Exploration of perceptions and applications of spoken register at a South Australian university in relation to Iraqi students

Abstract

It has been suggested that insufficient research attention has been paid to the teaching of academic register to English as a Second Language students studying in Australia (Weger, 2009). Register is important since acquiring a language includes an understanding of the subject matter, relationships between participants, and the channel of communication as well as merely grammar and syntax. It is therefore relevant to discover whether this is in fact the case in Australian pre-enrolment English programs and bridging programs. Research on register should inform its teaching in academic contexts. A number of studies such as those by Martin, Matthienssen and Painter (1997)and Aguirre-Muñoz and colleagues (2006) have explored register in written academic discourse. Far fewer have looked at register in spoken discourse. In addition, these isolated studies have not explored formal spoken discourse. For instance, Sattar and colleagues (2009) focused on informal spoken discourses in the classroom. In order to address the issue of Iraqi students learning spoken register in Australia, this study explores the literature related to the issue, identifies gaps in the knowledge-base, and defines a theoretical framework and methodology for exploring the complex, real-life content-based classroom interactions related to register. This framework will enable the exploration of materials, curricula, teaching practices and perceptions of what is learnt, in pre-enrolment programs and bridging programs. It will also facilitate the exploration of whether appropriate register is achieved by these learners.