It ain't just what you do and the way that you do it: why discourse matters in higher education communities of practice

A number of Australian universities have established and sponsored interdisciplinary communities of practice (CoPs) to develop teaching and learning. CoPs are popularly defined as groups of people who share a passion for something and, together, learn how to do it better. Without further specification, this definition is of limited use in understanding intentionally established CoPs in higher education settings. The term CoP is used and applied in a range of ways in higher education and has been accompanied by some scholarly debate about the meaning and relevance of CoPs to academe. The prevalent response to such debate has been to propose typologies. While typology can be useful, epistemology and discourse are also significant in understanding and developing higher education CoPs. In this paper I focus on discourse surrounding CoPs as a conceptual and developmental factor which has been insufficiently considered in the literature on higher education CoPs. I draw on findings from interviews with 33 CoP members and facilitators in three Australian universities. My findings indicate that discourse surrounding CoPs is significant in shaping notions of participatory value. Connecting with the literature, my findings also reveal a ‘big D’ Discourse of collegiality whereby CoPs offer social support and knowledge sharing to build capacity, as well as spaces in which a collegial academic identity can thrive. This coincides in complex and unpredictable ways with a Discourse of managerialism. I conclude that discourse should supplement typology and epistemology in adaptively shaping understandings of contemporary higher education CoPs and their future development.     

‘I don't read fiction’: academic discourse and the relationship between health and physical education

The relationship between health (H) and physical education (PE) has long been the subject of debate. Recently, however, the obesity crisis has raised this relationship to a new level of attention. At the risk of simplifying things, there are two ‘positions’ that seem to characterize the discourse regarding this new relationship. One position considers that the main mission of PE should now be the ‘war on obesity’. Advocates for this instrumental position tend to do research, using interventionist strategies focusing on (H)PE as a site for the promotion of physical activity. The other position argues strongly for the foregrounding of educational purposes for (H)PE and tends to pursue research by means of sociocultural research paradigms such as phenomenology, poststructuralism or critical theory. Importantly, these ‘positions’ draw on different literatures and discourses. Seldom do the advocates of these two positions speak to each other and, if and when they do, they seem to speak different languages. In this paper, I discuss the notion of academic discourse and explore, with some examples from conferences, how the conventions of academic discourse are (mis)understood and accordingly confound the development of more considered responses to the relationship between health and PE.     

身体与政治:社会学视阈下体育电影的意识形态话语研究

体育电影的视觉存在,首先是因体育运动符合"优美"或"崇高"等美学范畴,受众带着窥视心理,进入电影叙事想象框架的诱导,被人物富有感染力的外观所吸引,最终与电影的主旨不谋而合。肉体之美让受众将窥探与欣赏的目光投注在光鲜的物质实体并忽视社会问题的询问,而这正是国家政治所乐于接受的——一个安乐祥和奋勇拼搏的美好世界。     

“算了”的词化研究

作为话语标记和语气词的"算了",均从"算+了"的结构发展而来。"算+了"结构主要处于两种句法环境中,一类为名词性成分充当主语的单句,另一类为复句后一分句或紧缩复句的后件。前一类句型,经主语脱落,"算了"发展为话语标记;后一类句型中的紧缩复句前件变为凸显成分,成为单句结构,"算了"虚化为语气词。     

语篇分析理论在高职英语听力教学中的应用

听力理解是高职院校学生英语学习的一个难点,传统的听力教学多侧重于句子层面的分析,教学效果难以提高。语篇分析理论作为一种新兴理论,它涉及到了连贯和衔接以及语篇的结构理论,教师在听力教学中有计划的引入语篇分析理论,使学生重视对整体篇章的解读,可以帮助学生更有效地理解听力材料,实现日常交流的顺利进行。     

权力拼图:数字技术下视频博客的话语类型与创作

数字技术条件下的媒介现象,是当前人文学术的重要议题。视频博客作为依托现代数字技术的新兴媒介,赋予了大众话语表达的权力。在不断的内容创作中,视频博客发挥着自身隐形的权力,在个人影响力的不断提升之下,又重构了社会影响力,展现了技术条件下媒介话语生产的力量。本文将探讨视频博客在时代、主体和权力范畴内所能产生的新认识,以及各种认识相互作用的结果。     

贸易摩擦新闻内涵的概念隐喻解读

全球化时代的贸易摩擦不可避免,语言作为各国贸易沟通的工具在应对和解决贸易摩擦过程中起着关键作用。政治语篇中的意识形态与概念隐喻密不可分,通过对近年来美国贸易代表办公室针对中美贸易摩擦问题新闻语篇中的概念隐喻进行分类分析,揭示了其中蕴含的潜在意义。     

社交网络对大学生思想政治教育的影响及对策分析

社交网络具有真实性、平等性和开放性等特征,这些特征使得以社交网络为载体的思想政治教育工作有助于培育大学生的责任意识,促进思政工作向"主体—主体"结构转型,弱化大学生交往行为中的功利思想;但同时也容易引起大学生的交际障碍、网络成瘾以及信息封闭等问题。高校思政工作者要做到积极深入社交网络,在社交网络中培养意见领袖,掌握社交网络话语权,从而主导社交网络中的大学生交往行为向着健康、正确的方向发展。     

大学生社会主义核心价值观教育话语体系的构建

构建大学生社会主义核心价值观教育话语体系对增强教育实效、丰富大学生精神世界、创新教育方法具有重要意义。构建大学生社会主义核心价值观教育话语体系要建立在找准切入点的基础上,从顶层设计、主体确立、内容选择、途径创新、情感展示、效果评估等方面进行。     

《名利场》的文体特征分析

《名利场》是19世纪批判现实主义作家威廉·梅克皮斯·萨克雷的代表作。本文旨在从文体学视角对《名利场》的部分选段进行语篇分析,以期可以通过该分析对此小说有更为深刻、透彻的理解并更好的欣赏该小说。