Transcript Document

Department of English, Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Language and Culture: Creating and Fostering Global Communities
The National University of Malaysia
5-6 May 2009
The Discourse Flows of the Professionals
in Today's Globalised World
Winnie Cheng
1
Department of English
Mission: Linguistic excellence in professional contexts
Programmes
BA (Hons) in Language Studies for the Professions (phasing out)
BA (Hons) in English Studies for the Professions (since 2008/09)
BA (Hons) in English for Business and Professional
Communication (part-time, self-financed)
MA in English for the Professions (all MA programmes are
mixed-mode, self-financed)
MA in English Language Studies
MA in English Language Teaching
MA in English Language Arts (starting 2009/10)
MPhil and PhD programmes
Research Centre for Professional
Communication in English (RCPCE)
Established in Jan 2006
Mission: To pursue applied research
and consultancy so as to deepen our
understanding of professional
communication in English and better
serve the communication needs of
professional communities.
Two goals of RCPCE research projects
1.
To provide a description of the
purposes, nature and patterns of
communication through the medium of
English in business and professional
contexts.
2.
To promote ESP teaching and research
through collaboration across different
disciplines, businesses and professions.
Recent projects
1.
Language Use in the Professional World in Hong Kong
2.
Hong Kong Professional Corpora: Towards the
Computer-assisted Investigation of English Phraseology
3.
Assessment of Professional Communicative
Competencies
4.
Discourse Processes and Products: Professionals in
Hong Kong
5.
An Initial Professional Communication Audit in the Field
of Logistics: Project Management in Geomatics
Research methodologies
Textual and corpus-based analyses:
websites
primarily written discourses collected from different research sites
critical discourse analysis, critical genre analysis, pragmatics,
communication theories, conversation analysis, etc.
Ethnography
field notes
Professional Discourse Checklist
Survey research:
interviews at different project stages
Participating professionals, industry, professional associations,
etc.
6
Online RCPCE Profession-specific Corpora
http://langbank.engl.polyu.edu.hk/HKFSC/
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Hong Kong Financial Services Corpus (HKFSC)
(6.7 million words)
Hong Kong Engineering Corpus (HKEC) (5.2
million words)
Hong Kong Corpus of Spoken English (HKCSE)
(1 million words)
Hong Kong Budget Speech Corpus
Hong Kong Surveying and Construction
Engineering Corpus, on-going
7
Hong Kong Financial Services Corpus
(6.7 million words)
Annual Report
Brochure
Bank Service Charge
Code
Corporate Announcement
Circular
Fund Description
Fund Report
Factsheet
Guidelines
General Meetings
Insurance Policy
Interim Report
Insurance Product Description
Investment Product Description
Model Agreement
Media Release
Ordinance
Procedures
Principle
Prospectus
Rules
Results Announcement
Standards
Speech
8
Example of a discourse flow
prior discourses
prior discourses

prior discourses

telephone discussion

prior discourses

project report


meeting
prior e-mail


e-mail

predicted e-mail

predicted meeting

predicted telephone
Whether discourse collected
Language (C, P, E)
Number of participants
(excluding self)
Internal/External
Unclassified
Informal office talk
Business-related discussion
Give verbal instructions
Receive verbal instructions
Give presentation
Listen to presentation
Informal meeting
Formal meeting
Personal phone call
Informal office phone call
Business phone call
Unclassified (Write)
Unclassified (Read)
Write covering note
Read covering note
Write report
Read report
Write letter
Read letter
Write memo
Read memo
Write e-mail
Read e-mail
Date:
Professional Discourse Checklist
9:009:30
9:3110:00
10:0110:30
10:3111:00
11:0111:30
11:3112:00
10
Individual participants
1.
Fun
•
2.
Paul
•
3.
Electrical and Mechanical Engineer, Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation
Kate
•
4.
Communications Manager, Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre
Marketing Manager, ABC International (Hong Kong) Co. Ltd.
Yan
•
“officer in a supporting unit to provide support (esp. drafting/editing/translating
documents) to other staff members”
5.
5. Andy
•
IT Manager, Bank
6.
Edward
–
PR Manager, a five-star hotel
11
Fun: Communications Manager
Communicative activities
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Read Email
21
15
14
34
21
Write Email
12
11
6
16
6
2
1
Read Covering Note
Write Covering Note
3
Unclassified (Read)
Unclassified (Write)
1
Business Phone Call
15
Informal Office Phone Call
1
Personal Phone Call
3
Formal Meeting
3
4
3
1
11
5
1
2
1
4
9
1
Informal Meeting
2
2
1
1
2
Give Verbal Instruction
3
6
4
3
5
Business Related Discussion
3
1
3
2
Informal Office Talk
1
6
5
4
Unclassified
5
2
4
3
70
62
47
69
Total:
2
49
12
Paul: Electrical and Mechanical Engineer
Communicative activities
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Read Email
19
20
9
16
20
Write Email
3
5
4
3
4
Read Letter
1
Write Report
1
Read Contract Specification
1
Consultant's Comments
2
Request of Information
3
Read Covering Note
4
1
1
Business Phone Call
3
6
3
Informal Office Phone Call
1
2
1
4
1
Personal Phone Call
1
Formal Meeting
1
Receive Verbal Instruction
1
3
1
Business Related Discussion
2
2
Informal Office Talk
1
3
40
24
Site Inspection
4
Unclassified
2
Total:
37
2
29
13
31
Kate: Marketing Manager
Communicative activities
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Read Email
9
5
17
20
12
Write Email
9
6
5
11
8
Write Letter
1
Write Covering Note
1
Business Phone Call
3
Informal Office Phone Call
4
Personal Phone Call
2
4
1
1
1
2
1
1
Formal Meeting
Informal Meeting
3
3
Receive Verbal Instruction
1
2
Give Verbal Instruction
3
1
Unclassified
1
3
36
25
Total:
6
5
1
31
8
1
42
28
14
Yan: Officer in a Supporting Unit
Communicative activities
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Read Email
8
8
15
14
8
Write Email
9
11
3
12
1
Business Phone Call
2
3
5
2
Informal Meeting
3
Receive Verbal Instruction
2
Business Related Discussion
1
1
4
Informal Office Talk
3
1
3
1
2
3
2
Unclassified
Total:
28
24
30
30
15
15
Andy: IT Manager
www.engl.polyu.edu.hk/RCPCE
16
Quantitative comparison of communicative
activities in a five-day period
Number of occurrences
1. Fun
397
2. Paul 161
3. Kate 162
4. Yan
127
5. Andy 317
17
Quantitative comparison of common activities over five
days: vertical and horizontal reading
Communicative activities
Fun
Paul
Kate
Yan
Read Email
105
84
63
53
Write Email
51
19
39
36
Business Phone Call
44
17
13
12
Informal Office Phone Call
1
5
7
Personal Phone Call
6
4
3
Formal Meeting
2
1
3
Informal Meeting
8
11
Give Verbal Instruction
21
4
Receive Verbal Instruction
1
4
3
3
Business Related Discussion
9
4
6
Informal Office Talk
18
6
12
Read Covering Note
3
1
Write Covering Note
10
Unclassified
14
1
2
13
2
18
Communicative activities specific to
profession(al)
Paul - Electrical and Mechanical Engineer
Read Contract Specifications
Read Consultant's Comments
Fill in and read Request of Information Forms
Site Inspection
19
Fun
English
Internal External
(E)
Chinese
(C)
Both
(E + C) Frequency
Day 1 (11 Apr 2005)
58
11
37
31
2
70
Day 2 (12 Apr 2005)
52
16
32
30
0
62
Day 3 (13 Apr 2005)
35
12
21
26
0
47
Day 4 (14 Apr 2005)
54
14
45
20
3
69
Day 5 (15 Apr 2005)
41
6
30
16
1
49
Total:
240
59
165
123
6
297
20
Paul
English Chinese Both
Internal External Both
(E)
(C)
(E + C) Frequency
Day 1 (9 Jan 2006)
5
6
1
12
0
0
37
Day 2 (10 Jan 2006)
4
9
0
13
0
0
40
Day 3 (11 Jan 2006)
7
2
0
9
0
0
24
Day 4 (12 Jan 2006)
7
3
0
9
1
1
31
Day 5 (13 Jan 2006)
8
3
0
11
0
0
17
Total:
31
23
1
54
1
1
149
21
Kate
English Chinese Both
Internal External Both
(E)
(C)
(E + C) Frequency
Day 1 (12 Nov 2007)
17
10
0
18
18
0
36
Day 2 (13 Nov 2007)
11
9
0
13
12
0
25
Day 3 (14 Nov 2007)
8
17
0
24
7
0
31
Day 4 (15 Nov 2007)
23
9
2
38
4
0
42
Day 5 (16 Nov 2007)
16
8
1
19
9
0
28
Total:
75
53
3
112
50
0
162
22
Yan
English Chinese Both
Internal External Both
(E)
(C)
(E + C) Frequency
Day 1 (12 Nov 2007)
17
11
0
16
1
27
Day 2 (13 Nov 2007)
14
10
0
18
6
0
24
Day 3 (14 Nov 2007)
12
18
0
13
12
5
30
Day 4 (15 Nov 2007)
10
20
0
23
4
3
30
Day 5 (16 Nov 2007)
6
5
4
2
10
3
15
Total:
59
64
4
72
32
12
126
23
Internal and external
communication
Participant Internal
External
Total
Fun
240 (81%) 59 (19%)
299
Paul
31 (58%)
23 (42%)
54
Kate
75 (59%)
53 (41%)
128
Yan
59 (48%)
64 (52%)
123
24
Use of English vs. Chinese
Participant
English
Chinese
Fun
165 (57%)
123 (43%)
Paul
54 (100%)
0
Kate
112 (70%)
50 (30%)
Yan
72 (70%)
32 (30%)
25
Andy: IT Manager: 109 discourse flows
www.engl.polyu.edu.hk/RCPCE
26
Andy: Discourse Flow 007
Subject
1
Migration Concept
RE: / FW:
Role of
Andy
No. of
Participants
No. of
Senders
No. of PR
No. of SR
Sent Date
N.A.
N.A.
13
1
8
4
2-Apr-08
2
FW:
N.A.
2
1
1
0
3-Apr-08
3
FW:
N.A.
6
1
3
2
9-Apr-08
4
RE:
N.A.
7
1
1
5
9-Apr-08
5
RE:
N.A.
6
1
1
4
9-Apr-08
6
RE:
N.A.
6
1
1
4
9-Apr-08
7
FW:
N.A.
3
1
2
0
11-Apr08
8
RE:
9
N.A.
1
1
1
11-Apr08
FW:
N.A.
6
1
1
4
11-Apr08
3
1
1
1
23-Apr08
14
1
11
2
17-Jun-08
2
1
1
0
18-Jun-08
1
0
Systematic data
profile
for PB
N.A.
N.A.
1
1
PB Products Data Profiling from
GDW (crest)
N.A.
PR
RE:
N.A.
1
2
3
Time
Frame
(Dates,
Duration)
No. of
Texts
2 Apr 08
18 Jun 08
(7,
2mths16days
)
12
Andy: Discourse Flow 019
Subject
1
Meeting minute GCS HK Wave 1
project presentation on
28 May
RE: / FW:
Role of
Andy
No. of
Participants
No. of
Senders
No. of PR
No. of SR
Sent Date
N.A.
PR
14
1
1
12
2-Jun-08
2
RE:
SR
5
1
1
3
2-Jun-08
3
RE:
SR
7
1
1
5
4-Jun-08
4
RE:
Sender
12
1
1
10
6-Jun-08
5
RE:
PR
11
1
1
9
6-Jun-08
6
RE:
Sender
11
1
1
9
6-Jun-08
7
RE:
Sender &
PR
12
1
2
9
11-Jun-08
8
RE:
PR & SR
12
1
1
10
11-Jun-08
9
RE:
Sender
11
1
1
9
13-Jun-08
N.A.
SR
6
1
2
3
16-Jun-08
1
1
RE:
SR
6
1
1
4
16-Jun-08
1
2
RE:
PR
3
1
2
0
16-Jun-08
1
0
<Urgent> please
confirm
approval from RPCCB
GCS HK Wave 1
project presentation on
28 May
Time
Frame
(Dates,
Duration)
No. of
Texts
2 Jun 08
16 Jun 08
(6, 15 days)
12
Analysis of two discourse flows
Discourse Flow Discourse Flow
007
019
Total number of
emails
Number of emails
sent / forwarded to
Andy
12
12
1 (No. 11)
12 (No. 1-12)
Discourse Flow 019
Subject
1
Meeting minute - GCS
HK Wave 1 project
presentation on 28 May
Role of
Andy
RE: / FW:
I/E
No. of
Participants
Sender
No. of PR
(no.) U / D / H
No. of SR
(no.) U / D / H
12
2U1D3H6
?
PR
N.A.
7I6?
14
H
1
2
SR
RE:
4I
5
H
1
1H
3
2H
3
SR
RE:
4I2?
7
H
1
1H
5
2H2?
4
Sender
RE:
10 I 1
?
12
1
1H
10
3U1D5H1
?
5
PR
RE:
9I1?
11
9
3U1D4H1
?
6
Sender
RE:
8I2?
11
1
1?
9
3U1D4H1
?
7
Sender &
PR
RE:
9I1?
12
2
1H
9
3U1D4H1
?
8
PR & SR
RE:
9I1?
12
10
3U1D4H1
?
9
Sender
RE:
9I1?
11
SR
N.A.
3I2?
6
1
1
SR
RE:
3I2?
1
2
PR
RE:
1I1?
1
0
<Urgent> please
confirm
approval from
RPCCB
GCS HK Wave 1
project presentation
on 28 May
H
H
1
1
1
1H
9
3U1D4H1
?
H
2
1H1?
3
1H1?
6
H
1
1U
4
1H2?
3
H
2
1?
0
N.A.
Analysis of Andy’s role
Role
No. of times
(Email no.)
Sender
SR
Mix
1
(no. 11)
Discourse
Flow 007
Discourse
Flow 019
PR
3
(no. 4,6,9 )
3
(no. 1, 5,12)
4
(no. 2, 3, 10,
11)
Sender & PR
(no. 7)
PR & SR
(no. 8)
Analysis of internal or external communication
Discourse Flow
007
019
Email no.
1
7I6?
2
4I
3
4I2?
4
10 I 1 ?
5
9I1?
6
8I2?
7
9I1?
8
9I1?
9
9I1?
10
3I2?
11
5I8?
12
1I1?
Note:
I: Internal Email
3I2?
E: External Email
? : unknown
Analysis of relationship of participants with Andy
(Discourse Flow 007)
Role of
Andy
11
PR
No. of
Participants
Senders
No. of PR
(no.) U / D / H
No. of SR
(no.) U / D / H
14
H
11
2D1H7?
2
1H1?
Analysis of relationship of participants with Andy
(Discourse Flow 019)
Role of
Andrew
No. of
Participants
Sender
No. of PR
(no.) U / D / H
No. of SR
(no.) U / D / H
12
2U1D3H6?
1
PR
14
H
1
2
SR
5
H
1
1H
3
2H
3
SR
7
H
1
1H
5
2H2?
4
Sender
12
1
1H
10
3U1D5H1?
5
PR
11
9
3U1D4H1?
6
Sender
11
1
1?
9
3U1D4H1?
7
Sender & PR
12
2
1H
9
3U1D4H1?
8
PR & SR
12
10
3U1D4H1?
9
Sender
11
10
SR
6
11
SR
12
PR
H
H
1
1
1
1H
9
3U1D4H1?
H
2
1H1?
3
1H1?
6
H
1
1U
4
1H2?
3
H
2
1?
0
N.A.
Inter-faculty research project
An Initial Professional Communication
Audit in the Field of Logistics: Project
Management in Geomatics, 2005-2008
•
•
•
Department of English (ENGL)
Department of Land Surveying and
Geo-Informatics (LSGI)
Cheng, W. and Mok, E. (2008). Discourse Processes and
Products: Land Surveyors in Hong Kong. English for
Specific Purposes, 27(1): 57-73.
35
Project site
A construction site office of the consultancy firm - “Road XX and
Associated Roadworks”
The site office, set up for more than a year, provided consultancy to
a main Contractor employed by the Hong Kong Government to work
on a highway project.
The site office had 83 staff members in five departments:
1. Land Surveying (19 staff members)
2. Works and Environment
3. Contractual and Mainline
4. Quantity Surveying
5. Administration
36
‘Fly-on-the-wall’ case study
Six whole days in Feb 2006 in Land Surveying
Department
A trained research staff
took field notes about communicative events and discursive
activities in the office
shadowed a few land surveyors in office and on site
interviewed some land surveyors
collected samples of written discourses
Selected land surveyors filled in a ‘Professional
Discourse Checklist’
37
Main discourse products and medium of
communication in LS Department
Written discourse
Medium of communication
1. Design Plan
Linguistic text in English, with maps,
graphs and diagrams
2. Tender invitations and proposals
English
3. Business letters
English
4. External and internal e-mails
English
5. Project Works
Linguistic text in English, with maps,
graphs and diagrams
6. Phase Division of Project Works
Linguistic text in English, with maps,
graphs and diagrams
7. Forms: ‘Request for Inspection’
and ‘Request for Information’
English
8. Contractor Submission Report
English
38
Spoken discourse
Medium of communication
1. Formal and informal
meetings
•Most formal meetings are attended
by RLS, and sometimes by SSOs;
those with government and
contractors are conducted in
English
•Informal meetings are primarily in
Cantonese, and are in English with
English-speaking land surveyors
working for the Contractor
2. Phone calls
Cantonese
3. Site visits and inspections Cantonese
39
Discourse processes and products among
parties in external communication
Parties involved in external
communication
External discourse products
between different parties and
Contractor and Sub-contractors
Client (Highways Department,
Hong Kong Government SAR)
Contracts
The Consultancy Firm
Letters
Resident Land Surveyor in LS
Department of Consultancy Firm
Meetings, e-mails, Project Works
(text, maps, graphs, diagrams)
Senior Surveying Officer in LS
Department of Consultancy Firm
Meetings, e-mails, Phase Division
of Project Works
Surveying Officer in LS
Department of Consultancy Firm
‘Request for Inspection’, ‘Request
for Information’, Phase Division of
Project Works, meetings, e-mails
40
Discourse processes and products among parties in
internal communication
Parties involved
in internal
communication
Upward communication
Downward
communication
The Consultancy
Firm
Meetings (including
telephone meetings), emails, Project Works (text,
maps, graphs, diagrams)
Meetings (including
telephone meetings), emails, Project Works (text,
maps, graphs, diagrams)
Resident Land
Surveyor
E-mails, Phase Division of Project Works (text, maps,
Project Works (text, maps, graphs, diagrams), Phase
graphs, diagrams)
Division of Project Works
(text, maps, graphs,
diagrams)
Senior Surveying
Officer
E-mails, meetings, Phase
Division of Project Works
(text, maps, graphs,
diagrams)
Surveying Officer E-mails, meetings
Meetings, e-mails, Phase
Division of Project Works
(text, maps, graphs,
diagrams)
‘Request for Inspection
Form’, ‘Request for
Information Form’, e-mails
41
Project Works (text, maps, graphs, diagrams)
Drawn up by Highways Department, Hong Kong Government
Meetings between parties
Invitation for tenders
Meeting notes/minutes
Tender proposals
Letters of acceptance/rejection
E-mails (internal and external)
Phase Division of Project Works
(text, maps, graphs, diagrams)
Meetings between parties
Contracts between parties
Meeting notes/minutes
Intertextuality and interdiscursivity
in discourse flow of LS project
management
Daily worksheets/
Site inspection report forms
E-mails (internal and external)
42
Discourse flow key
Communication remains at this level
Communication copied down
Communication copied up
43
Discourse flow (down)
letters, tendering proposals
Client (i.e. Govt.)  contracts contractor

The Company  meetings (including telephone meetings)  contractor
e-mails, letters
project works (text, maps, graphs, diagrams)
 e-mails, letters
Resident Land Surveyor  meetings  contractor
meetings  e-mails
project works  phase division of project works
(text, maps, graphs, diagrams)  (text, maps, graphs, diagrams)
SSO  e-mails, meetings, plan of work contractor
meetings meetings  e-mails e-mails
 phase division of project works
 (text, maps, graphs, diagrams)
SO  reports, phase division of works  contractor
meetings, e-mails
44
Discourse flow (up)
letters, tendering proposals
Client (i.e. Govt.)  contracts contractor

The Company  meetings (including telephone meetings)  contractor
e-mails, letters
project works (text, maps, graphs, diagrams)

e-mails, letters
Resident Land Surveyor  meetings  contractor
meetings

e-mails e-mails
project works

phase division of project works
(text, maps, graphs, diagrams)  (text, maps, graphs, diagrams)
SSO  e-mails meetings contractor
meetings meetings  e-mails e-mails

phase division of project works

(text, maps, graphs, diagrams)
SO  report forms  contractor
meetings e-mails
45
Intertextuality and interdiscursity
Intertextuality: the intertwining of textual
connections among texts within the discourse flow
Interdiscursivity: the mix of genres and
discourses within a text
Discourses studied include:
1. Project works – text, maps, graphs, diagrams
2. E-mail
3. ‘Request for Information’ (RIF) form, etc.
46
Intertextuality and interdiscursivity in
discourse flow of an external e-mail
47
Request for Information
Subject: Construction Detail for the U-channel along xxx Retaining Wall
‘Request for
Information’ PLEASE SUPPLY THE FOLLOWING DETAILS:
forma (RFI
QUERY:
#3)
According to your response to our previous RFI No. xxxx[1], the finishing
ground level for the front and xxx xx Road – xxx xxx side of xxx Retaining
Wall shall be followed the level as indicated in the Contract Drawings No.
xxxxx/xxxxx and xxxxx i.e. +6.3mPD.
Based on the above information, the proposed slope profile from the end of
xxx Retaining Wall at xxx xx Road – xxx xxx side to xx xxx is too steep and
the proposed U-channel along the toe slope cannot be constructed. (For your
easy reference, sections of the slope is attached).
An ‘x’
represents
one letter or
one digit
anonymised.
[1]
Please review and advise, otherwise we will proceed the works as per your
previous response.
RESPONSE:
The u-channel along the xxx xx Road side of the xxx retaining wall shall be
constructed to chainage 187.5 as per the attached Sketch No. xx/xxxxxxx.
Encl.
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Intertextuality in RFI form
(Enclosed project Works: design sketches) (Prior texts)
Request for Information
Contractor’s name
To: The Company
cc:
Subject: Construction Details for the U-channel along AB2 Retaining Wall
According to your response to our previous RFI No. XXXX, the finishing
ground level for the front and XXXX Road – the XXXX side of the AB2
retaining Wall shall be followed the level as indicated in the Contract
Drawings No. XXXX, i.e. +6.3mPD.
Based on the above information, the proposed slope profile from the end of
AB2 Retaining Wall at XXXX Road – XXXX side to CH 218 is too steep
and the proposed U-channel along the toe slope cannot be constructed.
(For your easy reference, sections of the slope is attached).
Please review and advise, otherwise we will proceed the works as per your
previous response.
49
Intertextuality in RFI form
Response
From: The Company
to: contractor
The u-channel along the XXXX Road side of
the AB2 retaining wall shall be constructed
to chainage 187.5 as per the attached
Sketch No. XXXXX.
50
Analysis of intertextuality in RFI form
Intertextual link with preceding texts
Intertextual link with enclosed texts
your response to our previous RFI No.
xxxx (line 5)
U-channel along xxx Retaining Wall
(line 2)
our previous RFI No. xxxx (line 5)
the finishing ground level for the front
and xxx xx Road – xxx xxx side of xxx
Retaining Wall (lines 5-7)
the above information (line 9)
the Contract Drawings No.
xxxxx/xxxxx and xxxxx i.e. +6.3mPD
(lines 7-8)
your previous response. (lines 13-14)
the proposed slope profile from the
end of xxx Retaining Wall at xxx xx
Road – xxx xxx side (lines 9-10)
the proposed U-channel along the toe
slope (lines 11-12)
For your easy reference, sections of
the slope is attached (lines 11-12)
The u-channel along the xxx xx Road
side of the xxx retaining wall (line 16)
the attached Sketch No. xx/xxxxxxx51
Analysis of interdiscursivity in RFI form
1.
2.
3.
A linguistic text that requests for
information
A form, with boxes to take and blanks to
fill in
‘Query’ and ‘Response pair’ (c.f.
adjacency pair in conversation analysis)
52
Conclusions
The discourses of land surveyors might not
be as ‘glamorous’ or as inherently
interesting to a wider audience as the
discourses of doctors, lawyers, politicians
etc. who have all been the subjects in a
number of professional communication
studies. Nonetheless, this study
demonstrates that land survey professionals
engage in a complex web of professionrelated discourses worthy of study.
53
Need to capture all the discourses in the
discourse flow in order to fully analyse each
one and how they all fit together.
Need for stakeholders' input to fully
understand the discourses and their interrelationships.
Need to study the ways in which language
use evolves within the discourse flow.
54
Novice Land Surveyors need to acquire
these profession-specific discourse skills:
•
•
•
•
ability to refer to and accurately reference prior
discourses
ability to summarise prior discourses and then
succinctly revise specific aspects of them
heightened awareness of all of the parties
involved in a particular discourse flow
mastery of multimodal texts and communication
55
Land surveyors at all levels of the
profession engage in high stakes discourses
every single day. For example, the RFI, one
of the staple discourses throughout a
project, can, and not infrequently do, result
in legal claims between the parties often
over financial matters (i.e. disputes over
Variation Orders).
The few examples of findings produced by
academic (REPCE, English Department)
and business (e.g. engineering, land
surveying, financial services, etc.)
collaborative research have illustrated areas
of useful investigations that have potential
benefits and value for various interest
groups and stakeholders, including the
government, business people, business
organisations, ESP and LSP specialists,
researchers, and learners.
www.engl.polyu.edu.hk/RCPCE
57
In each of the examples, the findings were
discussed and disseminated through project
meetings with the companies and seminars for
professional associations.
In the past year, seminars have been organised for
accountants, securities and investment
practitioners, and engineers. Meetings and
seminars have shown to be a very useful platform
for further communication between academics and
business practitioners.
www.engl.polyu.edu.hk/RCPCE
58
References
Bhatia, V. (2004 ). Worlds of Written Discourse. London: Continuum.
Cheng, W. and Mok, E. (2008). Discourse Processes and Products:
Land Surveyors in Hong Kong. English for Specific Purposes, 27(1):
57-73.
Cheng, W. (2009). Professional communicative competences: Four key
industries in Hong Kong. In W. Cheng and K.C.C. Kong, (Eds.).
Professional Communication: Collaboration between Academics and
Practitioners (pp. 31-50). Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press.
Cheng, W. (in press). Bridging the divide between business
communication research and business communication practice. In F.
Bargiela-Chiappini (Ed), The Handbook of Business Discourse
.Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.
www.engl.polyu.edu.hk/RCPCE
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