Upon IRB approval, a corpus of 1,192 texts consisting of three assignments written by a total of 1,736 first year engineering students was compiled, and 117 pedagogical materials were collected. Using an iterative quantitative-qualitative approach to written discourse analysis, instances of formulaic language (4- and 6-word sequences) were identified in the corpus; formulaic language was then coded for the rhetorical functions expected in problem statements as qualitatively identified in the pedagogical materials. Additionally, three discourse-based interviews were conducted with First-year Engineering Faculty. Interview data was coded for themes of effective communication and used to triangulate the findings from the corpus analysis.

[pt] Este trabalho focaliza o ensino de português como segunda língua para surdos sob uma perspectiva sociointeracional do discurso. O estudo reflete sobre os aspectos fundamentais que se presentificam dentro do processo de ensino- aprendizagem da língua portuguesa escrita no Centro Educacional Pilar Velazquez, uma escola com proposta de Educação Bilíngüe para surdos. É um trabalho que se pretende de base para a orientação dos profissionais do ensino que transitam no mundo da surdez. Levantamos alguns pontos teóricos significativos: a língua de sinais brasileira (LIBRAS) como língua legítima da comunidade surda, sua primeira língua; a perspectiva da surdez sob uma ótica antropológica; a reflexão sobre os significados sociais do mundo da língua escrita e suas implicações na conjuntura que cerca os surdos; a orientação da língua portuguesa descrita como uma segunda língua. A partir desses pilares, lançamos o olhar sobre a produção escrita de alunos surdos, iluminando e apontando um efetivo, mas nem sempre identificado, processo de aprendizagem da língua escrita. Nosso trabalho pretende explicitar como o surdo passa a ser visto como um sujeito plenamente capaz de desenvolver suas potencialidades, quando lido sob uma perspectiva interacional do discurso, através do progresso em suas produções escritas. / [en] This thesis focus on teaching Portuguese as a second language to deaf people under a socio-interactional approach to discourse. The study analyses fundamental aspects that appear in the process of teaching/learning Portuguese, in its written form, in a school named Centro Educacional Pilar Velazquez. This school proposes Bilingual Education to deaf people. This work aims at serving as a basis tothose teaching professionals involved in the universe of deafness. We raise some significant theoretical issues: the Brazilian Sign Language (LIBRAS) as the legitimate language of the deaf comunity, their first language; deafness under an anthropological point of view; reflections on the social meaning of written language and its implications regarding the world surrounding deaf people; the orientation of Portuguese when it is viewed as a second language. From these pillars, we have analysed deaf students´s compositions, enlightening and pointing to a genuine - although often not identified - process of learning written language. Our research intends to explicit how deaf people can be regarded as totally capable of developping their potentialities, under an interactional perspective of discourse and by means of the progress shown in their written work. / [fr] Ce travail se focalise sur l´enseignement du portugais comme deuxième langue pour les sourds dans une perspective socio-interactionnelle du discours. L´étude analyse les aspects fondamentaux que se révèlent à l´intérieur du processus de l´enseignement-apprentissage de langue portugaise écrite au Centro Educacional Pilar Velazquez, une école que propose l´Éducation Bilingüe pour les sourds. C´est um travail qui se veut une base pour l´orientation des professionnels de l´enseignement qui transitent dans le monde de la surdité. Nous avons relevé quelques points theóriques significantifs: la langue de signes (LIBRAS) comme légitime de la communauté sourde, sa première langue; la perspective de la sourdité sous une optique anthropologique; la réflexion sur les signifiés sociaux du monde de la langue écrite et ses implicatoins dans la conjoncture qui entoure les sourds; l´orientation de la langue portugaise décrite comme une deuxième langue. À partir de ces piliers, nous avons posé le regard sur la production écrite d´élèves sourds, éclairant et désignant um effectif, mais, pas toujour identifié, processus d´apprentissage de la langue écrite. Notre travail a l´intention d´expliciter comment, dans une perspective interactionnelle du discours, le sourd em vient à être perçu comme um sujet pleinement capable de développer son potentiel.

Cette recherche avait pour objectif d’analyser les évaluations de programmes d’études en langues de spécialité de 1er cycle universitaire afin de dégager les enjeux et la pertinence de ces formations. Trois questions de recherche sont poursuivies : • Quels établissements d’enseignement supérieur canadiens offrent des programmes d’études professionnalisant intégrant des compétences langagières sur objectifs spécifiques et le savoir-faire professionnel? • Compte tenu de la nature et de la fonction des programmes et des cours de langues de spécialité au sein des établissements d’enseignement supérieur, - quels sont les enjeux principaux ? - quelles sont les recommandations les plus fréquentes dans les rapports des évaluateurs externes ? L’analyse révèle que les enjeux principaux sont l’apport des formations aux besoins d’emploi ; la correspondance aux besoins des bénéficiaires ; l’évaluation systématique et justifiée lors de la prise de décisions ; la révision, mise à jour et évaluation systématique des programmes ; la collaboration interdisciplinaire et interuniversitaire ; l’enseignement des compétences langagières de la discipline professionnelle sous-jacente ; l’enseignement de la perspective interculturelle ; l’objectif constitutif ou instrumental de l’acquisition des langues ; la professionnalisation de la discipline au lieu de la fonction « service » ; la promotion de programmes, de collaborations et d’échanges internationaux ; l’intégration des TIC ; et la certification en langue de spécialité. Les évaluateurs externes recommandent la modernisation et la réorganisation des cours, la mise sur pied des collaborations, l’amélioration des formules et de l’offre des échanges internationaux, l’élaboration des stratégies pour étudier et planifier le lancement des initiatives, la promotion des bénéfices des connaissances langagières auprès des autres disciplines et facultés, la création des stratégies de révision de programme, et la mise en place des dispositifs pour profiter de nouvelles ressources technologiques. Ainsi, dans un premier temps, les résultats permettent d’apporter à la didactique des langues un éclairage sur la valeur de la fonction formative des mécanismes d’évaluation de programme. Dans un deuxième temps, ils apportent aux praticiens un éclairage sur la qualité, la pertinence et les enjeux des formations en langue de spécialité et un éclairage sur l’importance et l’impact des pratiques évaluatives sur les décisions prises. / This study was designed to analyse undergraduate programme reviews of languages for specific purposes (LSP) in order to discover the stakes and the pertinence of this training offered at Canadian institutions of higher learning. The three research questions are: • Which Canadian institutions of higher learning offer curricula integrating competences in LSP and professional know-how? • Taking into account the nature and function of LSP programs and courses within higher education, what are the major stakes? • What are the most frequent recommendations found in the external reviewers’ program assessments, taking into account the nature and function of LSP programs and courses? The analysis revealed that the most important stakes in providing quality, pertinent training in LSP are contribution of course content to professional training; correspondence to the needs of the learners; systematic programme evaluation including proof for decision-making; systematic programme revision, updating and evaluation; interdisciplinary and interuniversity collaboration; teaching language competences related to the underlying professional discipline; teaching intercultural perspectives; constitutive or instrumental objective of language acquisition; professionalization of the discipline rather than the “service” function; promoting programmes, collaborations and international exchanges; integrating information and communication technologies; and providing learners with opportunities for formal language certification in LSP. The external evaluators recommended modernising and reorganising courses, setting up collaborations, improving international exchanges and methods for promoting them, elaborating strategies for studying and implementing initiatives, promoting the benefits of language study to other disciplines and faculties, creating strategies for programme revision, and formulating plans of action to take advantage of new technological resources. These findings therefore shed light on the value of the formative function of curriculum evaluation mechanisms for the field of language teaching and on the stakes involved for teaching practitioners in providing quality, pertinent LSP training. They also shed light on the importance and the impact of evaluation practices on decision-making.

本論文目的在於調查大學生修習「商用英語聽力訓練」之動機及需求，並對教師的教學活動及學習者之策略習得進行深入探討。該課程係以專業英語（English for Specific Purposes）之理論為依據，設計為應用於商業場合之課程。本研究以國立政治大學商學院學生為受試者進行個案研究，藉以探討「商用英語聽力訓練」課程現況及可供改進之方向。 受試者修習「商用英語聽力訓練」之動機與需求係由期初、期末兩次問卷填答得知，並經由英語程度不同之學習者反映出其不同之學習需求，可提供授課教師作為規畫課程及選擇教材時之參考重點，藉以提高學習者之學習興趣，達到有效學習的目標。 本論文的另一重點在於「商用英語聽力訓練」中聽力策略之訓練與習得，聽力策略的分類乃依Oxford（1990）提出之理論為根據，探討有助於該課程之聽力策略及技巧為何。本研究藉由二十八小時之課堂觀察，進而分析授課教師如何進行策略訓練；另外，經由問卷、測驗兩方法測知受試者對於該課程中策略訓練的反應及策略習得之實際情況。由此結果歸納出可提高學生學習效果的聽力策略。 由以上的研究結果，本論文針對於學習需求及策略訓練方法歸納出改進「商用英語聽力訓練」課程之具體建議，以期日後對相關課程之學習者及授課教師都能有所助益。 / This thesis aims to explore the current situation of an “English Lab Course for Occupational Purposes” in college and to provide suggestions for further improvement. This study focuses on two aspects：one is the motivations and needs analysis of the students who take this course; the other is the training and acquiring of listening strategies in this course. This course is based on the theory of “English for Specific Purposes” and is designed for Business majors. All the subjects of this research are sophomores and seniors of the College of Commerce at NCCU. The subjects’motivations and needs are investigated through a questionnaire survey at the beginning and the end of the semester. This research reveals the different motivations and needs for efficient and less-efficient learners. The results may provide some helpful perspectives to assist teachers in selecting effective teaching materials and designing appropriate courses. The other emphasis of this study is on the training and acquiring of listening strategies in this course. The definitions and categories of listening strategies are based on Oxford’s theory (1990). The author sits in on the classes for 28 hours to observe and record the actual teaching and learning situations. In addition, both questionnaires and tests (pre-test & post-test) are utilized to examine the actual strategies the subjects employ. With reference to the results of the observation, questionnaires and tests, the author presents the most effective listening strategies of this course. Based on the conclusions of this thesis, some possible applications are proposed for an “English Lab Course for Occupational Purposes”. The author hopes these suggestions can enhance the development of relevant courses in the future.

La presente tesis doctoral tiene como propósito el estudio del fenómeno sociopragmático llamado atenuación retórica (hedging en inglés) en dos géneros distintos del discurso médico escrito: los artículos de investigación científica y los informes de caso o casos médicos. Con este fin se examina un corpus de ambos géneros escritos en español y en inglés (L2) por científicos españoles y publicados en revistas científicas de prestigio en el campo de la biomedicina . Se comparan los resultados obtenidos del análisis del corpus con los obtenidos por otros autores con muestras lingüísticas escritas en inglés. El trabajo, pues, consiste en un análisis interlingüístico e intergenérico de la atenuación retórica en el discurso médico. Un interés particular que presenta la tesis reside en las aplicaciones pedagógicas que tiene para los profesores de enseñanza de idiomas con fines específicos (LFE). / La present tesi doctoral té com a objectiu l'estudi del fenòmen sociopragmàtic anomenat atenuació retòrica (hedging en anglès) en dos gèneres diferents del discurs mèdic escrit: els articles d' investigació científica i els informes de cas o casos mèdics. Amb aquesta finalitat s' examina un corpus en ambdós gèneres escrits en espanyol i en anglès (L2) per cientifics espanyols i publicats en revistes científiques de prestigi en el camp de la biomedicina . Es comparen els resultats obtinguts de l'anàlisis del corpus amb els obtinguts per altres autors amb mostres lingüístiques escrites en anglès. El treball, doncs, consisteix en una anàlisi interlingüística i intergenèrica de la atenuació retòrica en el discurs mèdic. Un interès particular que presenta la tesis resideix en les aplicacions pedagògiques que té pels professors d' ensenyament d' idiomes per a finalitats específiques (LFE). / This PhD aims at studying the sociopragmatic phenomenon called hedging in two different genres of the written medical discourse: the research article and the case report. Therefore, a corpus of these two genres is examined both in Spanish and in English (L2). Being all texts written by Spanish scientists and published in scientific journals of prestige in the biomedical field . The results obtained in the corpus analysis are then compared to the ones obtained by other authors with similar linguistic samples written in English. This thesis, hence, consists of itergeneric and interlinguistic analyses of hedging in medical disourse. A special interest of this research project may lay in the pedagogical applications for teachers of languages for specific purposes (LSP).

Cette étude lexicologique prospective s'inscrit dans la didactique des L3. L’objectif est d’élaborer un interlexique anglais-espagnol-français-italien-portugais composé des adjectifs, noms et verbes anglais fréquents dans les écrits scientifiques de la santé, et de leurs équivalents de traduction analogues en espagnol, français, italien et portugais. Deux mots sont analogues s’ils ont le même sens et une forme similaire.Les rapports entre les concepts d'analogie, de similarité et d'identité sont examinés, les types d'analogies intralinguistiques et interlinguistiques illustrés et les principales analogies et dissemblances entre l’anglais, le français et les langues romanes exposées. L'existence de celles-ci est justifiée par les origines indoeuropéennes et surtout d'intenses contacts de langues. Après avoir rappelé l’importance de l’analogie dans l’apprentissage, nous montrons le lien entre notre recherche et deux types d’approches didactiques des langues : l'intercompréhension, qui développe la compréhension de langues voisines, et les approches sur corpus qui permettent de mieux connaitre et faire connaitre la phraséologie scientifique.Les 2000 lemmes anglais les plus fréquents ont été extraits du corpus scientifique anglais de ScienText, leurs 2208 acceptions fréquentes délimitées sur la base du profil combinatoire et triées en deux catégories sémantiques : lexique de spécialité et lexique scientifique transdisciplinaire. Les lemmes anglais ont été traduits dans les quatre langues romanes, et la similarité mesurée en fonction de la sous-chaine maximale commune (SMC).L’interlexique contient 47 % des acceptions fréquentes. Par couples de langues, l’analogie est encore plus élevée : anglais – français, 66 %, anglais-italien, 65 %, anglais-espagnol, 63 %, anglais-portugais, 58 %. Ce lexique analogue pourrait donc servir comme base de transfert dans des activités de FLE L3 pour des professionnels de la santé, et l’anglais L2 semble être une passerelle possible vers les langues romanes. Des activités plurilingues sont construites sur des concordances extraites des corpus multilingues alignés EMEA et Europarl. Un questionnement métalinguistique en anglais sensibilise à des traits (morpho)syntaxiques du français ; les analogies des deux langues sont systématiquement mises en relief, et dans les cas d'opacité, celles des autres langues romanes avec l’anglais. / This prospective lexicological investigation belongs to the field of L3 French didactics. The purpose is to elaborate a French-Italian-Portuguese-Spanish interlexicon out of the frequent adjectives, nouns and verbs of the healthcare scientific writings, and their analogue translation equivalents in French, Italian, Portuguese and Spanish. Two words are analogue if they have the same meaning and a similar form.Related concepts of analogy, similarity and identity are discussed, types of intralinguistic and cross-linguistic analogies reviewed, and the main analogies and differences between English, French and Romance languages detailed. Their many analogies are justified by Indo-European origins and mostly by intense language contacts. Once the importance of analogy in learning procedures has been highlighted, we show how this research and two types of didactic approaches connect together: intercomprehension, which develops comprehension skills in neighbor languages, and corpus approaches which enable to get a closer insight into scientific phraseology.The 2000 most frequent English lemmas were extracted from the ScienText English scientific corpus, their 2208 frequent acceptions explored from their combinatory profile and sorted out in two semantic categories: healthcare subject-specific vocabulary and science specific trans-disciplinary vocabulary. The English lemmas were translated into the four Romance languages, and similarity measurements were carried out with the longest common substring method.The interlexicon contains 47% of the frequent acceptions. Analogy is even higher by language pairs: English – French, 66%, English – Italian, 65%, English - Spanish, 63%, English – Portuguese, 58%. Consequently, this analogue vocabulary could form a transfer basis in learning activities of L3 French for health care providers, and L2 English seems to be a possible bridge language toward Romance languages. Plurilingual activities are built on concordances extracted from multilingual aligned corpora (EMEA, Europarl). Metalinguistic questions in English point out (morpho)syntactic features of French; the analogies between both languages are systematically enhanced, and in case of lexical opacity, those between English and the other Romance languages.

The thesis is focused on ESP, English for Specific Purposes, namely English for tourism. Another specific feature is that it focuses on one particular student and the preparation of an individual course for him. In this thesis the student's needs are analyzed, the course syllabus is developed and teaching materials are prepared. After the study of the theoretical literature, the needs of the particular student are analyzed in terms of language needs, language skills and intercultural competence. The analysis is carried out through a guided interview and synthesized in a case study. A one-semester course syllabus design is the result of the analysis. In accordance with the syllabus, the lesson plans containing specific topic, aim, language skills, language sub-skills and teaching materials are created.

L’enseignement-apprentissage du lexique spécialisé chinois est un chemin semé d’obstacles. Pour les apprenants non natifs, les combinaisons lexicales spécialisées (CLS) (L’Homme, 2000) soulèvent des difficultés syntaxico sémantiques et représentent ainsi un défi majeur dans l’acquisition de compétences lexicales. On recense, toutefois, peu de propositions méthodologiques pour résoudre ces difficultés dans la littérature consacrée à la didactique du chinois sur objectifs spécifiques (COS) (Q. Li, 2011). Dans cette recherche, nous nous attachons à explorer de quelle manière une méthode de description lexicale basée sur une représentation sémantique et syntaxique assiste les apprenants non natifs dans la résolution des problèmes lexicaux soulevés par les CLS. Notre thèse vise à concevoir une méthode de description des CLS en vue de la résolution de difficultés lexicales par les locuteurs non sinophones. La méthode mise au point est appliquée à l’élaboration du dictionnaire CHINOINFO, une ressource lexicale chinois-français portant sur le domaine de l’informatique. Cette ressource s’adresse aux apprenants francophones du chinois. L’objectif secondaire de notre thèse consiste à évaluer l’efficacité du CHINOINFO auprès des apprenants francophones qui reçoivent une formation de chinois dans un établissement universitaire au Québec ou en Chine. Notre recherche fait appel à des notions empruntées à trois cadres théoriques. Premièrement, la Lexicologie explicative et combinatoire (Mel’čuk et al., 1995) nous sert d’appui théorique pour fonder la description des CLS sur la représentation sémantique du lexique spécialisé. Deuxièmement, notre démarche de collecte et d’analyse des CLS est guidée par l’approche lexico sémantique à la terminologie (L’Homme, 2020a). Enfin, nous nous appuyons sur l’approche cognitive en didactique des langues secondes (Chastain, 1990) pour envisager une présentation structurée des connaissances lexicales. Notre démarche méthodologique s’est déroulée en trois phases. Nous avons d’abord assemblé un corpus spécialisé chinois pour en extraire un échantillon de CLS et les renseignements permettant de les décrire. L’analyse des données collectées à partir du corpus nous a amenée à anticiper trois types de difficultés syntaxico-sémantiques soulevées par les CLS : 1) distinguer les acceptions d’un polysème dans différentes CLS; 2) différencier les sens distincts de CLS de forme identique; 3) choisir les cooccurrents appropriés d’un terme. À la deuxième phase, nous avons mobilisé différentes stratégies pour décrire les propriétés syntaxico-sémantiques des CLS. Une méthode descriptive intégrant les solutions proposées a ensuite été appliquée à la création du CHINOINFO. Cette ressource en ligne répertorie 91 termes fondamentaux du domaine de l’informatique, pour lesquels nous avons encodé au total 282 termes reliés et 644 CLS. La structuration des données au sein des articles s’est largement inspirée de l’adaptation du DiCoInfo (Observatoire de linguistique Sens-Texte, 2022) à un dictionnaire d’apprentissage (Alipour, 2014). Différents moyens techniques ont été mis en œuvre pour assurer la convivialité de la ressource. La dernière phase de notre recherche consiste en une expérimentation comparative visant à évaluer l’efficacité pédagogique du CHINOINFO. Nous avons fait passer un test lexical à deux groupes d’apprenants francophones, soit le groupe contrôle (GC) et le groupe expérimental (GE), en leur proposant un nombre d’outils de référence. Seul le GE a eu accès à CHINOINFO. Nous avons aussi collecté, au moyen de questionnaires de sondage, le profil des participants ainsi que leur appréciation sur le test et les outils de référence proposés. De manière générale, l’analyse comparative des résultats du test lexical montre que le GE a mieux réussi à résoudre les trois types de difficultés soulevées par les CLS. Les participants étaient plutôt satisfaits de l’organisation du test. Le GE a eu moins de difficultés à réaliser le test puisqu’il se sentait mieux outillé pour trouver des éléments de réponses aux questions du test par rapport GC. Le GE s’est exprimé favorablement quant à l’utilité du CHINOINFO pour résoudre les problèmes lexicaux dans le cadre de notre expérimentation. Pour conclure, les résultats de notre analyse fournissent des indices sur l’apport du CHINOINFO en tant qu’une ressource d’apprentissage des CLS, ce qui laisse entrevoir l’intérêt de la méthode de description lexicale que nous avons proposée dans un contexte pédagogique. / The teaching and learning of Chinese specialized lexicon is a path strewn with obstacles. For non-native learners, specialized lexical combinations (SLCs) (L’Homme, 2000) raise syntactic and semantic difficulties and thus represent a major challenge in the acquisition of lexical skills. However, there are few methodological proposals to solve these difficulties in the literature devoted to the teaching practice and applied research of Chinese for specific purposes (Q. Li, 2011). In this research, we explore how a lexical description method based on semantic and syntactic representation assists non-native learners in solving lexical problems raised by SLCs. This thesis aims at designing a method for describing SLCs to help non-Chinese speakers solve lexical difficulties. The proposed method is applied to develop CHINOINFO, a Chinese-French dictionary of computer science and information technology terms. This lexical resource is designed for French-speaking learners of Chinese and can also be used as a writing tool for language professionals (translators, technical writers, and proofreaders), as well as professionals in this field. The secondary objective of this thesis is to evaluate the pedagogical effectiveness of the developed resource among French-speaking university students. This research draws on concepts derived from three theoretical frameworks. Firstly, the Explanatory and Combinatorial Lexicology (Mel’čuk et al., 1995) provides theoretical support for founding the lexical description on the representation of semantic features of the specialized lexicon. Secondly, the collection and analysis of SLCs are guided by the lexical-semantic approach to terminology (L’Homme, 2020a). Finally, we draw on the cognitive approach to second language didactics (Chastain, 1990) to explore the effective ways to organize and present the descriptive information of the specialized lexicon. Our methodological approach was carried out in three stages. We started by assembling a specialized Chinese corpus to extract a sample of SLCs and their descriptive information. The analysis of the data collected from the corpus led us to anticipate three types of syntaxico-semantic difficulties raised by SLCs: 1) distinguishing polysemes in different SLCs; 2) identifying, in a given context, the meaning of a lexical combination that is syntactically ambiguous; and 3) selecting appropriate co-occurrents for a term. In the second stage, we deployed different strategies to describe the syntaxico-semantic features of SLCs. Subsequently, a descriptive method that incorporates the proposed solutions has been applied to the creation of CHINOINFO. This online lexical resource contains 91 basic terms related to computer science and information technology. For these terms, we encoded a total of 282 related terms and 644 SLCs. The organization of content in the entries has been largely inspired by the conversion of DiCoInfo (Observatoire de linguistique Sens-Texte, 2022) into a learner’s dictionary (Alipour, 2014). We used various techniques to make the resource user-friendly. The final stage of our research consists of a comparative experiment to evaluate the pedagogical effectiveness of CHINOINFO. We had two groups of French-speaking learners, the control group (CG) and the experimental group (EG), take a lexical test by providing them with several reference materials. Only the EG had access to CHINOINFO during the test. We also collected the information about the participants' learning profile and their appreciation of the test and the proposed reference materials. Overall, the comparative analysis of the test results shows that the GE succeeded better in solving the three types of difficulties raised by the SLCs. The participants were quite satisfied with the organization of the lexical test. The EG encountered less difficulty in answering questions during the test since they felt better equipped to find elements of answers in the reference materials than the GC. The EG commented favorably on the utility of CHINOINFO in solving lexical problems. To conclude, the results of our experiment provide clues about the pedagogical interest of CHINOINFO as a SLC learning resource, which suggests the relevance of the lexical description method we proposed in a pedagogical context.

Writing proficiency in the English language is one of the critical workplace competencies required in the police workplace. The aim of this study was to investigate and determine the perceptions and experiences of South African police constables’ workplace English writing needs in selected police clusters in the Gauteng province, South Africa and recommend suitable strategies to address those needs. Therefore this thesis reports on workplace English writing needs from a professional perspective to determine how they impact on the workplace English writing competencies of police constables and also as a basis for the development of a language-integrated learning curriculum in SAPS police training academies. Data was collected through a questionnaire and interviews with selected sample of the respondents. This data was collected on: their perceptions of their workplace English writing competencies, the areas within English writing which they consider to be a challenge, their perceptions about the extent to which the SAPS training programme addresses police officers’ workplace English writing needs and their suggestions regarding the type of SAPS training programme which can enhance their workplace English writing competencies. This study was prompted by concerns from various research studies and media which reported that police officers have inadequate English writing competencies. Among other things, the study found that the absence of an English writing course in the Basic Police Development Learning Programme contributes significantly to the inadequate workplace English writing competency of police constables in South Africa. The lack of awareness of the importance of other writing sub-skills such as punctuation, word classification and correct capitalisation, contributes to police constables incompetence. This research underscores the importance of police constables’ workplace English writing research on a large scale. Such research can be used for improved pedagogy in police training academies in South Africa. Finally, the findings from this study can also be used as a basis for the development of language-integrated learning curricula in the South African police training academies and also to foster awareness about different factors impacting on the workplace English writing competencies of police constables in South Africa. / English Studies / D. Litt et Phil. (English)

Content-based language instruction has gained widespread acceptance as an effective approach in a range of educational settings for adults and children. It is premised on the belief that language and content are inextricably linked and that learning is enhanced through an integrated approach. Yet the nature of the relationship between content and language, and how integration can be achieved in the content-based language classroom, continue to be points of divergence for both researchers and practitioners. One approach to this question draws on research in form-focused instruction (FFI), which describes various instructional options that draw learners’ attention to form in primarily meaning and content-based classrooms. While widely accepted that FFI has a positive impact on language learning outcomes in a variety of contexts, FFI research in content-based language programs for adults has been limited. This study investigated the effect and effectiveness of FFI in a content-based language program designed to prepare adult newcomers to Canada for employment in a specific workplace sector. Two groups of adult learners participated in the study. One group of 16 adults received content-based instruction integrated with FFI while the other group of 20 adults received the same content-based instruction with a focus on meaning only. A quasi-experimental, pre-test/post-test/delayed post-test design was adopted for this comparative study in order to measure language and content outcomes. Language measures included an error correction task, a cloze task, and oral production tasks. Content outcomes were measured via content tests. In addition, a retrospective awareness protocol was designed to assess learners’ awareness of language and content in their instruction and to explore the relationship between this awareness and language development. ANOVA and ANCOVA results indicated that there was no advantage for the participants receiving form-focused instruction on language outcomes but a significant benefit on the content knowledge tests. Analysis of the retrospective report data indicated that the participants were able to identify the focus of the instruction they received. However, no relationship between awareness of language and language development was found. These findings are discussed in light of previous research and in terms of their implications for content-based language instruction.