Sequential Patterns: A new Corpus-Based Method to Inform the Teaching of Language for Specific Purposes

Abstract

Abstract: In this study, we present an original study that aims to show how pedagogically important lexico-grammatical patterns, which are typical of certain genres, can be identified and taught at every educational level, in particular for learners of French for Specific Purposes. These patterns, called Sequential Patterns, constitute a more powerful paradigm than lexical bundles or P-frames because they combine different levels of abstraction (word forms, lemmas, POS tags). As they are typical of a textual genre, some of these items reveal abstract phraseological dimension of texts.Keywords: Sequential Patterns, Teaching of Language for Specific Purposes, Lexical Bundles, P-frames, PhraseologyIntroductionThe goal of this paper is to present a new approach to language description based on corpus investigation techniques. This approach consists in identifying lexico-grammatical units that are characteristic of genres. These units are called They combine different levels of abstraction (word forms, lemmas, POS tags), which provide more or less generic patterns. For instance: To N; he V N of his ADJ N; N V a/an ADJ N for N; N is that, etc. Such patterns, as will be argued in this study, represent a link between lexis, grammar, usage and texts. Some of them should be regarded as phraseological or formulaic units, despite their abstract nature. For example, French sequential pattern le N comme N de le N de le N (the N as N of N of N) is typical of genre philosophical essays:1 la question de l'etre, comme question de la possibilite du concept (Derrida)Lit (lit. means that we provide literal translations of French examples). The question of being, as question of possibility of concept2 la revolution comme condition de la realisation de la jouissance (Onfray)lit. revolution as condition for realization of enjoymentThis abstract pattern is under-used in other genres such as political debate or oral conversation (The term genre is used here to refer to a recurrent social practice, characterized by a set of conventional and organized constraints on production and interpretation). It invariably expresses characterization of a (philosophical) concept (question of being, revolution). In this way, a relatively fixed form, although generic in nature, carries out a constant function: It is a reproducible syntagmatic unit, which has a relative syntactic and semantic stability. It constitutes a way of speaking, a manner in which words or phrases are used in a particular genre. For these reasons, we consider this pattern as a phraseological unit. Phraseology is thus defined in this study as the preferred way of saying things in a particular discourse (Gledhill, 2000).We hypothesize that identifying significant sequential patterns in a given genre is useful and important for language teaching because it can facilitate both text recognition and production. Since process of learning a language must be seen as process of acquiring relevant patterns which codify conventions of use of language in context, we assume that sequential patterns are part of these relevant units and as such, must be used as basis for materials design and curriculum development. Teachers should draw attention to Sequential Patterns in class and use them as basis for explicit instruction.In framework of this new approach to language description, this paper aims to contribute to our understanding of efficacy of genre-based teaching for building learners' genre knowledge and improving their L2 writing and reading abilities. The focus of this paper will be on French for Specific Purposes (FSP) and teaching of written scientific texts.The article begins with a review of previous inductive corpus research on lexico-grammatical patterns: Lexical bundles and P-frames. …