Comments for Cambridge Extra at Linguist List http://cup.linguistlist.org An online resource for linguists worldwide Sat, 01 Jun 2013 06:49:18 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.2 Comment on Author Michael Billig asks: Do we ‘Learn to Write Badly’ in the Social Sciences? by rickla http://cup.linguistlist.org/2013/05/do-we-learn-to-write-badly-in-the-social-sciences/comment-page-1/#comment-7590 rickla Sat, 01 Jun 2013 06:49:18 +0000 http://cup.linguistlist.org/?p=1044#comment-7590 This book sounds interesting. While I certainly aim to write clearly, I know that I often fail to do so, and an analysis with a large number of examples is probably necessary for most of us to make much progress. Sorry to fall into the trap that you identify in (1) of "targeting" you for criticism, but I think another aspect of writing badly is failing to use the linguistic means at our disposal to draw distinctions. One of those distinctions is that between defining and non-defining relative clauses. Compare these two sentences: 1. My professor, who is going to retire next year, set himself up as a potential target for criticism (by publishing a polemic in a national newspaper). 2. Anyone who criticises other academics sets him/herself up for criticism. This book sounds interesting. While I certainly aim to write clearly, I know that I often fail to do so, and an analysis with a large number of examples is probably necessary for most of us to make much progress.

Sorry to fall into the trap that you identify in (1) of “targeting” you for criticism, but I think another aspect of writing badly is failing to use the linguistic means at our disposal to draw distinctions. One of those distinctions is that between defining and non-defining relative clauses. Compare these two sentences:

1. My professor, who is going to retire next year, set himself up as a potential target for criticism (by publishing a polemic in a national newspaper).

2. Anyone who criticises other academics sets him/herself up for criticism.

]]> Comment on Author Michael Billig asks: Do we ‘Learn to Write Badly’ in the Social Sciences? by nsubtirelu http://cup.linguistlist.org/2013/05/do-we-learn-to-write-badly-in-the-social-sciences/comment-page-1/#comment-7589 nsubtirelu Wed, 29 May 2013 15:08:35 +0000 http://cup.linguistlist.org/?p=1044#comment-7589 My sense is a lot of the writing that's being described here has been heavily influenced by stronger forms of positivism and the need to generalize. The "simple" language Billig is advocating I suspect would need to rely more heavily on forms like narrative which are often seen in research that takes a somewhat oppositional stance to positivism (see for example contemporary ethnographies, narrative inquiry, post-modernist research, etc.). I guess I'm curious to know to what extent Michael Billig sees a connection between epistemology and writing style. My sense is a lot of the writing that’s being described here has been heavily influenced by stronger forms of positivism and the need to generalize. The “simple” language Billig is advocating I suspect would need to rely more heavily on forms like narrative which are often seen in research that takes a somewhat oppositional stance to positivism (see for example contemporary ethnographies, narrative inquiry, post-modernist research, etc.). I guess I’m curious to know to what extent Michael Billig sees a connection between epistemology and writing style.

]]> Comment on Publishing Your First Journal Article: an Academic Publisher’s view – 1 by Dr. Carol Anyagwa http://cup.linguistlist.org/2013/05/publishing-your-first-journal-article-an-academic-publishers-view-1/comment-page-1/#comment-7587 Dr. Carol Anyagwa Sat, 18 May 2013 20:28:36 +0000 http://cup.linguistlist.org/?p=1013#comment-7587 This is quite encouraging. My study is on two geographical accents of English in Nigeria and I have been worried about the right outlet for its international publication. I would appreciate your suggestion. This is quite encouraging. My study is on two geographical accents of English in Nigeria and I have been worried about the right outlet for its international publication. I would appreciate your suggestion.

]]> Comment on ReCALL special issue on digital games for language learning by ReCALL special issue on digital games for language learning « Cambridge Extra at Linguist List | World Englishes | Scoop.it http://cup.linguistlist.org/2013/02/recall-special-issue-on-digital-games-for-language-learning/comment-page-1/#comment-7583 ReCALL special issue on digital games for language learning « Cambridge Extra at Linguist List | World Englishes | Scoop.it Mon, 04 Mar 2013 15:23:44 +0000 http://cup.linguistlist.org/?p=944#comment-7583 [...]   [...] [...]   [...]

]]> Comment on Englishes in a multilingual South Africa by Englishes in a multilingual South Africa « Cambridge Extra at Linguist List | World Englishes | Scoop.it http://cup.linguistlist.org/2013/02/englishes-in-a-multilingual-south-africa/comment-page-1/#comment-7581 Englishes in a multilingual South Africa « Cambridge Extra at Linguist List | World Englishes | Scoop.it Thu, 28 Feb 2013 11:15:23 +0000 http://cup.linguistlist.org/?p=956#comment-7581 [...] New blog post: Englishes in a multilingual South Africa. Read about the special issue from English Today http://t.co/6O9eyC7u3H #Linguistics  [...] [...] New blog post: Englishes in a multilingual South Africa. Read about the special issue from English Today http://t.co/6O9eyC7u3H #Linguistics  [...]

]]> Comment on ReCALL special issue on digital games for language learning by ReCALL special issue on digital games for language learning ... | Digital Technologies and Learning | Scoop.it http://cup.linguistlist.org/2013/02/recall-special-issue-on-digital-games-for-language-learning/comment-page-1/#comment-7580 ReCALL special issue on digital games for language learning ... | Digital Technologies and Learning | Scoop.it Mon, 25 Feb 2013 10:15:26 +0000 http://cup.linguistlist.org/?p=944#comment-7580 [...] ReCALL special issue Editors Steven L. Thorne, Frederik Cornillie and Piet Desmet explore the use and value of digital games for language learning. ...  [...] [...] ReCALL special issue Editors Steven L. Thorne, Frederik Cornillie and Piet Desmet explore the use and value of digital games for language learning. …  [...]

]]> Comment on Free access to all 2012 content on Cambridge Journals Online by Katie http://cup.linguistlist.org/2013/01/free-access-to-all-2012-content-on-cambridge-journals-online/comment-page-1/#comment-7579 Katie Thu, 14 Feb 2013 08:33:03 +0000 http://cup.linguistlist.org/?p=903#comment-7579 Hi Natália, Thank you for you message regarding the citation information for the comparative book reviews in Language Teaching 45/2 and 45/3. I have tested this and all appears to be working correctly from my end. Please can I ask you to send me a screen shot of the incorrect citation information and I will ask our CJO development team to investigate. Thank you for bringing this to my attention. Katie (Cambridge Journals) Hi Natália,

Thank you for you message regarding the citation information for the comparative book reviews in Language Teaching 45/2 and 45/3. I have tested this and all appears to be working correctly from my end. Please can I ask you to send me a screen shot of the incorrect citation information and I will ask our CJO development team to investigate.

Thank you for bringing this to my attention. Katie (Cambridge Journals)

]]> Comment on Free access to all 2012 content on Cambridge Journals Online by Natália Guerreiro http://cup.linguistlist.org/2013/01/free-access-to-all-2012-content-on-cambridge-journals-online/comment-page-1/#comment-7578 Natália Guerreiro Sat, 09 Feb 2013 20:26:04 +0000 http://cup.linguistlist.org/?p=903#comment-7578 That's wonderful news! I've been downloading the articles and they're just great. =) I'd like to report a bug and I don't know where else to do it. In "Language Teaching" 2012 issues 2 and 3, there are comparative book reviews about material design and cross-linguistic influence. However, when we go to "how to cite this article", they're indexed as reviews of historic/sociological books which have nothing to do with those topics. That’s wonderful news! I’ve been downloading the articles and they’re just great. =)

I’d like to report a bug and I don’t know where else to do it. In “Language Teaching” 2012 issues 2 and 3, there are comparative book reviews about material design and cross-linguistic influence. However, when we go to “how to cite this article”, they’re indexed as reviews of historic/sociological books which have nothing to do with those topics.

]]> Comment on The origin of language in gesture–speech unity by The origin of language in gesture–speech unity « Cambridge Extra at Linguist List | IELTS throughout the Net | Scoop.it http://cup.linguistlist.org/2012/10/the-origin-of-language-in-gesture-speech-unity/comment-page-1/#comment-7577 The origin of language in gesture–speech unity « Cambridge Extra at Linguist List | IELTS throughout the Net | Scoop.it Fri, 04 Jan 2013 00:27:53 +0000 http://cup.linguistlist.org/?p=721#comment-7577 [...]   [...] [...]   [...]

]]> Comment on The origin of language in gesture–speech unity by The origin of language in gesture–speech unity - Cambridge Extra at ... | Second Language Attrition | Scoop.it http://cup.linguistlist.org/2012/12/the-origin-of-language-in-gesture-speech-unity-6/comment-page-1/#comment-7576 The origin of language in gesture–speech unity - Cambridge Extra at ... | Second Language Attrition | Scoop.it Sat, 22 Dec 2012 15:57:31 +0000 http://cup.linguistlist.org/?p=878#comment-7576 [...] Thanks to the BBC, filming for a Horizon program about IW (“The Man Who Lost His Body,” 1998), IW, Jonathan Cole, Shaun Gallagher and the University of Chicago gesture researchers gathered at our Gesture and Speech Lab for several days of ...  [...] [...] Thanks to the BBC, filming for a Horizon program about IW (“The Man Who Lost His Body,” 1998), IW, Jonathan Cole, Shaun Gallagher and the University of Chicago gesture researchers gathered at our Gesture and Speech Lab for several days of …  [...]

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