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An A-level in linguistics?

Dick Hudson, Billy ClarkTim Shortis, Judith Broadbent

Graeme TrousdaleLAGB September 2005

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1. Background

• Who thought of it?– Tim Shortis, chief examiner for Eng Lang– Keith Brown, then chair of Subj Centre Lingx.

• Will it happen?– Maybe - circumstances are favourable– But at present no-one wants new A-level

subjects – But A-level is due to be reorganised so ...

• Linguistics? Language?

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The educational context

• Knowledge About Language in English– English 21– A-level English Language

• KAL in Foreign Languages– Specialist language colleges

• Other countries: – the Linguistics Olympics– Linguistics A-level

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KAL in English

• KAL already includes parts of linguistics:– Grammar– Varieties– Spoken

• QCA’s “English 21” inquiry allows fundamental rethinking

• A-level English Language thrives

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KAL in Foreign Languages

• Increased stress on understanding– How the target language works– How to learn a language

• Explicit links to KAL in English

• 213 specialist language colleges

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Other countries

• Linguistics as a high-school subject– Serbia, since 1990, based on Belgrade

Linguistics Dept (Bugarski)

• Third International Linguistics Olympiad– for secondary school students, – 8 to 12 August 2005 – in Leiden, The Netherlands. – Well-established in Russia and Bulgaria– e.g. ....

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E.g. Lithuanian diminutivesarklys arklelis horse

degtukas degtukélis match

juosta ? ribbon

merga ? girl

obuolys obuolélis apple

+ 11 more

Task 1. Fill the gaps.Task 2. What can you say about the pronunciation of uo in Lithuanian? Explain.

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We need to satisfy:

1. Teachers

2. Pupils

3. Schools

4. Examination boards

5. QCA

6. Universities

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2. The Modules

• Four modules – which could form an independent A level (AS

+ A2) or fit into a diploma

• Focus – active data collection and analysis, – comparing different languages. – develop a ‘toolkit’ of techniques for

investigating language– looking at a number of languages

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The Modules

1. Investigating Language

2. Structure in Language

3. Variation in Language

4. Language Research Project

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Module 1: Investigating Language

Main aims:• introduces language and language study

– what language is and ways of studying it• prepares for modules 2 and 3Topics include:• language evolution/change/families, typology,

variation, acquisition• methods, data, analysis• analytical frameworks

– sounds, word-structure, sentence-structure, meaning, lexis, texts

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Module 2: Structure in Language

Main aims:• exploring language structures• comparing structural patterns across

languagesTopics include:• typologies of: writing, sound, morphology,

syntax, meanings and texts• technical apparatus needed for each of

these areas

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Module 3: Variation in Language

Main aims:• exploring variation

– in specific languages and across languages• looking at language change and the effects of contact

– between speakers of different varieties

Topics include:• standard languages and local varieties• characteristics of contact varieties• multingualism and the status of minority languages• the doctrine of ‘correct’ language• patterns of linguistic change• register and formality

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Example Activities

Investigating linguistic behaviour:Students explore and record facts about the linguistic behaviour of themselves or people close to them, e.g. exploring how and/or why speakers switch between different varieties and issues relating to language contact

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Textual analysis and comparison:

Students look at particular texts and identify features within them which are significant in terms of what they tell us about the nature of language, or which illustrate differences between different types of language, e.g. about what counts as polite in different varieties, about differences between speech and writing, about differences between different genres

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Cross-linguistic comparison:

Students analyse a data-set from an unfamiliar language illustrating some aspect of its phonology, morphology or syntax, leading to students supplying specified translations

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Module 4: Language Research Project

Main aims:• applying methods and knowledge to a

topic and focus of their own choice• experience of research including:

– generating research questions, methodology, ethics and confidentiality, supervision and writing in academic genres

• Any topic• 2,000-4,000 word report

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Language Research Project

• Similar to the module in use in A Level English Language since 1985 (see http://www.aqa.org.uk/qual/gceasa/engLaB.html)

• Linguistics A Level topics are more likely to include comparisons between varieties and between languages, with a greater attention given to descriptions of language forms and structures.

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Sample topics for The Language Research Project

1. An investigation into the lexical and grammatical features of a Hong Kong Cantonese mother tongue speaker in her use of English in service encounters in a Bristol Chinese Takeaway.

2. An investigation into the reported hearing of and use of the so-called Bristol L feature among a sample of Sixth Form Students and their families.

3. An investigation of the contemporary understanding and use of the word ‘cordial’ by comparison with its dictionary-defined meanings.

4. An investigation of code switching behaviour in a bilingual Bristol Sikh family.

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3. Pedagogical Issues

Who will teach these modules? English teachers MFL teachers2020

Training for existing teachers Linguistics graduates

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Materials

1. Books

2. University support for teachersShort coursesBuddy system?On-line materials e.g. corpora

3. Materials from other sources http://www.oed.com/services-word.html http://www.bllearning.co.uk/live/text/cookery

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http://www.collectbritain.co.uk/collections/dialects/

The way we speak • Listen to England's changing voice. Extracts from the

Survey of English Dialects and the Millennium Memory Bank document how we spoke and lived in the 20th century. There are nearly 700 recordings here. Find even more at the BBC Voices website.

Curator's choice • You can choose from the curator's favourites shown on

the left, or click the links below to browse the whole collection, to read more about it, or select a different collection.

• View whole collection • Text introduction• Choose another collection

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PGCE for Linguistics Graduates

• Access to PGCE courses• 6 universities currently offer PGCE places

in English with no literature background:1. Bristol2. Institute of Education3. University of East London4. University of Hertfordshire5. Edge Hill6. Reading

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Assessment

Changes to assessment following the publication of the Government’s white paper:

The introduction of an ‘extended project’; Teenagers may be allowed to take HE modules

whilst still at School; Assessments will be reduced from 6 to 4

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4. Language in Scottish Schools: the political context

1. National Statement for Improving Attainment in Literacy in Schools, and investment in MFL teaching in Scottish primary schools

2. The 3 – 18 Curriculum for Excellence and the relationship between English and MFL

3. Increased dialogue between academics and SEED

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LiSS: the educational context

1. Scottish and UK qualifications: Standard Grades and Highers vs. GCSEs and A-levels.

2. Recent(ish) reforms: the Advanced Higher• The Advanced Higher does provide the

opportunity for a focus on linguistic issues• Uptake is very low: why is that?

– Teachers lack resources.– No embedding of this subject in earlier years.– Students aren’t interested: language is boring, and

only the study of literature matters.

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A Higher in Language?

1. A-levels: English Language ≠ Linguistics2. Higher in Language and the Scottish context

(e.g. Culture Commission report promoting An Institute for the Languages of Scotland)

3. Possible modules: How language works Language and communities in contemporary

Scotland The evolution of Scotland’s languages Analyzing Scottish texts Personal investigation/portfolio

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Initiatives: CLASS

Committee for Language Awareness in Scottish Schools

Meetings held at University of Edinburgh Made up of academics, teachers, writers,

educationalists interested in language, broadly defined

Seeking to raise the profile of KAL in Scottish schools

Teachers keen to promote KAL are vital, so we decided to host an …

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Initiatives: Information Day

… Information Day for teachersTomorrow, in Edinburgh!Widely publicised, thanks to Scottish CiLT

and The ScotsmanExpecting around 90 to 100 delegates

from all over ScotlandSpeakers ranging from CEO of SQA to

award winning Scots novelists