In this article we define legal language as a macrolanguage of law, as a play on words to refer to a reality which is made, quantitatively, by a multiplicity of linguistic characteristics and, qualitatively, by the heterogeneity of the sector. In fact, in its macrostructure coexist different types of languages (normative, administrative, ordinary, jurisprudential, notarial, judicial, etc.) and in its microstructure, on the one hand, coexist the language of public and private law (civil, criminal, commercial, etc.), and on the other, the language of national and community rights, without taking into account all the influences coming from other disciplines (economic, technical, bio-sanitary, etc.). Therefore, when we talk about macrolanguage of law we use two terms that in themselves represent two systems that are giving life to a reality that survives and is nourished thanks to the rules of the first (language) and the contents and structures of the second (law). This article aims to merge previous studies on the Italian legal language, still current, with the linguistic elements extracted from a more contemporary corpus of legal texts relating to different textual typologies (regulatory, judicial and administrative texts). As a result of this study, we propose two compilation schemes in which we try to present the main lexical-semantic and morphosyntactic characteristics of the macrolanguage of Italian law.
The purpose of this article is to characterize the meanings constructed by a group of university students who are being trained as future L1 teachers with respect to the teaching of linguistics at this level of training. The research corresponds to a single case study based on the interview of 10 students in their third, fourth and fifth year of the Pedagogy in Spanish degree at a Chilean public university. The results allow us to conclude that the interviewees construct their discourse assuming the future teaching role for which they are being trained and that, from there, they articulate a critical view of a training that they consider academicist, theoretical and abstract.
Anaphora is the referential procedure used to identify a part of the text by resorting to a certain previously introduced element. The present study analyses a questionnaire about the use of anaphora in Spanish among a sample of Chinese students whose college major is Spanish. The aim of this study is, on one hand, to specify the weak aspects of the Chinese-speaking learners in the domain of this grammar in Spanish and, on the other hand, to describe the intrinsic factors that interfere in its construction. It is found that Chinese-speaking learners show weaknesses both in the general distribution of the different types of anaphora and in the application of each one of them. The errors that they make are mainly attributed to two causes: mother tongue interference and difficulty in mastering grammatical aspects. Based on the analysis, didactic strategies are proposed for teaching Spanish to Chinese-speaking learners.
Pesticide labels constitute a prototypical textual genre in the professional and academic fields of Agronomic Sciences. This paper presents the description of this genre from an analysis framework based on the rhetorical moves found in two central sections: Product description and Security warnings, present in 19 labels from various English-speaking countries. The analysis evidenced the occurrence of the move M1 (identification and characterization) in product name and description in which the steps that mention the commercial name, product type and chemical composition, among others, were compulsory. In the section Security warnings two moves were identified: M2 (security information and risks), in which two compulsory steps addressing security information and risks were found; and M3 (security precautions), in which steps related to operators protection and environmental care were present. It is possible to conclude from the findings that the genre presents relative homogeneity and stability, which makes it possible to outline general conclusions and pedagogical implications for teaching the aforementioned genre in ESP courses.
English emerged as a contact language that allows those who do not share a common mother tongue to communicate successfully. It is precisely what happens in the community of Formula 1, where people from entirely different linguacultural backgrounds converge. This diverse and multicultural society is an unexplored field regarding linguistics. Hence, this paper aims to explore the linguistic features found in the basic way of communication of Formula 1 participants, Team Radios. First, a lexico-grammatical, discursive, and pragmatic study was conducted. The corpus comprises a total of seventy-seven instances extracted from fourteen Grands Prix from the 2020 season. They illustrate the core linguistic features of this genre. The results of this research are complemented by the answers of some current and former Formula 1 participants to a brief online survey. The final section offers the conclusions of this research, displaying the excellent communication skills in English as a Lingua Franca (ELF) that Formula 1 participants possess, concerning both fluency and accuracy, during team radio interactions.
El propósito de este artículo es caracterizar los significados construidos por un grupo de estudiantes universitarios que se forman como futuros docentes de L1 respecto de la enseñanza de la lingüística en este nivel de formación. La investigación corresponde a un estudio de caso único basado en la entrevista de 10 estudiantes de tercero, cuarto y quinto año de la carrera de pedagogía en lengua de una universidad pública chilena. Los resultados permiten concluir que los entrevistados construyen su discurso asumiendo el futuro rol docente para el cual se están formando y que, desde allí, articulan una visión crítica de una formación que consideran academicista, teórica y abstracta.
En este artículo definimos el lenguaje jurídico un macrolenguaje del derecho, como juego de palabras para referirnos a una realidad caracterizada, cuantitativamente, por una multiplicidad de características lingüísticas y, cualitativamente, por la heterogeneidad del sector. De hecho, en su macroestructura conviven distintos tipos de lenguajes (normativo, administrativo, ordinario, jurisprudencial, notarial, judicial, etc.) y en su microestructura confluyen, por un lado, el lenguaje del derecho público y privado (civil, penal, mercantil, etc.), y por otro, el lenguaje de los derechos nacional y comunitario, sin contar con todas las influencias procedentes de disciplinas adyacentes (económicas, técnicas, biosanitarias, etc.). Por ende, cuando hablamos de macrolenguaje del derecho utilizamos dos términos que en sí mismos representan dos sistemas que se encuentran dando vida a una realidad que sobrevive y se nutre gracias a las reglas del primero (lenguaje) y a los contenidos y estructuras del segundo (derecho). El presente artículo pretende fusionar estudios anteriores sobre el lenguaje jurídico italiano, todavía actuales, con los elementos lingüísticos extraídos de un corpus más contemporáneo de textos jurídicos relativos a diferentes tipologías textuales (textos normativos, judiciales y administrativos). Como resultado de este estudio, proponemos dos esquemas recopilatorios en los que intentamos presentar las principales características léxico-semánticas y morfosintácticas del macrolenguaje del derecho italiano.
Rapid globalization in all spheres of modern life enhances the role of international communication focused on global ties formation, especially for the countries which find themselves in situations of conflict, including war, civil war and/or occupation. For such countries the role of English as lingua franca plays an imperative role and thus further intensifies the need in well-trained human resources with a good command of foreign languages. Despite the national understanding and governmental support in developing the foreign language proficiency of Ukrainian higher educational establishments’ graduates, the ESP teaching and learning is presently facing numerous challenges in Ukraine. The present article deals with the analysis of the up-to-date ESP teaching and learning difficulties at tertiary level on the basis of some twenty years of the ESP teaching experience. The study shows that ESP teaching management, including program and syllabus compilation processes currently need universally agreed standards as the number of contact hours allocated, the selection of courses and their combination as well as the choice of themes under study within the scope of the same major differ significantly from university to university. There is a constant need to provide for teacher-training programs; requirement to supply modern and relevant textbooks; necessity to enhance students’ motivation and improve their communicative competences. Some possible solutions to achieve the educational results, to successfully satisfy the learners’ specific needs and to overcome the existing hardships in teaching English to non-English majors are offered.
In research contexts today, scientists are increasingly using crowdfunding science platforms to make their work visible while inviting donations from the public, as well as to prompt their opinion on scientific topics. Using as a case study an experimental biology project in Experiment.com, the aim of this paper is to analyse and critically assess the rationale for the rhetorical organisation of this digital genre to understand the social demands the construction of crowdfunding projects entail. Results show a point in common between traditional and digital genres, and also a common communicative intention between the analysed project and that of traditional research articles. It is concluded that crowdfunding project proposals requires communicating scientific knowledge in a clear and accessible way but also conveying professionalism and credibility to persuade audiences that may not be specialized in the matter the project deals.
The present article investigates a particular lay-oriented medico-pharmaceutical genre, viz. the European Public Assessment Report – summary for the public, which is a summarized version of a much longer specialized report published by the European Medicines Agency. The specialized report sets out the results of the Agency’s evaluation of a given pharmaceutical company’s application for marketing authorization of a medicinal product in EU countries. The summary for the public reports the gist of the specialized source text in a linguistic register suitable for a lay readership. However, while the summaries are thus products of registerial adaptation, it is uncertain whether the rewriting results in texts that are sufficiently coherent, given that the key features of summary writing – condensation and selection of information – may be at odds with the production of coherent text. Therefore, based on an analytical methodology originating in Systemic-Functional Linguistics, this article investigates a small corpus of EPAR summaries to assess the level of coherence in these rewritten texts. The investigation uncovers the ways and the extent to which the summaries employ structural and non-structural cohesive devices to achieve coherence. It is concluded, however, that while the use of these devices in the texts is such as to create a clear potential for coherence, this potential is not adequately exploited, which means that the level of coherence in the texts leaves something to be desired.
La anáfora es el procedimiento referencial utilizado para identificar una parte del texto recurriendo a cierto sintagma previamente aparecido. El presente estudio está dedicado al análisis de un cuestionario acerca del uso de la anáfora en español aplicado en una muestra de estudiantes chinos de carrera de español. El objetivo del estudio consiste en especificar los aspectos débiles de los aprendices sinohablantes en el dominio de esta gramática en español, y, además, explicar los factores intrínsecos que intervienen en su construcción. Se descubre que los aprendices sinohablantes muestran deficiencias tanto en la distribución general de los diferentes tipos de uso anafórico como en la aplicación de cada uno de ellos. Los errores cometidos se atribuyen principalmente a dos causas: interferencia de la lengua materna y dificultades de los aprendices en el dominio de aspectos gramaticales. Partiendo del análisis, se plantean estrategias didácticas para la enseñanza del español a aprendices sinohablantes.
Evaluating learners’ performance in an English for Specific Purposes (ESP) course at a tertiary level presents several challenges. These challenges include the diverse needs of learners, the difficulty of developing valid and reliable assessments, and the need to balance formative and summative assessments. Learners in ESP courses often come from different academic and professional backgrounds, which can make it challenging to design assessments that are fair and relevant to all learners. Since evaluation is one of the four main pillars of ESP, assessing language proficiency in specific fields requires specialized knowledge, training and resources. Developing valid and reliable assessments that accurately measure the desired outcomes of the course can also be a significant challenge for teachers, especially in a context where ESP has been introduced recently and uses a teacher-centered approach. Therefore, this study focuses on evaluating learners of ESP courses at two universities, UBT in Kosovo and SEEU in North Macedonia. Namely, the sample comprised 20 English language university professors and 60 EFL students from both universities. The research methods used are teacher surveys and student questionnaires. Data reveals that both groups of respondents, teachers and students, identified potential factors posing challenges in assessing students in ESP courses mainly related to their previous education, inclusion of technology in teaching and a variety of continuous assessment methods used by their professors. The overall study suggests that addressing these challenges requires careful planning, collaboration among educators, and ongoing evaluation of assessment practices. Therefore, it proposes some practical tool that can effectively measure learners’ performance in ESP courses at the tertiary level.
Un género discursivo prototípico de las Ciencias Agronómicas en ámbitos profesionales y académicos es la etiqueta de productos agroquímicos. Este trabajo presenta la descripción del género textual desde un marco de análisis basado en los movimientos retóricos presentes en dos secciones centrales del género: Nombre y descripción del producto y Advertencias de seguridad. Para el estudio se utilizaron 19 etiquetas de productos agroquímicos en inglés de diversos países angloparlantes. Los resultados del análisis evidenciaron la presencia en la sección Nombre y descripción del producto, de un movimiento, M1, de identificación y caracterización, en el que resultaron obligatorios los pasos que ofrecen datos del nombre comercial, del tipo de producto y de su formulación química, entre otros. En la sección Advertencias de seguridad se encontraron dos movimientos; en el M2 o de información de seguridad y riesgos, se pueden identificar dos pasos obligatorios sobre riesgos e instrucciones de seguridad y en el M3 o de precauciones de seguridad se identifican pasos referidos a la protección del operador y protección ambiental. Se desprende de los hallazgos que existen una homogeneidad y estabilidad relativas del género, lo que permite delinear algunas conclusiones e implicancias pedagógicas para la enseñanza del género en las clases de IFE.
The rising popularity of English Medium Instruction (EMI) in higher education has become a notable global trend. However, there is limited information on what students expect from these programmes. Therefore, this study aims to explore students’ expectations of EMI within a Physical Activity and Sport Sciences degree at a Spanish public university, the first such programme in Spain. It also examines the relationship between EMI expectations and students’ profile variables such as gender, accredited and perceived English proficiency, and prior experience in bilingual education. Data was collected from a sample of 109 students using the English Medium Instruction Expectations Scale, which has been validated for reliability and validity. Results showed high expectations for improved job opportunities and linguistic competence, particularly in technical vocabulary and comprehension skills, with lower expectations for written expression. However, students anticipated their academic achievement to be less effective compared to instruction in Spanish. Additionally, female students and those with higher accredited English levels had significantly higher expectations regarding job prospects. In conclusion, this study underscores the importance of understanding students’ expectations of EMI programmes to identify gaps between anticipated and actual experiences, as these mismatches can impact satisfaction and perceptions of the programme effectiveness.
In dieser Arbeit wird der Gebrauch der deutschen Präpositionen um und in bei chinesischen Deutschlerner/-innen im Rahmen der konzeptuellen Metapherntheorie anhand des CDLK-Korpus und Falko-Korpus analysiert. Die Präposition in, so die Untersuchung, weist eine deutlich höhere Fehlerhäufigkeit als die Präposition um auf, was letztlich auf Unterschiede in den kulturellen und konzeptuellen Systemen in Deutschland und China zurückzuführen ist. Darüber hinaus verwenden chinesische Deutschlerner/-innen Präpositionen häufiger in ihren räumlichen und zeitlichen Bedeutungen und seltener in ihren metaphorischen Bedeutungen. Außerdem gibt es keine eindeutige Korrelation zwischen der Lerndauer der chinesischen Deutschlerner/-innen und der Fehlerzahl. Konsequenzen sollen entsprechend für die Verbesserung der Lehre gezogen werden.
El español es una lengua con características únicas, como el uso del morfema de género gramatical y el artículo como determinante, lo que dificulta su aprendizaje para hablantes de lenguas como el persa, donde su lengua materna carece de estos elementos. La dificultad se profundiza aún más cuando se trata de la concordancia de género y número en los grupos nominales en español. En este estudio, se busca analizar un corpus de estudiantes persas de español utilizando la metodología de Análisis de Errores, con el propósito de identificar los errores frecuentes en cuanto al género gramatical en español, analizar las causas subyacentes y sugerir posibles soluciones para mejorar la comprensión y el uso del género gramatical en español entre los estudiantes persas.
Spanish for Specific Purposes (SSP) is a growing subject. It is already studied in graduate, postgraduate and masters courses It has got a several specific features compared to general Spanish as a second language. In this article these characteristics are briefly summed up. The professional efficiency in a specific communicative situation is highlighted. Thus, interaction and participation in the SSP classroom are very important factors. We want to achieve the highest level of student involvement in the process of learning a specialised language. That's why we propose the use of cooperative methods as an innovation. In the last section, we apply the informal cooperative learning strategies to the activities in a SSP student book.
