Bridging Language Learning and Linguistics: A DIY Approach to Grammar and Reflection

1. DIY Linguistics: An experiment in bridging the gap between language learning, grammar and linguistics LLAS Workshop: 3rd June 2011 Emmanuelle Labeau

2. The challenges • The British linguistics virgin • How to open an initiation path to linguistics? • How can we bridge the gap between grammatical theory, language practice and linguistic reflection in the classroom?

3. The British Linguistics – and Grammar - Virgin • Year 1: intensive grammar programme covering the NP and the VP aiming to bring all students to the requiredlevel • Problems: • Focus on usage ratherthannorm but necessity to giveeasyenoughrules • Scope of information to take in: the goldfishsyndrom

4. Do it YOURSELF!

5. The DIY module: Contemporary French (Year 2) • Aston’s integrated MFL teaching and learning  Teaching about the language in the language • Aston’s ‘real world’ experience: Working from contemporary authentic documents

6. The DIY module: Contemporary French (Year 2) • Contents of the module: • Part 1: Background on language change • Guided evolution: • Action on status: Legislation on languages of France and beyond • Action on corpus: neology, feminisation, spelling reforms • Natural evolution • Part 2: Exploring language change

7. Exploring Language Change: Quels temps pour parler du temps? • WHY? • Complex grammatical point for English speakers • WHAT? • Step 1: Theoretical presentation of values and historical evolution of French past tenses supported by quotes from academic papers and authentic examples • Step 2: Guided reading of scientific papers • Step 3: Establishment of research questions • Step 4: Testing of hypotheses • HOW?

8. Exploring Language Change: Step 1 Tasks Transferable Skills Listening skills, linking phonemes and graphemes • Transcription of an extract from a set corpus (commentary of the last leg of the Tour de France 2009, history programmes, biography, news, chat shows…) during part 1

9. Exploring Language Change: Step 2 Tasks Transferable Skills Critical reflection and application of grammatical knowledge from year 1 • Correction of transcription according to the tutor’s annotations

10. Exploring Language Change: Step 3 Tasks Transferable Skills Critical analysis: challenge of grammatical diktats • Focused examination of data

11. Exploring Language Change: Step 4 Tasks Transferable Skills Presentation skills, TL practice, argumentative skills • Group discussion of results

12. Exploring Language Change: Step 5 Tasks Transferable Skills Writing skills, analytical skills, argumentative skills • Writing up a report integrating theoretical background, findings from own corpus and other sources

13. Module Learning Outcomes: • Knowledge and Understanding • Understanding of mechanisms of language evolution and variation; • Study of French in context; • Awareness of recent developments in French caused by natural or guided evolution; • Introduction to linguistic vs grammatical approach of the language; • Basics of linguistic field research. • Cognitive and Analytical Skills • Personal critic of claims on language evolution through personal and group field research based on authentic contemporary texts; • Challenge of received assumptions on the language through corpus analysis; • Transferable Skills • Listening comprehension of authentic texts; • Development of sound research methodology; • Ability to formulate research questions; • Analysis of facts based on cumulative research; • Ability to work in a team in a cooperative and emulative way; • Writing of a well organised research report;

14. Extra Outcomes • Conference papers: • (2006) (with K. Mc Manus) ‘Les tiroirs narratifs du roman policier : sur la piste du PS’, Conférence annuelle de l’AFLS. Bristol, 5-7 September 2006. • (2007) ‘Charles, Diana… et Mike’, Conférence annuelle de l’AFLS, Boulogne-sur-Mer, 3-5 September 2007 • Publications: • (2006) French Television Talk: What tenses for past time?’ International Journal of Corpus Linguistics 11/1: 1-28 • (2007) (with T. Holyoak) ‘Le présent suffit-il à faire l’histoire?’, Revue Romane 42/1: 17-32. • (2008)'Il y a une éternité, il y a un siècle, il y an un an... A quoi sert le PS dans les discours de voeux?', Congrès Mondial de Linguistique française 1, Paris, July 2008. • Training the next generation of linguists

15. Mission possible?

16. Bibliography • AYRES-BENNETT, W. & CARRUTHERS, J. (2001) Problems and perspectives: Studies in the French Language. Harlow: Longman. • DAMOURETTE, J. & PICHON, E. (1936) Des mots à la pensée. Paris, d’Artrey. • ENGEL, D.M. (1990) Tense and Text: A Study of French Past tenses. London & New York, Routledge. • ENGEL, D.M. (1998a). “A perfect piece? The present perfect and passé composé in journalistic texts” Belgian Journal of Linguistics 12: 129-147. • ENGEL, D.M. (1998b) Combler le vide: le passé simple est-il important dans le système verbal? In Borillo, A., Vetters, C. & Vuillaume, M. Variations sur la référence verbale.(Cahiers Chronos 3) Amsterdam-Atlanta, Rodopi, pp.91-197. • ENGEL, D.M. (2002) ‘ Radio Talk: French and English perfects on air’, Languages in contrast 2/2: 255-277. • ENGEL, D.M. & LABEAU, E. (2005) Il était une fois un match de foot :L'événement sportif comme objet de narration. Revue Romane, 40 (2). pp. 199-218 • JUDGE, A. (2002) ‘Écarts entre manuels et réalités: un problème pour l’enseignement des temps du passé à des étudiants d’un niveau avancé’, in LABEAU, E. & LARRIVÉE, P. (dir.), Les temps du passé français et leur enseignement (Cahiers Chronos 9). Amsterdam-Atlanta, Rodopi, pp.135-156. • JUDGE, A. & HEALEY, F.G. (1983) A Reference Grammar of Modern French. London, Ed. Arnold. • LABEAU, E. (2004) ‘Le(s) temps du compte rendu sportif francophone’, Journal of French Language Studies 14: 129-148. • LABEAU, E.(2005)‘Mon nom est narratif, imparfait narratif’, in Labeau, E. & Larrivée, P. Nouveaux développements de l’imparfait. Rodopi (Cahiers Chronos), pp.79-102.

17. LABEAU, E. (2005) ‘L’imparfait dans la narration chez Simenon: Une dérive aspectuelle?’, Le langage et l’homme 40/1: 181-196. • LABEAU, E. (2007) (2007) ‘Pas si simple! La place du PS dans l’interlangue d’apprenants anglophones avancés’, in Saussure, L. de et al. (éds) Cahiers Chronos 19. Amsterdam / Philadelphia: Rodopi. • LABEAU, E.& HOLYOAK, T. (2007) Le présent suffit-il à faire l'histoire? Revue Romane, 42 (1). pp. 17-32. • MARTIN, R. (1971). Temps et Aspect: Essai sur l’emploi des temps narratifs en moyen français. Paris, Klincksieck. • PFISTER, M. (1974) ‘L’imparfait, le passé simple et le passé composé en français moderne’, Revue de Liguistique romane 38: 400-417. • REID, T.B.W. (1955) ‘On the Analysis of the Tense-System of French’, Revue de Linguistique romane 19: 23-38. • SCHOGT, H.G. (1964) ‘L’aspect verbal en français et l’élimination du passé simple’, Word 20/1: 1-17. • VAN VLIET, H.R. (1983) ‘The disappearance of the French passé simple: a morphological and sociolinguistic study’, Word 34/2: 89-113. • WILMET, M. (1998) Grammaire critique du Français: 2e édition Louvain-la-Neuve/Paris, Duculot/ Hachette supérieur,