explores lexical bundles and multidimensional analysis, providing insights into the subliminal patterns of specialized language. The author suggests that future research could focus on how student language diverges from target registers to help teachers better support students' language development.The passage discusses the importance of language in the university setting and how students often face challenges in adapting to various linguistic registers, especially non-native speakers. It highlights the book "University Language" by Douglas Biber, which aims to describe the range of university registers, including spoken and written, formal and informal, across different disciplines and academic levels. The book is based on the T2K-SWAL corpus, which consists of 2.7 million words from four US universities, with a focus on class sessions and textbooks. The analysis reveals significant differences in language use between textbooks and classroom teaching, such as the use of nouns, verbs, and different types of clauses. The book also explores lexical bundles and multidimensional analysis, providing insights into the subliminal patterns of specialized language. The author suggests that future research could focus on how student language diverges from target registers to help teachers better support students' language development.
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[slides and audio] University Language%3A A corpus-based study of spoken and written registers