THE APPLICATION OF CORPORA IN MEDIA DISCOURSE ANALYSIS
Speaker: Prof Qian Yufang
Research Centre for Discourse and Communications,
Zhejiang University of Media and Communications, China
Date: Wednesday, 7 December 2016 Time: 14:00 – 16:00 Venue: RS 501, 309 Regent Street W1B 2HW Chair: Professor Chang Xiangqun OPEN TO ALL Abstract: The past few decades have seen corpus linguistics emerging as a new and dynamic social research method. Text corpora provide large databases of naturally-occurring discourse, enabling empirical analysis of the actual patterns of language use; and, when coupled with (semi-)automatic computational tools, the corpus-based approach enables analysis of a scope not otherwise feasible. Examples of real life language use are collected, in order to support or negate the researcher’s hypothesis. Corpus access software can not only demonstrate the nonobvious in a single text, but expose ‘hidden thoughts’ beyond the researcher’s expectation. Corpus investigation is useful for critical linguists, because the observed frequent repetitions help the researchers to identify and make explicit descriptions of texts. Corpora can play an extremely important role in critical social research, allowing researchers to identify objectively widespread patterns of naturally occurring language and rare but telling examples, both of which may be overlooked in a small-scale analysis. Key words: corpora, media discourse, research method, corpus analytical tools Biography: Qian Yufang, Professor and Head of the Research Centre for Discourse and Communications, Zhejiang University of Media and Communications, China. Her research interests include discourse studies, discourse communication and corpus linguistics. Her book Discursive constructions around terrorism in the People’s Daily and The Sun before and after 9.11, Oxford Peter Lang, won the National Prize for Outstanding Achievement of Social Science, which is the top governmental prize for social science in China. She has published series of journal articles on corpus-based media discourse analysis. She has completed two Ministry of Education Social Science Projects. She is currently directing one China National Social Science Foundation Project. In 2013, she was appointed as an expert of appraisal for National Social Science Project; in the same year, she was appointed as the member of Teaching Guiding Committee for College Foreign Language Majors under the Zhejiang Provincial Department of Education. In 2014, she was awarded as Provincial Excellent Teacher by Zhejiang Provincial Government. If you have any inquiry about CMC events, please contact Alja Kranjec at: A.Kranjec@westminster.ac.uk