A study of L2 EAP learners’ performance in a simulated international conference: Three markers of interpersonal relationship in discussion sessions

Authors

Keywords:

Speaking English for Academic Purposes, discussion sessions, conference presentations, genre, Chinese university students

Abstract

Despite a growing interest in research on the spoken EAP genre of conference presentations, the Question and Answer session, which is now routinely embedded in such presentations, is under-researched. Particularly lacking is research on how L2 learners handle the shifting speaker-discussant relationship during discussion sessions. To explore this uncharted area, the study reported in this paper examined a group of eighteen L2 EAP learners in a simulated international conference with a focus on three interpersonal relationship markers, namely, how they opened the floor for discussion, what expressions they used for that occasion and the use of I think. Some pedagogical implications for EAP instruction are revealed.

Author Biography

  • Hua Peng, Fudan University, China
    Hua Peng is a lecturer at College of Foreign Languages and Literature, Fudan University. Her research interest is in teaching English for Academic Purposes and inter-cultural studies of higher education.

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Published

2018-04-05

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Section

Articles

How to Cite

A study of L2 EAP learners’ performance in a simulated international conference: Three markers of interpersonal relationship in discussion sessions. (2018). The Asian Journal of Applied Linguistics, 5(1), 130-141. https://caes.hku.hk/ajal/index.php/ajal/article/view/520