Linguistic Characteristics of Academic ELF Registers

This talk explores linguistic variation within written academic English as a Lingua Franca (ELF) by applying Multidimensional Analysis (MDA) to two registers: Academic Research Papers (ARPs) and Academic Research Blogs (ARBs). The analysis, based on 150 texts from each register, reveals two key dimensions: Interaction-focused vs. Information-focused discourse, and Expression of Stance. The findings show ARPs exhibiting higher information density and explicit stance-marking, while ARBs tend to feature a more interaction-focused style with clausal structures and informal markers. The presentation highlights the implications of these findings for understanding the hybrid and flexible nature of ELF writing in diverse academic contexts.

Presenter:
Nur Yağmur Demir is a Ph.D. candidate at Northern Arizona University. She received her BA (Boğaziçi University – 2016) and MA (Middle East Technical University – 2021) in English Language Education in Turkey. She has several years of experience in teaching English and Turkish in EFL contexts. She is interested in register appropriateness and humanlikeness of AI-generated texts, corpus linguistics, English as a Lingua Franca, and computer-mediated communication.

Hosted by CIRT-IG:
Elizaveta Kuznetsova, CIRT-IG Co-coordinator
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Chapter Council Meeting

Teaching Global Englishes: Reducing Bias in the Classroom

In today’s globalized world, English is spoken in diverse accents and forms, reflecting the richness of Global Englishes (GE) (Eberhard et al., 2022). While communication among GE users is common (Seidlhofer, 2011), research shows that listeners—both native (L1) and non-native (L2) speakers—often hold negative perceptions toward different GE varieties (Lindemann et al., 2014). These biases can affect students’ confidence and success in education, healthcare, employment, and even criminal justice (Rubin, 1992; Rubin et al., 2016; Hanson & Dovidio, 2016; Lippi-Green, 1994).

This webinar presents findings from a multi-site study that tested a two-week intervention aimed at improving perceptions of diverse English varieties in the U.S. and China. The results offer practical insights for helping students navigate and appreciate linguistic diversity.

By attending, you will:
✔️ Understand how listener bias toward different English varieties exists among language learners.
✔️ Learn evidence-based strategies to promote acceptance of diverse accents and speech patterns.
✔️ Discover practical classroom techniques to improve communication among students from different backgrounds.
✔️ Gain tools to create a more inclusive and globally aware learning environment.

Whether you’re an experienced teacher or new to the field, this webinar will equip you with valuable strategies to support your students in today’s multilingual world.

Friday, May 30, 12:00-1:00 pm California Time 

Cost

Members: Free
Non-members: $5.00

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Chapter Council Meeting

Calling all Interest Group (IG) Coordinators, Co-coordinators, Assistant Coordinators, and other IG leaders:

Accent Listening Training for Partners in Oral Communication

In today’s linguistically diverse classrooms, effective communication is a two-way street—and strong listening skills are just as critical as clear speaking. This engaging webinar empowers educators and students to become better oral communication partners through focused listener training. Discover how training listeners to understand a wider range of accents and speech patterns can lead to faster cognitive processing, deeper comprehension, and more inclusive attitudes toward different varieties of English.

• Drawing from cutting-edge research in applied linguistics, communications, and social psychology, this session will explore:

• How the brain processes unfamiliar speech
• Why we might struggle to understand speakers with different accents

Key Takeaways

Presenter

Katherine (Kate) Yaw is an Assistant Professor of Applied Linguistics at the University of South Florida (Tampa, FL, USA). She holds a PhD in Applied Linguistics from Northern Arizona University. She has worked in language education since 2007, with experience in English language teaching, teacher training, and program administration. Her research interests include perception and production of speech, language attitudes, cognitive processing of L2-accented speech, and the role of listeners in successful communication, along with quantitative research ethics.

Hosts

Teaching of Pronunciation Interest Group (TOP-IG)
Marsha Chan and Patryk Mrozek

Moderator

Marsha Chan

Date and Time

Cost

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Precision through Poetry: A Path to Pronunciation Proficiency

Looking for ways to spice up pronunciation practice in your speaking courses? Discover the Sound-Pattern-Inflection (SPI) coding method, a powerful oral fluency approach developed and refined through years of teaching pronunciation in both domestic and international contexts. Learn how the authentic, yet often overlooked, texts of poetry can help students discover and unlock more accurate speech production. In this session, participants will learn to evaluate and select rich, authentic poetic texts, code in sequenced layers of prosody, and apply these methods to their classrooms, transforming pronunciation practice into a precise and engaging experience for your language learners.

Friday, July 11, 11:00 AM-12 noon California Time 

Cost

Members: Free
Non-members: $5.00

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ExCom Meetings (Fridays 2PM-4PM)

• January 17, 2025

• March 14, 2025

• May 9, 2025

• August 15, 2025

Chapter Council Meeting