Language Descriptions

Classical or Traditional Grammar

- Not all the developments in Linguistics have had pedagogic applications.

- We shall give a brief outline of the various ideas about language that have influenced ESP in some way.

Description of English and other languages

Greek Latin

Based on an analysis of the role played by each word in the sentence.

“Teachers who wish to maintain a balanced view of linguistics should not overlook the fact that traditional grammar has many useful virtues. The traditional handbooks provided an array of terms and distinctions which most of us used in learning to talk about our own language, and which many people continue to find serviceable throughout their lives”

Allen and Widdowson

Structural Linguistics

Was founded in 1930th

By Leonardo Bloomfield

Peculiarities: 1. The grammar of the language is described in terms of

syntagmatic structures which carry the fundamental propositions( statement, interrogative, negative, imperative) and notions ( time, number, gender). By varying words within these structural frameworks, sentences with different meaning can be generated.

2. With the help of the structural linguistic the structural syllabus was created. In such syllabus , items are graded so that simpler and more immediately useable structures precede the more complex ones.

Example: ESP syllabus based on structural

principals 1. Simple present active 2. Simple present passive 3. Simple present passive and

active 4. -ing forms 5. Present Perfect; Present

Continuous 6. Infinitives 7. Anomalous Finites 8. Past Perfect

Structural Linguistics

Transformational Generative (TG) grammar

1. John is easy to please.

John is eager to please.

2. The City Bank has taken over Acme Holdings.

Acme Holdings has been taken over by the City Bank.

• In the language there must be two levels of meaning:

In the language there must be two levels of meaning:

A deep level

A deep level

A surface level

A surface level

Language can be looked at from the point of view:

1. Of form2. Of function

Why does language exist? People do things with it:- they give information - they promise- they threaten- they make excuses

- they seek information

- they identify- they classify- they report

Communicative competence consists of:- A set of rules for formulating

grammatically correct sentences- A knowledge of when to speak, when

not, what to talk about, with whom, when where, in what manner

The ingredients of communication:- non-verbal communication- the medium and channel of

communication- role relationships between participants- the topic and purpose of communication

•

Text A Text B

Now I have to change to the

final size drill I require,

which is three-quarters of

an inch diameter, and this is

called a morse-taper sleeve.

A slower speed for a larger

drill.

Nice even feed should give

a reasonable finish to the

hole.

Applying coolant

periodically. This is mainly

for lubrication rather than

cooling.Almost to depth now.Right. Withdrawing the drill.That`s fine.

Select required drill.

Mount drill in tailstock. Use

taper sleeves as necessary.

Set speed and start machine

spindle.

Position tailstock to

workpiece.

Apply firm even pressure to

tailstock hand wheel to feed

drill into workpiece.

Apply coolant frequently.

Drill hole to depth.

Withdraw drill.

Stop machine.

The Type of ESP

The Concept of Language Variation

Register Analysis

Functions Notions

Concerned with social behaviour

and represent the intention of the

speaker or writer.

Reflect the way in which the

other man thinks

Functional/Notional Grammar

• to establish some kind of equivalence in the syllabuses for learning various languages.

• difficult to divide up the learning tasks into units of equivalent value across the various languages on the basis of formal grammar.

The Functional View of Language

• have an influence on language teaching in the 1970s

The student of German

The gender/case endings of articles,

nouns and adjectives.

The learner of English

The spelling, the simple/continious

tense distinction or the

countable/uncountable distinction.

Discourse (Rhetorical) analysis

Dialogues example: “It is raining”Can I go out to play? It’s raining.Have you cut the grass yet? It’s raining.I think I’ll go out for a walk. It’s raining.

before now•language is viewed in terms of the sentence

• profound effect• meaning is generated

between sentences• context is important

Discourse Analysis

2 key ways:

1. Establishing contact2. Finding out what the person

wants3. Giving information4. Arguing the point5. Taking down details in writing 6. Conclusion and thanks

Text-diagramming type of exercise

Example: Generalizing and Exemplifying

properties

…against the material properties

Figure 8: Text-diagramming

When suitableMaterials are available…

Complete the following table to summarize the paragraph

The approach establishes patterns, but does not account for how these patterns create meaning

3 lessons which must be borne in mind:

A) The various developments are not separate entities;

B) Describing a language for the purposes of linguistic analysis does not necessarily carry any implications for language learning;

C) Describing a language we must make a distinction between what a person does (performance) and what enables them to do (competence)