Dr Niall Curry, Manchester Metropolitan University
October 11, 18:00 (Madrid time) / 17:00 (UK time)
This talk is part of the Corpus linguistics & applied linguistics research 2023 online event.
Registration: https://umurcia.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_d68rw3V_TnOGNWDg6sXHnw
Abstract
Comparability is a core criterion underpinning corpus linguistics research. From using a reference corpus to determine keywords to comparing across time, space, and language, corpus linguistics often draws on different data sets to tell us what is special about the language we are studying. This view has become so naturalised within corpus linguistics methodologies that discussions of comparability in corpus research are quite uncommon. This challenge of addressing comparability is long-standing in fields like contrastive analysis, which came to prominence and fell to decline owing to advances and limitations in methodological approaches, in part related to issues of comparability. In its most recent rise, as corpus-based contrastive linguistics, research has sought to merge contrastive and corpus linguistics approaches to address the weaknesses identified in contrastive analysis methodologies and enhance perspectives on comparability in corpus linguistics research. Merging contrastive and corpus linguistics approaches, this talk presents case studies with a view to interrogating issues of comparability in corpus analysis and establishing theoretical bases from which to draw meaningful comparisons across multilingual discourses. Specifically, the talk sheds light on the methodological pitfalls we encounter in comparing corpora representing a range of contexts and variables, the impact that our methods of analysis can have on our findings, and the importance of contextually situating contrastive studies from epistemological and ontological perspectives. The findings of the talk are intended to offer points of reflection for anyone applying contrastive approaches in corpus linguistics research, both across languages and across language varieties.
Dr Niall Curry is a Senior Lecturer in TESOL and Applied Linguistics within the Department of Languages, Information and Communications, at Manchester Metropolitan University. Currently, he is researching language relating to global crises and global issues. He is particularly interested in investigating how knowledge of these issues and crises is socially and discursively constructed across contexts, times, languages, and cultures with a view to understanding better how global issues vary across local contexts, and for international and local audiences. His areas of focus include (but are not limited to) issues such as climate, health, economics, and education. In parallel, Niall is conducting research on applied linguistics and TESOL related issues, spanning foci on register, genre, metadiscourse, materials development, and digital pedagogies.
You can check out the 2021 and 2022 talks here:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKjKIIQL6u1mXD2V9ZaT-_Q/featured
This online event is organized by the Universidad de Murcia and the E020-07 research group (Lenguajes de especialidad, corpus lingüísticos y lingüística inglesa aplicada a la ingeniería del conocimiento).
Coordination: Prof Pascual Pérez-Paredes & Dr Carlos Ordoñana Guillamón
