Occupation - Diversity

Question 1

Discourse community

Answer 1

Community of practice

Question 2

Discourse structure

Answer 2

The internal structure of a text

Question 3

Ethnography

Answer 3

The study of how a group of people communicate

Question 4

Inference

Answer 4

Using assumed language knowledge in order to determine meaning

Question 5

How did John Swales define a discourse community?

Answer 5

Members who:

• Share a set of common goals
• Communicate internally, using and owning one or more genres of communication
• Use specialist lexis and discourse
• Possess a required level of knowledge and skill to be considered eligible to participate in the community

Question 6

British languages history

Answer 6

After the Norman invasion in 1066, official language was French. If you couldn’t speak French, you had to pay for someone to speak for you
Latin was a sign of status and power for many centuries because of its rule in education and the church

Question 7

Drew and Heritage 1983

Answer 7

Members of a discourse community share inferential frameworks with each other, consisting of implicit ways of thinking, communicating and behaving.
There are strong hierarchies of power within organisations with many asymmetrical relationships marked by language use

Question 8

Inferential framework

Answer 8

Knowledge built up over time and used in order to understand meanings that are implicit

Question 9

Phatic

Answer 9

Language that is devoid of content but that supports social relationships

Question 10

Koester 2004

Answer 10

Shows how important phatic talk is, in getting jobs done.

Being sociable and engaging in personal chat is an important aspect of effective working

Question 11

Solidarity

Answer 11

Feeling of connection with others, mutual support

Question 12

Hornyak (language and power)

Answer 12

The shift from work talk to personal talk is always initiated by the highest ranking person in the room

Question 13

Kim and Elder 2009

Answer 13

Research on the communication difficulties experienced by Korean pilots and air-traffic staff when communicating with their American colleagues

Question 14

Communication problems of Kim and Elder’s research

Answer 14

• Poor language skills among the Korean personnel, native speakers not using the agreed phrases, but either abbreviating unhelpfully or elaborating unnecessarily, and sometimes employing idiomatic expressions

Question 15

Name 7 occupational theorists

Answer 15

1. Janet Holmes
2. John Swales
3. Koester
4. Lave & Wenger
5. Drew & Heritage
6. Howard Giles
7. Bax

Question 16

4. Lave & Wenger

Answer 16

In order to function, they must have shared goals, mutual engagement & a shared language

Question 17

3. Koester

Answer 17

Believed that inter-personal relationships are important to complete tasks.

• turn taking rules and restrictions
• importance of phatic talk

Question 18

2. John Swales

Answer 18

People working in the same discourse community use lexis specific to that occupation.
- share the same goals - use language to achieve those goals

Question 19

5. Drew & Heritage

Answer 19

Members of the same discourse community will share the same inferences making it easier to communicate swiftly & succinctly

Question 20

1. Janet Holmes

Answer 20

• Humour used in the work place to build solidarity
• self deprecation also used for humour
• hierarchies and boundaries
• indicates a level of closeness and comfort

Question 21

6. Howard Giles

Answer 21

Accommodation Theory
Groups occupational lexis into language which…
- allows others to be ‘involved’ and not alienated
- uses jargon to push away those not in the discourse community e.g doctors slang

Question 22

7. Bax

Answer 22

Imperatives are less common in speech than in writing

• Written 70%
• Spoken 50%

Question 23

Asymmetrical

Answer 23

unequal