Abstract
AbstractFormulaic sequences (e.g.on the other hand, for example, at the same time) are pervasive in natural language use and play an important role in differentiating socially situated practices. This paper examines formulaic sequences signalling discourse organisation in academic ELF lectures from a disciplinary perspective. Most previous studies of this kind employ a frequency-based approach; however, the inherent limitations of the methodology (e.g. arbitrary operational criteria, difficulty in handling discontinuous units) mean that a great deal may have been overlooked. This may be particularly relevant to ELF communication, which involves a high degree of flexibility and adaptability. The present study aims to address this gap by taking a manual approach in the identification of formulaic sequences, continuous or discontinuous, in context. The results provide further evidence for disciplinary differences and variability in the use of formulaic language to signal discourse organisation by lecturers in academic ELF settings.
Highlights
The rapid spread of English as a lingua franca (ELF) in the last decade and the fact that non-native speakers of English have greatly outnumbered native speakers of English call for a revision of the role of non-native speakers in shaping the language as a means of intercultural communication (Seidlhofer 2005; Formentelli 2017)
The present study focuses on Formulaic sequences (FSs) signalling discourse organisation in academic ELF lectures and aims to answer the following research questions: 1. What are the most common FSs signalling discourse organisation in the three disciplinary groups selected, namely Social Sciences, Natural Sciences, and Medicine? Are there any differences across these disciplines? 2
The classification of functions for the present study is based on Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL), which focuses on the underlying communicative functions of language and the systemic choices that are made available by the language system (Halliday 2014; see Wang [2018] for justification of using this framework)
Summary
The rapid spread of English as a lingua franca (ELF) in the last decade and the fact that non-native speakers of English have greatly outnumbered native speakers of English call for a revision of the role of non-native speakers in shaping the language as a means of intercultural communication (Seidlhofer 2005; Formentelli 2017). The predominant trend in FL research is to take a frequency-based approach (e.g. lexical bundles, n-grams), relying on the computer to automatically identify frequently co-occurring word sequences in a given corpus While this approach has the advantage of being methodologically straightforward, its inherent limitations mean that the picture of formulaicity may not have been fully revealed (Ädel and Erman 2012; Wang 2018). The present study is an attempt in that direction in combining manual identification and annotation of FSs with a frequency-based approach to allow a fuller investigation of various forms of FSs and their functions in ELF communication Using this approach, the present study focuses on FSs signalling discourse organisation in academic ELF lectures and aims to answer the following research questions: 1.
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