written english

8/6/2019 Written English

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Spoken English/ WrittenSpoken English/ WrittenEnglish: From Corpus toEnglish: From Corpus toCurriculum to ClassroomCurriculum to Classroom

Ronald Carter Ronald Carter School of English Studies, University of School of English Studies, University of

Nottingham, UK Nottingham, UK


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A Noun Cline A Noun ClineGlass cracks more quickly the harder youGlass cracks more quickly the harder you

press on it.press on it.

Cracks in glass grow faster the moreCracks in glass grow faster the morepressure is put on.pressure is put on.

TheThe raterate of of glassglass crackcrack growthgrowth dependsdependsonon thethe magnitudemagnitude of of thethe appliedapplied stressstress. .

GlassGlass crackcrack growthgrowth raterate isis associatedassociatedwithwith appliedapplied stressstress magnitudemagnitude. .

(Halliday,(Halliday, 19891989))


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Written Language Written Language

First staged at the Glasgow Citizens in 1994,First staged at the Glasgow Citizens in 1994,

and described by Williams as being aand described by Williams as being a'comedy of death', the play sees Everett cast'comedy of death', the play sees Everett castbrilliantly against type as the rich dyingbrilliantly against type as the rich dyingwidow Flora Goforth.widow Flora Goforth.


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A corpus A corpus--based approachbased approach

Corpus (pl. corpora): a large, principledCorpus (pl. corpora): a large, principledcollection of texts, spoken and/or written.collection of texts, spoken and/or written.

BNC; WSC; MICASE.BNC; WSC; MICASE.Based on the one billion word CambridgeBased on the one billion word CambridgeInternational Corpus (CIC) of both BrE andInternational Corpus (CIC) of both BrE andAmE, including CANCODE, an extensiveAmE, including CANCODE, an extensivewritten corpus, a business English corpus and awritten corpus, a business English corpus and adedicated academic corpus.dedicated academic corpus.


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Facts and figures Facts and figures

Using a corpus gives us useful statistics about:Using a corpus gives us useful statistics about:

frequencyfrequencydifferences between spoken and writtendifferences between spoken and writtengrammar grammar

social and contextual aspectssocial and contextual aspects


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Top 40 most frequent words: 5m spoken

1 THE2 I3 AND4 YOU5 IT6 TO7 A8 YEAH9 THAT10 OF11 IN12 WAS13 IT'S14 KNOW15 MM16 IS

17 ER 18 BUT19 SO20 THEY21 ON

22 OH23 WE24 HAVE25 NO26 LAUGHS27 WELL28 LIKE29 WHAT30 DO31 RIGHT32 JUST33 HE34 FOR 35 ERM36 BE37 THIS

38 ALL39 THERE40 GOT


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[Speakers are discussing the cost of veterinarytreatment and surgery for a sick animal]

Lets see ... weve already spentfifty for him and I want him to spendanother hundred

Well But thats better than pins Right And surgery

Which would be another twohundred or Yeah its more for a surgery


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Lets see ... weve already spentfifty for him and I want him to

spend another hundred Well But thats better than pins Right And surgery

Which would be another twohundred or

Yeah its more for a surgery


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Which would be another twohundred or

Yeah its more for a surgery


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Spoken languageSpoken languageWriters orientate more towards norms, speakers orientWriters orientate more towards norms, speakers orient

towards each other towards each other

Writing is more off Writing is more off- -line and not time bound;line and not time bound; speech isspeech ismore online and in real timemore online and in real time

Spoken language:Spoken language:absence of sentencesabsence of sentencesincomplete utterancesincomplete utterances

jointly produced utterances jointly produced utterancesflexible structures.flexible structures.

Small words are big words (Small words are big words ( well, right, just, at all, sort well, right, just, at all, sort of, I mean)of, I mean) and often have pragmatic functions.and often have pragmatic functions.


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0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

o c c s i n 5 m

w d s s p o k e n

a c o u

p l e o f

a t t h e

m o m

e n t

s m a l l

a l l t h e t

i m e

e a r l y

y o u k

n o w w

h a t I

m e a n f u

n

a n d t

h i n g s

l i k e t

h a t

h o w e

v e r

Words v. Chunks Words v. Chunks


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EllipsisEllipsis

Didn t know that film was on tonight? ( I )

Sounds good to me. ( That/It )

Lots of things to tell you about the trip toBarcelona. ( There are )

A: Are you going to Leeds this weekend?

B: Yes, I must. ( go this weekend )


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T ails T ails

S hes a very good swimmer,a very good swimmer, Jenny is.

Its difficult to eat isnt it,difficult to eat isnt it, spaghetti?Were going to have steak and fries,going to have steak and fries, we

are.

It can leave you feeling very weak, it can,can leave you feeling very weak, it can,though, apparently,though, apparently, shingles, cant it?cant it?


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T here is and T here are T here is and T here are

ExistentialExistential T hereT hereT heres three other people still to comeT heres three other people still to come

T heres lots of cars in the car park T heres lots of cars in the car park

DeicticDeictic T hereT here

T heres your pillsT heres your pillsT heres his shoesT heres his shoes


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G ood or Bad?G ood or Bad?

What happens is thatWhat happens is that there are 15there are 15

membersmembers of the Security Council,of the Security Council, there'sthere'sfive permanent membersfive permanent members and the fiveand the five

permanent members have got the veto. permanent members have got the veto.


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English in the WorldEnglish in the WorldFirst Language S peakers:First Language S peakers:

Mandarin Chinese:Mandarin Chinese: 1.2 billion1.2 billionEnglish:English: 508 million508 millionHindi:Hindi: 487 million487 millionS panish:S panish: 417 million417 millionRussian:Russian: 277 million277 millionBengali:Bengali: 211 million211 million

Additional or S econd or Foreign Language S peakers:Additional or S econd or Foreign Language S peakers:

English:English: 2 billion by2 billion by 2020.2020.Chinese:Chinese: 30 million by30 million by 2020.2020.

S panish:S panish: 25 million by25 million by 2020.2020.from Graddol (2007)from Graddol (2007)


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T eaching and testing spoken English: Some T eaching and testing spoken English: Someissues and problemsissues and problems

T he ELF issue T he ELF issue T he E A L issue T he E A L issue T he single literate speaker issue T he single literate speaker issue T he visual issue T he visual issue

Fluency problemFluency problem T he confluence problem T he confluence problem


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FluencyFluency : what is it?: what is it?FluencyFluency :: S peakers use S tandard EnglishS peakers use S tandard English

produce smooth continuous talk,produce smooth continuous talk,maintaining flow, and are grammaticallymaintaining flow, and are grammatically

accurate.accurate.

DysfluencyDysfluency : S peakers are hesitant, sloppy,: S peakers are hesitant, sloppy,

cant remember words, repeat themselvescant remember words, repeat themselvesand code switchand code switch between languagesbetween languages


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R epetition and ConfluenceR epetition and Confluence

Dyu: did you, [pause 0.9 secs] er, did you you seeDyu: did you, [pause 0.9 secs] er, did you you seeDavid at the meeting, er, last night, no, the nightDavid at the meeting, er, last night, no, the nightbefore, wasnt it?before, wasnt it?

(CIC corpus)(CIC corpus)

so what did Marketing do they did it that wayso what did Marketing do they did it that wayand they introduced, [and they introduced, [ mm, rightmm, right ], yeah, and last], yeah, and lastyear they introduced eight new products in just sixyear they introduced eight new products in just sixmonths eight thats huge, it is, isnt it? You knowmonths eight thats huge, it is, isnt it? You knowwhat I mean?what I mean?

(CIC corpus(CIC corpus ))


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R epetition and Negotiating UnderstandingR epetition and Negotiating Understanding

Functions: Can be both speaker or hearerFunctions: Can be both speaker or hearer- -oriented:oriented:

strategic planningstrategic planningturnturn- -sensitivesensitivevaguenessvaguenessclarification and confirmationclarification and confirmationsummarisingsummarisingholding the floorholding the flooremphasisemphasis

Organisational and transactional v. Interpersonal andOrganisational and transactional v. Interpersonal andrelationalrelational

Implications for testing?Implications for testing?


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Speakers, listeners andSpeakers, listeners and

confluenceconfluence do you think it is affected by your do you think it is affected by yourfaith, like you were saying you [faith, like you were saying you [ mm,mm,

right, yeahright, yeah ] have any kind of moral] have any kind of moralstandards or not, like hooliganisingstandards or not, like hooliganising andandstuff, I meanstuff, I mean , do you think thats because, do you think thats becauseofof your faith or do you think thatsofof your faith or do you think thatsbecause well because of societybecause well because of society or whateveror whatever ??

(CIC)(CIC)


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V iki: its snowing quite strong outside....be carefulS ue: I will, thxV iki: wei wei...lei dim ar?S ue: ok, la, juz got bk from Amsterdam loh, how r u?V iki: ok la.. I have 9 tmrwS ue: haha, I have 2-4 ........sooooooooooo happyV iki: che...anyway...have your rash gone?S ue: yes, but I have scar oh...ho ugly ar!V iki: icic...ng gan yiu la...still a pretty girl, haha!!

[Cantonese translations: wei wei lei dim ar hi, how are you?;ng gan yiu la it doesnt matter; ar,loh and la arediscourse markers in Cantonese]

Cross Lingual Spoken and WrittenCross Lingual Spoken and Written


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Spoken to WrittenSpoken to WrittenCould you email Kyle Barber and ask him for a quoteCould you email Kyle Barber and ask him for a quotefor a laptop? S aid wed let T atchell have one for himself for a laptop? S aid wed let T atchell have one for himself as part of the deal. Compaq or T oshiba. At least 420Mbas part of the deal. Compaq or T oshiba. At least 420Mbhard disk and 16Mb RAM. Good deal, tell David.hard disk and 16Mb RAM. Good deal, tell David.

Worth the laptop. More in the pipeline. (Worth the laptop. More in the pipeline. ( Inter companyInter companyemailemail ))

RightRight, , soso there I was sitting in Mick Jaggers kitchenthere I was sitting in Mick Jaggers kitchen

while he went about making us both afternoon tea.while he went about making us both afternoon tea.WellWell , you can imagine how long it took to get him to, you can imagine how long it took to get him totalk about the bands latest album.talk about the bands latest album. ExactlExactlyy. Youve got. Youve gotit. Over two minutes. (it. Over two minutes. ( T he Daily T elegraph Magazine 19/9/2004T he Daily T elegraph Magazine 19/9/2004 ).).


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S poken English: summaryS poken English: summary

Spoken language has specific forms:Spoken language has specific forms: ellipsis, tails;ellipsis, tails;flexible clause structure; vague languageflexible clause structure; vague language ..

Spoken language has forms that were unnoticed inSpoken language has forms that were unnoticed inthe past; new metalanguage is needed andthe past; new metalanguage is needed andtraditional terms are not always adequate.traditional terms are not always adequate.

T here are structures that are frequent in speech and T here are structures that are frequent in speech andinfrequent in writing and viceinfrequent in writing and vice- -versa; but note the versa; but note the particular challenge of the growing particular challenge of the growing continuacontinuabetween speech and writing.between speech and writing.


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S poken communicationS poken communication

Fluency has been underFluency has been under- -theorised. T

eaching of theorised. T

eaching of spoken English still works from assumptions of spoken English still works from assumptions of correctness based on written language norms.correctness based on written language norms.

Spoken language focuses on speakers andSpoken language focuses on speakers andlisteners. Speakers and listenerslisteners. Speakers and listeners coco--createcreate andandorient towardsorient towards each othereach other .. Fluency is confluence.Fluency is confluence.

T eaching and curricula need to recognise the T eaching and curricula need to recognise theneeds of 21needs of 21 stst century spoken communicationcentury spoken communicationthrough English and to develop appropriatethrough English and to develop appropriatetesting mechanisms. T o this end corpora cantesting mechanisms. T o this end corpora can

provide a starting point. provide a starting point.


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R eferencesR eferencesBiber, D et alBiber, D et al , , (1999)(1999) The Longman Grammar of SpokenThe Longman Grammar of Spoken

and Written Englishand Written English (Longman, Harlow)(Longman, Harlow)Carter, R. and McCarthy, M.Carter, R. and McCarthy, M. (2006)(2006) Cambridge EnglishCambridge English

Grammar: A Comprehensive Guide to Spoken and Grammar: A Comprehensive Guide to Spoken and Written Grammar and UsageWritten Grammar and Usage (CUP: Cambridge)(CUP: Cambridge)

Cornbleet, S and Carter, R Cornbleet, S and Carter, R ( ( 2001)2001) The Language of The Language of Speech and Writing Speech and Writing (Routledge, London)(Routledge, London)

Halliday, M.A.K.Halliday, M.A.K. (1989)(1989) Spoken and Written Language Spoken and Written Language(OUP Oxford).(OUP Oxford).

O Keeffe, A, McCarthy, M. and Carter, R.O Keeffe, A, McCarthy, M. and Carter, R. From CorpusFrom Corpusto Classroomto Classroom (CUP: Cambridge)(CUP: Cambridge)Pridham, FPridham, F (2001)(2001) The Language of ConversationThe Language of Conversation

(Routledge, London).(Routledge, London).

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