Integrating Language and Literature: A Text World Theory Approach

In UK schools, there remains a compartmentalisation of English into ‘language’ and ‘literature’, evident in the ways that the subject is taught and examined and in the degrees to which teachers perceive themselves as being either a ‘language’ or a ‘literature’ teacher. In this paper, we suggest that an approach informed by cognitive linguistics and cognitive stylistics offers a wealth of affordances to the teacher who wishes to integrate aspects of linguistic and literary studies into their teaching. We argue that, in particular, the cognitive discourse grammar Text World Theory provides an accessible and usable set of pedagogical principles, and present two case studies of collaborative research with teachers in which they drew upon Text World Theory as a model for thinking about grammar teaching, literature teaching, lesson design, classroom talk and their own identity as a teacher of English. The data suggests that this approach may have positive benefits for students engaging in high-level linguistic analysis and the developing of responses to literature, and for teachers thinking about lesson and activity design

The new English A Levels 2015: a guide to the specs

Ian Cushing, Marcello Giovanelli and Gary Snapper summarise the changes at A Level from September 2015 and explore the features of each of the new specs in all three A Level English subjects

Transformative justice as a method in applied linguistics

Transformative justice is a vision, a framework, and a theory of change which pushes for radical abolition and reimagining of entire systems. It is a community-led strategy which centers on and seeks to uproot structural determinants of oppression. In this article, I outline how applied linguistics can and should draw on transformative justice principles as a methodology for doing applied linguistics and as an underpinning theory of change for the discipline itself. I explore how transformative justice in applied linguistics involves addressing the colonial roots of the discipline and its complicity in perpetuating raciolinguistic ideologies and co-constituted discourses of linguistic deficiency. I argue for new conceptualizations of impact which prioritize community solidarity. I argue for applied linguists to end collaborations with the police, the military, and the prison industrial complex, showing how these collaborations rely on systems of punitive accountability and modest reforms. I argue that transformative justice is a life-affirming theory of change for the discipline of applied linguistics and for the marginalized communities we work with

Text World Theory and the secondary English classroom

This thesis presents a critical investigation of a cognitive stylistic approach to UK secondary English education. It draws on a branch of cognitive stylistics, Text World Theory, a discourse-level grammar used to explain and account for the ways in which humans build, negotiate and experience vivid worlds in their minds upon engaging with language. This thesis extends the text-world framework in two broad ways: as a way of conceptualising and describing the classroom space and classroom discourse, and as a text-world pedagogy for the teaching of literary language and the experience of fictional worlds. The text-world pedagogy consists of a set of theoretical principles and practical teaching materials, which were developed in close collaboration with a group of practicing English teachers, and then delivered by these teachers to Year 8 (age 12-13) students. I observed, filmed and transcribed these lessons, and carried out a series of interviews with participating teachers. These transcripts were thematically indexed and analysed using methods from cognitive stylistics, in order to textually trace the emergence of the pedagogical principles in discourse.There are a series of contributions to knowledge emerging from this work. Firstly, I show how classroom talk consists of complex text-world structures, especially during discussions of literary texts where students engage in collaborative world-building. Secondly, I show that text-world concepts and meta language offer students and teachers an intuitive, accessible and empowering way of thinking about how language works, legitimising personal responses which are anchored to the text. Thirdly,the text-world pedagogy was used as a facilitative tool for the teaching of grammar, providing conceptual interpretations of grammatical form and making clear connections between clause and discourse. Teachers who engaged with the pedagogy reported transformative effects on their identity,practice and beliefs about English teaching. As such, this research has important implications for cognitive stylistics, English education and curriculum policy

Electrical vestibular stimulation in humans. A narrative review

Background: In patients with bilateral vestibulopathy, the regular treatment options, such as medication, surgery, and/ or vestibular rehabilitation, do not always suffice. Therefore, the focus in this field of vestibular research shifted to electri- cal vestibular stimulation (EVS) and the development of a system capable of artificially restoring the vestibular func- tion. Key Message: Currently, three approaches are being investigated: vestibular co-stimulation with a cochlear im- plant (CI), EVS with a vestibular implant (VI), and galvanic vestibular stimulation (GVS). All three applications show promising results but due to conceptual differences and the experimental state, a consensus on which application is the most ideal for which type of patient is still missing. Summa- ry: Vestibular co-stimulation with a CI is based on “spread of excitation,” which is a phenomenon that occurs when the currents from the CI spread to the surrounding structures and stimulate them. It has been shown that CI activation can indeed result in stimulation of the vestibular structures. Therefore, the question was raised whether vestibular co- stimulation can be functionally used in patients with bilat- eral vestibulopathy. A more direct vestibular stimulation method can be accomplished by implantation and activa- tion of a VI. The concept of the VI is based on the technology and principles of the CI. Different VI prototypes are currently being evaluated regarding feasibility and functionality. So far, all of them were capable of activating different types of vestibular reflexes. A third stimulation method is GVS, which requires the use of surface electrodes instead of an implant- ed electrode array. However, as the currents are sent through the skull from one mastoid to the other, GVS is rather unspe- cific. It should be mentioned though, that the reported spread of excitation in both CI and VI use also seems to in- duce a more unspecific stimulation. Although all three ap- plications of EVS were shown to be effective, it has yet to be defined which option is more desirable based on applicabil- ity and efficiency. It is possible and even likely that there is a place for all three approaches, given the diversity of the pa- tient population who serves to gain from such technologies

In Conversations with Scholars on Contemporary Issues and Research Agendas in Language Ideologies

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A critical analysis of standardized testing in speech and language therapy

Purpose: This review article critically interrogates the history and the current practice of standardized assessment in speech and language therapy. Speech and language assessments utilizing standardized linguistic norms are a critical tool for constructing disability and controlling disabled individuals. Such practices are rooted in a medical model of disability where the linguistic practice(s) of the individual is pathologized to create normalcy and disorder. Method: We examine how these practices are anchored in eugenics and the racist logics of intelligence testing in which racialized populations were rendered as linguistically and biologically inferior. Results: This review article shows how ideologies governing standardized assessments are influenced by racism, ableism, and the nation-state and serve as foundational mechanisms to enable surveillance and capital production. It demonstrates how standard language ideologies are central to standardized testing. Speech and language therapy practices upholding these ideologies contribute to unrestrained wealth generation for the testing industry. Conclusions: The review article ends with a call for clinicians, educators, and researchers to critically examine the relationship between standardized assessment, race, disability, and capitalism in speech-language therapy. This process will contribute toward dismantling the hegemonic role of standardized assessment in oppression and marginalization of speech and language−disabled individuals

The Exemplar T8 Subdwarf Companion of Wolf 1130

We have discovered a wide separation (188.5") T8 subdwarf companion to the sdM1.5+WD binary Wolf 1130. Companionship of WISE J200520.38+542433.9 is verified through common proper motion over a ~3 year baseline. Wolf 1130 is located 15.83 +/- 0.96 parsecs from the Sun, placing the brown dwarf at a projected separation of ~3000 AU. Near-infrared colors and medium resolution (R~2000-4000) spectroscopy establish the uniqueness of this system as a high-gravity, low-metallicity benchmark. Although there are a number of low-metallicity T dwarfs in the literature, WISE J200520.38+542433.9 has the most extreme inferred metallicity to date with [Fe/H] = -0.64 +/- 0.17 based on Wolf 1130. Model comparisons to this exemplar late-type subdwarf support it having an old age, a low metallicity, and a small radius. However, the spectroscopic peculiarities of WISE J200520.38+542433.9 underscore the importance of developing the low-metallicity parameter space of the most current atmospheric models.Comment: Accepted to ApJ on 05 September 2013; 33 pages in preprint format, 8 figures, 3 table