Chunking clinical text containing non-canonical language

Free text notes typed by primary care physicians during patient consultations typically contain highly non-canonical language. Shallow syntactic analysis of free text notes can help to reveal valuable information for the study of disease and treatment. We present an exploratory study into chunking such text using off-the-shelf language processing tools and pre-trained statistical models. We evaluate chunking accuracy with respect to part-of-speech tagging quality, choice of chunk representation, and breadth of context features. Our results indicate that narrow context feature windows give the best results, but that chunk representation and minor differences in tagging quality do not have a significant impact on chunking accuracy

Modelling the flow of discourse in a corpus of written academic English

Discourse studies attempt to describe how context affects text, and how text progresses from one sentence to the next. Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL) offers a model of language to describe how information flow varies according to context and co-text through the Textual metafunction, especially using the functions of Participant Identification and Tracking, Theme and Information Structure. These systems were evaluated by assembling a corpus of academic texts and assessing their information flow. Results of the analysis of the three grammatical systems in the Textual Metafunction demonstrate significant patterns, or unmarked choices, where the participant, thematic and information systems combine to powerful effect. Where the systems are not aligned, there is a recognisable effect on the flow of information

Economic distress and discourse : the rise of a corporatist rhetoric in Northern Spain after World War I

The paper explores the relationship between language and economy, between text and context, through a case study: the Basque region in northern Spain during World War I and the immediate postwar years. Using some tools of quantitative and qualitative analysis, I try to dissect the process of production and interpretation of the corporatist discourse, and then relate it to the evolution of the economy and the interests of the local economic elites. Contrary to the widespread Foucaldian theory, which focuses on the intrinsic structure of discourse, the results suggest that more attention should be paid to the context in explaining the process of discourse production

Economic distress and discourse : the rise of a corporatist rhetoric in Northern Spain after World War I

The paper explores the relationship between language and economy, between text and context, through a case study: the Basque region in northern Spain during World War I and the immediate postwar years. Using some tools of quantitative and qualitative analysis, I try to dissect the process of production and interpretation of the corporatist discourse, and then relate it to the evolution of the economy and the interests of the local economic elites. Contrary to the widespread Foucaldian theory, which focuses on the intrinsic structure of discourse, the results suggest that more attention should be paid to the context in explaining the process of discourse production.Economic crisis, Discourse, Language, Communication, Economic elites, Political economy, Rhetoric, Corporatism, World War I, Spain

Using Discourse Analysis Methodology to Teach Legal English

In this study, I propose a curriculum focused on raising students’ linguistic awareness through rigorous discourse analysis and reflective writing in a legal context. Students analyze authentic, full-text legal documents using discourse analysis methodology. By carefully analyzing the language in legal opinions, appellate briefs, law review articles, law school exams, typical commercial contracts, and statutes, students become experts in analyzing and evaluating legal texts. Students learn to manipulate legal language to achieve various desired linguistic and legal effects. This approach has three primary advantages. First, it forces the students to carefully read authentic legal texts. Second, it gives students the linguistic tools to talk about the effectiveness of texts. Third, it empowers students to criticize legal texts and concomitantly enables them to purposefully craft language to achieve a desired discourse message. These skills are wholly portable–both in law school and in law practice

World History Instruction For English Language Learners: A Systemic Functional Linguistics Approach

The research question addressed in this project was how can text analysis using a Systemic Functional Linguistic framework inform curriculum design in sheltered EL world history classes? Research in the theory and applications of systemic functional linguistics in education was described; emphasizing connections to instruction for secondary English language learners. The project was completed in parts: text analysis of theme progressions in history text, development of curriculum, and a pre-planning checklist for future unit development. This project documents one teacher’s creation of an integrated unit of world history content with language development lessons through a systemic functional linguistics approach. A text analysis of theme progressions was conducted on the lesson text prior to the unit creation. It culminated in the creation of a pre-planning checklist to guide teachers in integrating lesson components to support language development in the context of history content

Discourse Analysis on Procedure Text to Practice Self Directing Learning

Discourse is language in context referring to language in action, while a text is written record of interaction or communicative event that brings together language, the individual producing the language and context within which language used.  So, this research aims to conduct discourse analysis of the student’s difficulties to practice self-directing learning in writing procedure text. The subjects of this research are the total students (25 students) of grade 9 MTS UnggulanNurul Islam Jember with 10 students as the samples of the data. The data collection was conducted by using a random sampling method. The data was categorized according to Donald Aryet all (2010, 8th edition). The approach of this research design was descriptive qualitative that used interactive and humanistic multiple methods to present the data gained from analyzing, observation, literature study, in-depth interviews and documentation study. From the research, it was found that the students did some faulty actions in understanding the description and orders from the teacher especially the language features of procedure text, vocabulary, grammatical and organizational error. Consequently, as the research objectives this eventually will give a positive contribution to the teacher to follow up the difficulties Keywords: discourse analysis; students difficulties; procedure text

Using critical discourse analysis to explore an authentic teaching material: A focus on language and power

Many EFL students show anxiety when speaking English in Indonesia. Therefore, when it comes to pedagogical context, critical discourse analysis (CDA) has a significant role to explore linguistics unit, socio-cultural context, and ideology of the text learners need to understand. This study aims at analysing the relation of language and power behind a text entitled ‘Driving Age, Increasing’ and making use of it to pedagogical context. The chosen text is an authentic material adopted from ‘Debatabase’, a book on building argumentative skills. By using Fairclough’s model (1989), the text was examined through three steps of Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA), namely description, interpretation, and explanation. Then, the analysis is interrelated with the nature of discussion text taught to the learners. The result of the analysis shows that the text is dominated by material, verbal, and relational processes, formal, complex, repetitive, evidence-based, multi-perspective, and over-wording dictions underpinned in an institutionalized social activity and unspecialized semantic domain. Further, the relationship between the author and the readers indicates there is equality in power shown by the provided equal analytical perspectives and evidence-based arguments to both conflicting parties toward the issue. As it fits the nature of discussion text, the paper ends with recommendations for EFL teachers to make use of CDA in raising learners’ language awareness