Every month, the professional development meetings of statisticians and data scientists at Waite, known as StatsPD@Waite, bring together specialists in various aspects of data sciences in agriculture from Waite, Roseworthy and Adelaide.
Please join us for the next StatsPD@Waite seminar where Joyce Zhang, an Undergraduate Summer Research Scholar from the University of Adelaide Biometry Hub will present on Enhancing discipline-specific English learning for entrants to applied statistics as a new research field: a corpus linguistic approach
Also please note that the StatsPD@Waite meetings are recorded. If you have a question to the speaker but had rather not be recorded, please send your question via chat during the meeting and it will be asked on your behalf.
Please email Beata Sznajder for details of the Zoom meeting.
Title: Enhancing discipline-specific English learning for entrants to applied statistics as a new research field: a corpus linguistic approach
Presenter: Joyce Zhang, Undergraduate Summer Research Scholar, supervised by Dr Margaret Cargill, Biometry Hub, the University of Adelaide
Data-driven learning (DDL) concerns the use of concordancing and corpus linguistic analysis for pedagogical purposes, which can be a valuable resource for learning advanced, discipline-specific English. It is an investigative method which differs from traditional teaching. Concordancing presents genuine instances of language use for learners to observe and interpret. Through DDL, learners can explore language use in an applied context, answer language questions, check the validity of language rules, and revise their writing. DDL can also improve writing skills such as vocabulary, grammar, error correction, and adherence to genre norms. Specialised corpora, which consist of texts in a nominated target discipline, are effective for learning discipline-specific English. This study aims to construct effective specialised corpora in applied statistics that can acculturate learners in the Biometry Hub and other contexts within the University of Adelaide to their target discipline(s). Users can also add to the corpora to suit their own language learning needs. The freeware concordancing software AntConc is used to analyse the corpora. This tool is readily accessible and easy to use, which makes it suitable for new users of concordancing tools. The effectiveness of the corpora will be evaluated using several design criteria, including size and quality. Issues such as inclusion of formulae, copyright requirements, and text format are also investigated. The process of constructing and using specialised corpora will be presented, and their use demonstrated.