[:en]Dr Àngels Pinyana from the GRAC research group at UVic-UCC spent a week in Bern this November as a scientific collaborator for the research project Developing Quality Parameters for International Profiles in Universities of Applied Sciences which is coordinated by the Research Unit Language Competence and Knowledge Development at ZHAW (Zurich University of Applied Sciences).
Dr Pinyana’s visit involved data collection through intensive classroom observations and interviews with lecturers and students in an EMI (English-medium instruction) context on the Degree in Business Administration at Bern Fachhochschule. Dr Pinyana is part of a team who are testing the use of a series of pedagogical and language parameters in university lectures taught in English. The aim of this project is to compile a practical checklist which may be used to assess the quality of future international programmes taught in English, as well as furthering our knowledge of lecturers and students’ experiences, classroom dynamics and language learning in these settings.

[:ca]Dr Àngels Pinyana from the GRAC research group at UVic-UCC spent a week in Bern this November as a scientific collaborator for the research project Developing Quality Parameters for International Profiles in Universities of Applied Sciences which is coordinated by the Research Unit Language Competence and Knowledge Development at ZHAW (Zurich University of Applied Sciences).
Dr Pinyana’s visit involved data collection through intensive classroom observations and interviews with lecturers and students in an EMI (English-medium instruction) context on the Degree in Business Administration at Bern Fachhochschule. Dr Pinyana is part of a team who are testing the use of a series of pedagogical and language parameters in university lectures taught in English. The aim of this project is to compile a practical checklist which may be used to assess the quality of future international programmes taught in English, as well as furthering our knowledge of lecturers and students’ experiences, classroom dynamics and language learning in these settings.

[:es]Dr Àngels Pinyana from the GRAC research group at UVic-UCC spent a week in Bern this November as a scientific collaborator for the research project Developing Quality Parameters for International Profiles in Universities of Applied Sciences which is coordinated by the Research Unit Language Competence and Knowledge Development at ZHAW (Zurich University of Applied Sciences).
Dr Pinyana’s visit involved data collection through intensive classroom observations and interviews with lecturers and students in an EMI (English-medium instruction) context on the Degree in Business Administration at Bern Fachhochschule. Dr Pinyana is part of a team who are testing the use of a series of pedagogical and language parameters in university lectures taught in English. The aim of this project is to compile a practical checklist which may be used to assess the quality of future international programmes taught in English, as well as furthering our knowledge of lecturers and students’ experiences, classroom dynamics and language learning in these settings.

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El desenvolupament que han protagonitzat les eines informàtiques aquests darrers anys ha fet que els corpus lingüístics esdevinguin una eina indispensable per a l’anàlisi en l’àmbit de la lingüística aplicada. El potencial d’aquestes bases de dades és enorme en la mesura que vesteixen qualsevol partícula lingüística d’un co(n)text. Així doncs, el seu ús ha donat lloc a estudis contextualitzats que abasten no només l’anàlisi del discurs, sinó també els estudis gramaticals, la lexicologia i la lexicografia, la lingüística històrica, la lingüística contrastiva i la traducció, la lingüística computacional i la didàctica de les llengües.

En aquest marc, la revista Pragmalingüística (núm. 24) acaba de publicar l’article “Conversation authentique et dialogue théâtral : comparaison des emplois du marqueur discursif donc en co(n)texte” de Gemma Delgar. Aquest treball s’inscriu en la línia de recerca del GRAC de Lingüística i semiòtica. En primer lloc, l’autora analitza els usos de la partícula discursiva donc en una part del Corpus Minnesota (1983). Aquest corpus de treball va ser elaborat per la Dra. Betsy Kerr del Departament de Francès i Italià de la Universitat de Minnesota i ha estat utilitzat per a diferents anàlisis relacionades amb el camp de la lingüística francesa (Barnes, 1985; Kerr, 2011; Katz Bourns, 2014; Myers & Pellet, 2014). Delgar hi va tenir accés gràcies a l’estada de recerca que va realitzar al Departament de Llengües i Literatures Romàniques de la Universitat de Harvard durant el curs 2015-2016. El corpus consta de deu hores de conversa espontània en llengua francesa entre dos grups de tres locutors nadius i un no nadiu que parlen de temes relacionats amb la vida quotidiana. Un cop realitzat l’estudi dels valors semàntics i pragmàtics de donc en aquest context de conversa natural, es passa a la comparació amb els existents en un corpus de diàleg teatral. L’objectiu final de l’article és, d’una banda, determinar si els usos de donc són els mateixos o difereixen en els dos tipus de diàleg i, de l’altra, establir quina és la distribució d’aquests usos a l’interior de cadascun dels corpus de treball.

[:ca]El desenvolupament que han protagonitzat les eines informàtiques aquests darrers anys ha fet que els corpus lingüístics esdevinguin una eina indispensable per a l’anàlisi en l’àmbit de la lingüística aplicada. El potencial d’aquestes bases de dades és enorme en la mesura que vesteixen qualsevol partícula lingüística d’un co(n)text. Així doncs, el seu ús ha donat lloc a estudis contextualitzats que abasten no només l’anàlisi del discurs, sinó també els estudis gramaticals, la lexicologia i la lexicografia, la lingüística històrica, la lingüística contrastiva i la traducció, la lingüística computacional i la didàctica de les llengües.

En aquest marc, la revista Pragmalingüística (núm. 24) acaba de publicar l’article “Conversation authentique et dialogue théâtral : comparaison des emplois du marqueur discursif donc en co(n)texte” de Gemma Delgar. Aquest treball s’inscriu en la línia de recerca del GRAC de Lingüística i semiòtica. En primer lloc, l’autora analitza els usos de la partícula discursiva donc en una part del Corpus Minnesota (1983). Aquest corpus de treball va ser elaborat per la Dra. Betsy Kerr del Departament de Francès i Italià de la Universitat de Minnesota i ha estat utilitzat per a diferents anàlisis relacionades amb el camp de la lingüística francesa (Barnes, 1985; Kerr, 2011; Katz Bourns, 2014; Myers & Pellet, 2014). Delgar hi va tenir accés gràcies a l’estada de recerca que va realitzar al Departament de Llengües i Literatures Romàniques de la Universitat de Harvard durant el curs 2015-2016. El corpus consta de deu hores de conversa espontània en llengua francesa entre dos grups de tres locutors nadius i un no nadiu que parlen de temes relacionats amb la vida quotidiana. Un cop realitzat l’estudi dels valors semàntics i pragmàtics de donc en aquest context de conversa natural, es passa a la comparació amb els existents en un corpus de diàleg teatral. L’objectiu final de l’article és, d’una banda, determinar si els usos de donc són els mateixos o difereixen en els dos tipus de diàleg i, de l’altra, establir quina és la distribució d’aquests usos a l’interior de cadascun dels corpus de treball.[:es]El desenvolupament que han protagonitzat les eines informàtiques aquests darrers anys ha fet que els corpus lingüístics esdevinguin una eina indispensable per a l’anàlisi en l’àmbit de la lingüística aplicada. El potencial d’aquestes bases de dades és enorme en la mesura que vesteixen qualsevol partícula lingüística d’un co(n)text. Així doncs, el seu ús ha donat lloc a estudis contextualitzats que abasten no només l’anàlisi del discurs, sinó també els estudis gramaticals, la lexicologia i la lexicografia, la lingüística històrica, la lingüística contrastiva i la traducció, la lingüística computacional i la didàctica de les llengües.

En aquest marc, la revista Pragmalingüística (núm. 24) acaba de publicar l’article “Conversation authentique et dialogue théâtral : comparaison des emplois du marqueur discursif donc en co(n)texte” de Gemma Delgar. Aquest treball s’inscriu en la línia de recerca del GRAC de Lingüística i semiòtica. En primer lloc, l’autora analitza els usos de la partícula discursiva donc en una part del Corpus Minnesota (1983). Aquest corpus de treball va ser elaborat per la Dra. Betsy Kerr del Departament de Francès i Italià de la Universitat de Minnesota i ha estat utilitzat per a diferents anàlisis relacionades amb el camp de la lingüística francesa (Barnes, 1985; Kerr, 2011; Katz Bourns, 2014; Myers & Pellet, 2014). Delgar hi va tenir accés gràcies a l’estada de recerca que va realitzar al Departament de Llengües i Literatures Romàniques de la Universitat de Harvard durant el curs 2015-2016. El corpus consta de deu hores de conversa espontània en llengua francesa entre dos grups de tres locutors nadius i un no nadiu que parlen de temes relacionats amb la vida quotidiana. Un cop realitzat l’estudi dels valors semàntics i pragmàtics de donc en aquest context de conversa natural, es passa a la comparació amb els existents en un corpus de diàleg teatral. L’objectiu final de l’article és, d’una banda, determinar si els usos de donc són els mateixos o difereixen en els dos tipus de diàleg i, de l’altra, establir quina és la distribució d’aquests usos a l’interior de cadascun dels corpus de treball.

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[:en]By Gonçal Calle Rosingana

Our mind is constructed in such a way that it has to make sense of the world that surrounds us. It does so by means of superfast, non-stop, efficient processes that stream inside our heads at speeds that can barely be measured. Everything we see, the movements we make while driving, the words somebody said just five minutes ago, the advertisement on the radio, this same text, and many other hundred things our mind constantly engages in, are mere examples of the frantic activity in our minds. In this state of affairs, economy becomes a crucial strategy to manage the available resources.

This pervasive aspect of our mind has remarkable ways to keep the ship afloat. The concept understand may serve as an example. Concepts emerge in language as tips of icebergs of colossal magnitudes that encapsulate innumerable meanings. The conceptual complexity concealed under the surface is huge but whenever a concept is used, only a little part of its potential will be unfolded.

A dictionary could define the verb understand as ‘perceiving the intended meaning of words, language, or people’, ‘perceiving the explanation or significance of something,’ or ‘our capacity of inferring knowledge from the information we receive,’ to name only a few of its possible meanings and disregarding the myriad possible contexts where it can be used.

However, a point must be raised here. When speakers need to check understanding after making explanations with a certain degree of complexity, they use expressions such as ‘Do you know what I mean?’ with an underlying meaning “Do you understand what I am trying to say?” In other cases, understanding may be conceptualized as ‘sight’ with analogous results; with expressions such as ‘Can you see what I mean?’ or ‘Is it clear?’ simpler scenarios are generated. What the listeners metaphorically see is what they happen to understand. These metaphorical uses are deeply rooted in our minds and widely accepted in our conceptual system. Continue reading →

[:en]This post exists at the moment only in catalan

El repte més important per a un docent a l’hora d’ensenyar una llengua estrangera a distància està en les limitacions de l’entorn virtual. Cal evitar que aquestes limitacions no amputin alguna  de les condicions elementals que ha d’acomplir un entorn d’aprenentatge i que “acompleixen” els entorns presencials convencionals. En termes lingüístics, cal que el complement circumstancial de mode (a distància) no perverteixi el significat del verb (ensenyar).

Una llengua s’aprèn utilitzant-la, és a dir, interactuant, i si bé que és cert que cada dia hi ha noves aplicacions que permeten integrar a l’aula virtual tasques d’interacció (i per tant d’ús de la llengua en un marc de comunicació real i espontània), no tot és tan senzill com quan es tenen a 25 individus reunits còmodament en una aula presencial i es poden seguir uns protocols establerts durant anys i anys d’experiència docent.

En aquest brevíssim vídeo presentem una manera de resoldre un problema molt concret; el de com donar, com a docents, retroacció en l’avaluació de tasques d’interacció oral i escrita.

> Avaluació formativa en tasques d’interacció en línia  (7 min.)[:ca]El repte més important per a un docent a l’hora d’ensenyar una llengua estrangera a distància està en les limitacions de l’entorn virtual. Cal evitar que aquestes limitacions no amputin alguna  de les condicions elementals que ha d’acomplir un entorn d’aprenentatge i que “acompleixen” els entorns presencials convencionals. En termes lingüístics, cal que el complement circumstancial de mode “a distància” no perverteixi el significat del verb “ensenyar”.

Una llengua s’aprèn utilitzant-la, és a dir, interactuant, i si bé que és cert que cada dia hi ha noves aplicacions que permeten integrar a l’aula virtual tasques d’interacció (i per tant d’ús de la llengua en un marc de comunicació real i espontània), no tot és tan senzill com quan es tenen a 25 individus reunits còmodament en una aula presencial i es poden seguir uns protocols establerts durant anys i anys d’experiència docent.

En aquest brevíssim vídeo presentem una manera de resoldre un problema molt concret; el de com donar, com a docents, retroacció en l’avaluació de tasques d’interacció oral i escrita en entorns en línia.

> Avaluació formativa en tasques d’interacció en línia  (7 min.)[:es]De momento este post existe solo en catalán

El repte més important per a un docent a l’hora d’ensenyar una llengua estrangera a distància està en les limitacions de l’entorn virtual. Cal evitar que aquestes limitacions no amputin alguna  de les condicions elementals que ha d’acomplir un entorn d’aprenentatge i que “acompleixen” els entorns presencials convencionals. En termes lingüístics, cal que el complement circumstancial de mode “a distància” no perverteixi el significat del verb “ensenyar”.

Una llengua s’aprèn utilitzant-la, és a dir, interactuant, i si bé que és cert que cada dia hi ha noves aplicacions que permeten integrar a l’aula virtual tasques d’interacció (i per tant d’ús de la llengua en un marc de comunicació real i espontània), no tot és tan senzill com quan es tenen a 25 individus reunits còmodament en una aula presencial i es poden seguir uns protocols establerts durant anys i anys d’experiència docent.

En aquest brevíssim vídeo presentem una manera de resoldre un problema molt concret; el de com donar, com a docents, retroacció en l’avaluació de tasques d’interacció oral i escrita en entorns en línia.

> Avaluació formativa en tasques d’interacció en línia  (7 min.)[:]

[:en]Members of the GRELL and GRAC research groups attended a talk by the SLA researcher, Kathleen Bardovi-Harlig from Indiana University. The talk was entitled “Unconventional expressions: Productive syntax in the L2 acquisition of formulaic language” and was held on 11th May 2016 at 5pm at UB in Barcelona. The talk was organised by UVic-UCC’s Dr Llorenç Comajoan (GRELL), who had worked with Dr Bardovi-Harlig in Indiana during his early career and Dr Carmen Muñoz (UB).

Dr Bardovi-Harlig’s research on second language grammar and pragmatics includes an investigation on conventional expressions, such as “Nice to meet you,” “(I’m) sorry I’m late,” “I’m just looking,” and “I gotta go.” Her results show that learners display interlanguage syntax which contradicts claims that formulaic expressions are memorised in L2, eventually leading to targetlike grammar use (Ellis, 2003, 2012; Eskildsen & Cadierno, 2007; Myles, 2004; Wray, 2008). Bardovi-Harlig’s conclusions are supported by her data containing several interlanguage forms and she suggests that learners’ expressions are based primarily on lexis and are driven by pragmatics.

Of particular interest in this talk was the data collection method used in the study. A total of 314 learners participated resulting in an oral dataset of 5500 tokens. Confounding variables such as proficiency and exposure to English were accounted for and preliminary piloting of the elicitation tasks was very carefully conducted in order to uncover the interlanguage forms learners employed.[:]

[:en]23 April 2016 was the central date of a year of literary celebrations around the 400th anniversary of the deaths of two of Europe’s most celebrated writers, Cervantes and Shakespeare. From a cultural and intercultural point of view it would be hard to think of anybody more influential than these two gentlemen, both in their sources and legacy. Shakespeare plundered many of the stories and legends of medieval Europe and gave them new currency, often giving rise to what we now think of as the definitive versions, whether it be the tragic love of Antony and Cleopatra, the equally tragic fall of Julius Caesar or the evil ambition of Richard III, or reworkings of old texts such as Romeo and Juliet (based on an Italian story recently translated into English). Shakespeare’s legacy has been international and his reputation has grown over the years, as a result of his championing by writers such as Voltaire, Goethe, Stendhal and Hugo, among others. Curiously, Shakespeare’s plays are often more intelligible to contemporary audiences in translation than they are in the original 16th century English, as I can witness to myself. The obligatory study of Shakespeare’s plays in English language secondary education rarely does justice to his reputation, unfortunately.

It is believed that Shakespeare adapted the story of Cardenio, based on an episode in Cervantes’s Don Quijote, but this text has been lost. To me, it seems extraordinary that so much mystery surrounds the life and times of two great writers who lived relatively recently. Cervantes, if we must compare, was perhaps more innovative than Shakespeare and is widely recognised as the creator of the modern novel, a literary genre which is still thriving, while the stage – Shakespeare’s milieu – has now been overshadowed by cinema, TV and internet multimedia. Times move on.

In truth, these two giants of literature are widely considered as co-pioneers of the modern era of literature, as remarked by Salman Rushdie recently in an article titled How Cervantes and Shakespeare wrote the modern literary rule book.

Consult an agenda of celebrations:

• IV centenario de la muerte de Cervantes
• Shakespeare 400

Even in Vic there have been initiatives to celebrate this special year, such as 400 years later – 400 años después. As the year goes by, watch out for further events and celebrations of all kinds.[:ca]Aquest article només està disponible en anglès.

23 April 2016 was the central date of a year of literary celebrations around the 400th anniversary of the deaths of two of Europe’s most celebrated writers, Cervantes and Shakespeare. From a cultural and intercultural point of view it would be hard to think of anybody more influential than these two gentlemen, both in their sources and legacy. Shakespeare plundered many of the stories and legends of medieval Europe and gave them new currency, often giving rise to what we now think of as the definitive versions, whether it be the tragic love of Antony and Cleopatra, the equally tragic fall of Julius Caesar or the evil ambition of Richard III, or reworkings of old texts such as Romeo and Juliet (based on an Italian story recently translated into English). Shakespeare’s legacy has been international and his reputation has grown over the years, as a result of his championing by writers such as Voltaire, Goethe, Stendhal and Hugo, among others. Curiously, Shakespeare’s plays are often more intelligible to contemporary audiences in translation than they are in the original 16th century English, as I can witness to myself. The obligatory study of Shakespeare’s plays in English language secondary education rarely does justice to his reputation, unfortunately.

It is believed that Shakespeare adapted the story of Cardenio, based on an episode in Cervantes’s Don Quijote, but this text has been lost. To me, it seems extraordinary that so much mystery surrounds the life and times of two great writers who lived relatively recently. Cervantes, if we must compare, was perhaps more innovative than Shakespeare and is widely recognised as the creator of the modern novel, a literary genre which is still thriving, while the stage – Shakespeare’s milieu – has now been overshadowed by cinema, TV and internet multimedia. Times move on.

In truth, these two giants of literature are widely considered as co-pioneers of the modern era of literature, as remarked by Salman Rushdie recently in an article titled How Cervantes and Shakespeare wrote the modern literary rule book.

Consult an agenda of celebrations:

• IV centenario de la muerte de Cervantes
• Shakespeare 400

Even in Vic there have been initiatives to celebrate this special year, such as 400 years later – 400 años después. As the year goes by, watch out for further events and celebrations of all kinds.[:es]Este artículo solo está disponible en inglés.

23 April 2016 was the central date of a year of literary celebrations around the 400th anniversary of the deaths of two of Europe’s most celebrated writers, Cervantes and Shakespeare. From a cultural and intercultural point of view it would be hard to think of anybody more influential than these two gentlemen, both in their sources and legacy. Shakespeare plundered many of the stories and legends of medieval Europe and gave them new currency, often giving rise to what we now think of as the definitive versions, whether it be the tragic love of Antony and Cleopatra, the equally tragic fall of Julius Caesar or the evil ambition of Richard III, or reworkings of old texts such as Romeo and Juliet (based on an Italian story recently translated into English). Shakespeare’s legacy has been international and his reputation has grown over the years, as a result of his championing by writers such as Voltaire, Goethe, Stendhal and Hugo, among others. Curiously, Shakespeare’s plays are often more intelligible to contemporary audiences in translation than they are in the original 16th century English, as I can witness to myself. The obligatory study of Shakespeare’s plays in English language secondary education rarely does justice to his reputation, unfortunately.

It is believed that Shakespeare adapted the story of Cardenio, based on an episode in Cervantes’s Don Quijote, but this text has been lost. To me, it seems extraordinary that so much mystery surrounds the life and times of two great writers who lived relatively recently. Cervantes, if we must compare, was perhaps more innovative than Shakespeare and is widely recognised as the creator of the modern novel, a literary genre which is still thriving, while the stage – Shakespeare’s milieu – has now been overshadowed by cinema, TV and internet multimedia. Times move on.

In truth, these two giants of literature are widely considered as co-pioneers of the modern era of literature, as remarked by Salman Rushdie recently in an article titled How Cervantes and Shakespeare wrote the modern literary rule book.

Consult an agenda of celebrations:

• IV centenario de la muerte de Cervantes
• Shakespeare 400

Even in Vic there have been initiatives to celebrate this special year, such as 400 years later – 400 años después. As the year goes by, watch out for further events and celebrations of all kinds.[:]

The GRAC research group at UVic-UCC was invited to participate in a network meeting called ‘Quality Parameters in International Profiles in Higher Education’. Àngels Pinyana and Sarah Khan represented GRAC at the meetings in Winterthur, Switzerland on 31st March and 1st April.

The meeting in Winterthur was the first of several planned meetings between 2015-2017 to coordinate a joint inter-university project headed by ZHAW (Zurich University of Applied Sciences) and BFH (Bern University of Applied Sciences), “Developing Quality Management Parameters for International Profiles in Universities of Applied Sciences”, which is funded by SERI (Swiss Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation).

This cross-disciplinary project will be headed by a core team of expert advisors in higher education in the fields of International Relations, Quality Management and Applied Linguistics from UVic-UCC, University of Padua and universities of applied sciences from Zurich, Bern, Graz, Munich and Freiburg.

The core team will develop Quality Management Parameters which may be applied across universities and cultural contexts and build up an international network to actively implement sustainable Quality Management Parameters in the future. The final aim of the project is to develop strategic partnerships in order to submit a proposal for an Erasmus Key Action 2+ Mobility Programme in 2017.