Elizabeth Thomson (linguist)

Last updated

Elizabeth A. Thomson (born 1961) is an Australian linguist. She is an adjunct professor in the Division of Learning and Teaching at Charles Sturt University, and Principal Honorary Fellow of the School of Humanities and Social Inquiry at the University of Wollongong. She is known for her research in linguistics, language education and training, language other than English and curriculum & assessment design, and has made contributions to the field of English and Japanese linguistics from the Systemic Functional perspective. [1] [2] She is a foundation member of the Japan Association of Systemic Functional Linguistics (JASFL), a member of the International Systemic Functional Linguistics Association (ISFLA) and the Australian Systemic Functional Linguistics Association (ASFLA), [3] and also an associate member of The Council of Australasian University Leaders in Learning and Teaching (CAULLT, formerly CADAD) and The Australasian Council on Open, Distance and e-Learning (ACODE).[ citation needed ]

Contents

Education

Thomson was educated at Macquarie University, Sydney, and completed a BA majoring in Linguistics in 1984. In the same year, she completed a course in Advanced I Intensive Japanese at the Japanese Language Institute, Yotsuya. Four years later, in 1988, she completed her MA (Merit) in Applied Linguistics (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages—TESOL) at the University of Sydney. She completed a PhD in Education at the University of Wollongong in 2002. She holds a Masters of Philosophy from the University of NSW, Canberra in 2014.[ citation needed ]

She is a speaker of Japanese and Wiradjuri, having complete a Graduate Certificate in Wiradjuri Language and Culture, Charles Sturt University in 2017. Thomson is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, UK. [4]

Contributions to linguistics and curriculum design

Thomson is known for her work in systemic functional linguistics, in particular in relation to the Japanese language, and has worked both in Japan and as a lecturer in Japanese and English Language [5] at the University of Wollongong. She has contributed extensively to the linguistic description of text coherence in Japanese language, specifically in relation to genre and across numerous registers [6] (e.g. news, education, literature and in workplace genres). Her work exploring these theories of language in context and text genre in Japanese (Thomson et al. 2017) was reviewed [7] and commended for ‘providing an insightful picture of Japanese culture from the viewpoint of genre’. [8] In collaboration, Thomson developed a CD ROM on Academic Writing [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] based in systemic functional linguistics in conjunction with a student workbook. [15]

Thomson's work with the Australian Defence Force includes leading curriculum redesign as the Director of Studies at the Defence Force School of Languages (2008-2012), bringing the Languages Other Than English (LOTE) courses in line with the Australian Quality Training Framework (AQTF) and conducting research into Defence language and culture as the 2013 Secretary of Defence Fellow. [16] [17] [18] [19] [20]

Thomson is also known for her work in curriculum development and course design in higher education. [21] In 2018, Thomson led two initiatives in curriculum innovation at Charles Sturt University, which resulted in the university being recognised in the Global Teaching Excellence Awards of 2018. [22] The university received the following commendation from the Higher Education Academy judges:

“The curriculum is impressively designed and undergoes regular constructive alignment with industry practice and backward mapping between learning outcomes and assessment activities, with specific graduate attributes in mind. Charles Sturt University is to be commended for its strategic focus on teaching and learning and support to enable this to its faculty, especially in online education.” [23]

Selected publications

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Halliday</span> British linguist

Michael Alexander Kirkwood Halliday was a British linguist who developed the internationally influential systemic functional linguistics (SFL) model of language. His grammatical descriptions go by the name of systemic functional grammar. Halliday described language as a semiotic system, "not in the sense of a system of signs, but a systemic resource for meaning". For Halliday, language was a "meaning potential"; by extension, he defined linguistics as the study of "how people exchange meanings by 'languaging'". Halliday described himself as a generalist, meaning that he tried "to look at language from every possible vantage point", and has described his work as "wander[ing] the highways and byways of language". But he said that "to the extent that I favoured any one angle, it was the social: language as the creature and creator of human society".

Language education – the process and practice of teaching a second or foreign language – is primarily a branch of applied linguistics, but can be an interdisciplinary field. There are four main learning categories for language education: communicative competencies, proficiencies, cross-cultural experiences, and multiple literacies.

Applied linguistics is an interdisciplinary field which identifies, investigates, and offers solutions to language-related real-life problems. Some of the academic fields related to applied linguistics are education, psychology, communication research, information science, natural language processing, anthropology, and sociology.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">English as a second or foreign language</span> Use of English by speakers with different native languages

English as a second or foreign language is the use of English by speakers with different native languages. Language education for people learning English may be known as English as a second language (ESL), English as a foreign language (EFL), English as an additional language (EAL), English as a New Language (ENL), or English for speakers of other languages (ESOL). The aspect in which ESL is taught is referred to as teaching English as a foreign language (TEFL), teaching English as a second language (TESL) or teaching English to speakers of other languages (TESOL). Technically, TEFL refers to English language teaching in a country where English is not the official language, TESL refers to teaching English to non-native English speakers in a native English-speaking country and TESOL covers both. In practice, however, each of these terms tends to be used more generically across the full field. TEFL is more widely used in the UK and TESL or TESOL in the US.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charles Sturt University</span> Public university in Australia

Charles Sturt University is an Australian multi-campus public university located in New South Wales, Australian Capital Territory and Victoria. Established in 1989, it was named in honour of Captain Charles Napier Sturt, a British explorer who made expeditions into regional New South Wales and South Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ruqaiya Hasan</span>

Ruqaiya Hasan was a professor of linguistics who held visiting positions and taught at various universities in England. Her last appointment was at Macquarie University in Sydney, from which she retired as emeritus professor in 1994. Throughout her career she researched and published widely in the areas of verbal art, culture, context and text, text and texture, lexicogrammar and semantic variation. The latter involved the devising of extensive semantic system networks for the analysis of meaning in naturally occurring dialogues.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">J. R. Martin</span> Canadian linguist

James Robert Martin is a Canadian linguist. He is Professor of Linguistics at The University of Sydney. He is the leading figure in the 'Sydney School' of systemic functional linguistics. Martin is well known for his work on discourse analysis, genre, appraisal, multimodality and educational linguistics.

Beverly Derewianka is Emeritus Professor of linguistics at the University of Wollongong, Australia. She is a leading figure in educational linguistics and Sydney School genre pedagogy. Her major research contributions have been in the field of literacy education. Her research projects tracing students’ literacy development have had a direct and substantial impact on curriculum and syllabus development in Australia and internationally. She has (co-)authored 11 books and numerous book chapters and journal articles in the field of literacy education.

TESOL Quarterly is a quarterly peer-reviewed academic journal published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of TESOL International Association. It covers English language teaching and learning, standard English as a second dialect, including articles on the psychology and sociology of language learning and teaching, professional preparation, curriculum development, and testing and evaluation. The editors-in-chief are Charlene Polio and Peter De Costa, both at Michigan State University. TESOL also publishes TESOL Journal.

The Sydney School is a genre-based writing pedagogy that analyses literacy levels of students. The Sydney School's pedagogy broadened the traditional observation-based writing in primary schools to encompass a spectrum of different genres of text types that are appropriate to various discourses and include fiction and non-fiction. The method and practice of teaching established by the Sydney School encourages corrective and supportive feedback in the education of writing practices for students, particularly regarding second language students. The Sydney School works to reflectively institutionalise a pedagogy that is established to be conducive to students of lower socio-economic backgrounds, indigenous students and migrants lacking a strong English literacy basis. The functional linguists who designed the genre-based pedagogy of the Sydney School did so from a semantic perspective to teach through patterns of meaning and emphasised the importance of the acquisition of a holistic literacy in various text types or genres. ‘Sydney School’ is not however an entirely accurate moniker as the pedagogy has evolved beyond metropolitan Sydney universities to being adopted nationally and, by 2000, was exported to centres in Hong Kong, Singapore, and parts of Britain.

Anne Burns is a British-born Australian educational linguist internationally known for her work on genre-based pedagogy in TESOL and EAP/ESP. She is Professor Emerita in Language Education at Aston University (UK) and Professor of TESOL at the University of New South Wales (Australia). The TESOL International Association named her one of the '50 at 50', leaders who had made a significant contribution to TESOL in its first 50 years.

Alice Marie-Claude Caffarel-Cayron is a French-Australian linguist. She is an Honorary Senior Lecturer in Linguistics at the University of Sydney. Caffarel is recognized for the development of a Systemic Functional Grammar of French which has been applied in the teaching of the French language, Discourse analysis and Stylistics at the University of Sydney. Caffarel is recognised as an expert in the field of French Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL).

Louise Jane Ravelli is an Australian linguist. She is a professor in the School of the Arts and Media at the University of New South Wales, Australia. Her research expertise includes multimodal communication, museum communication, discourse analysis, and systemic functional grammar, using the frameworks of Systemic Functional Linguistics, Social Semiotics, and Multimodal Discourse Analysis.

Kay L. O'Halloran is an Australian-born academic in the field of multimodal discourse analysis. She is Chair Professor and Head of Department of Communication and Media in the School of the Arts at the University of Liverpool and Visiting Distinguished Professor at Shanghai Jiaotong University (2017–2020). She is the founding director of the Multimodal Analysis Laboratory of the Interactive and Digital Media Institute (IDMI) at the National University of Singapore (NUS). She is widely known for her development of systemic functional multimodal discourse analysis (SF-MDA) and its application in the realm of mathematical discourse and multimodal text construction. Her current work involves the development and use of digital tools and techniques for multimodal analysis and mixed methods approaches to big data analytics.

Frances Helen Christie, is Emeritus professor of language and literacy education at the University of Melbourne, and honorary professor of education at the University of Sydney. She specialises in the field of systemic functional linguistics (SFL) and has completed research in language and literacy education, writing development, pedagogic grammar, genre theory, and teaching English as a mother tongue and as a second language.

Suzanne Eggins is an Australian linguist who is an Honorary Fellow at Australian National University (ANU), associated with the ANU Institute for Communication in Health Care. Eggins is the author of a best selling introduction to systemic functional linguistics and she is known for her extensive work on critical linguistic analysis of spontaneous interactions in informal and institutional healthcare settings. 

Jenny Hammond is an Australian linguist. She is known for her research on literacy development, classroom interaction, and socio-cultural and systemic functional theories of language and learning in English as an Additional Language or dialect (EAL/D) education. Over the course of her career, Hammond's research has had a significant impact on the literacy development of first and second language learners, on the role of classroom talk in constructing curriculum knowledge and on policy developments for EAL education in Australia. She is an Honorary Associate Professor in the School of Education, University of Technology Sydney.

Mary Macken-Horarik is an Australian linguist. She is an adjunct Associate Professor in the Institute for Learning Sciences and Teacher Education (ILSTE) at the Australian Catholic University. This title was awarded "in recognition of her international reputation and scholarly expertise in the field of Senior Secondary English Curriculum." Macken-Horarik is known for her contributions to systemic functional linguistics and its application to literacy, language and English education.

Jane Torr is an Australian academic in the fields of early childhood language and literacy development in home and early childhood education and care settings. She is an honorary associate in the department of educational studies at Macquarie University, where she has been teaching and researching for over 30 years. Torr’s research draws on systemic functional linguistic theory to explore the relationship between context and meaning in adult-child interactions, and the implications for children’s learning. She has published over 50 peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters, as well as publications in professional journals.

Mary J. Schleppegrell is an applied linguist and Professor of Education at the University of Michigan. Her research and praxis are based on the principles of Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL), a theory derived from the work of social semiotic linguist Michael Halliday. Schleppegrell is known for the SFL-based literacy practices she has continuously helped to develop for multilingual and English language learners throughout her decades long career, which she began as an educational specialist before transitioning to the field of applied linguistics. As a result, her publications demonstrate a deep understanding of both the theories and practices related to teaching and learning.

References

  1. ↑ Charles Sturt University. "Elizabeth Thomson". Archived from the original on 14 August 2020.
  2. ↑ Thomson, Elizabeth. "Testimonials". Archived from the original on 20 September 2020.
  3. ↑ ASFLA. "History Timeline". Archived from the original on 10 February 2020.
  4. ↑ Charles Sturt University (2015). "Higher Education Academy (UK Fellows)". Archived from the original on 22 July 2021. Retrieved 22 July 2021.
  5. ↑ Kupetz, R (2002) "Culture-Specific Beliefs on Teaching in a Changing University Context as Observed at the University of Wollongong, NSW, Australia", in Rita Kupetz (ed.) Empowerment of the Learner, Changes and Challenges, Peter Lang GmbH, Frankfurt
  6. ↑ Bowcher, W. (2014) Review of Systemic Functional Perspectives of Japanese, Functions of Language 21:2, 259-265
  7. ↑ Kubota, R (2019) “Review of Elizabeth A. Thomson, Motoki Sano, Helen De Silva Joyce: Mapping Genres, Mapping Culture: Japanese Texts in Context”, Journal of Japanese Linguistics, Vol 35(1): 137-140
  8. ↑ Richings, Vicky Ann (2019). "Review of Mapping Genres, Mapping Culture: Japanese Texts in Context" (PDF). JALT Journal. 41 (1): 90–92. Archived (PDF) from the original on 17 August 2021. Retrieved 20 February 2022.
  9. ↑ Allan, M (2000) Review of Academic Writing: A language-based approach, CD ROM, Australian Language Matters, Oct/Nov/Dec 2000: 17-19
  10. ↑ Cipollone, J (2000) Review of Academic Writing: A Language-based Approach, TESOL Newsletter Vol 26, no. 4 December 2000 p.15
  11. ↑ Sewell, Lisa (24 February 2001). "Uni improves writing skills". Illawarra Mercury.
  12. ↑ "Best of the Learning Resources". The Australian. 27 June 2001.
  13. ↑ "Texts and Contexts up for Guernseys". The Australian. 9 May 2001.
  14. ↑ Braue, David (Winter 2001). "Academic Writing Never Looked So Good" (PDF). Wheels for the Mind. Archived (PDF) from the original on 22 July 2021. Retrieved 22 July 2021.
  15. ↑ Thomson, Elizabeth (2012). Effective Academic Writing. Sydney: Phoenix Education. ISBN   978-1-921586-61-3.
  16. ↑ Weaver, Michael (2013). "Understanding our Language". Defence. No. 1. Archived from the original on 11 September 2013. Retrieved 15 July 2021.
  17. ↑ Chong, Vince (2014). "Defence battling with words towards inclusion". DEFGLIS News. Archived from the original on 15 July 2021. Retrieved 15 July 2021.
  18. ↑ Dennett, Harley (25 August 2014). "'Bastion of white men': Anzacs haunt Defence in culture reform". The Mandarin. Archived from the original on 15 July 2021. Retrieved 15 July 2021.
  19. ↑ "Battling with Words in Defence Context". Army News. 4 June 2015. Archived from the original on 15 July 2021. Retrieved 15 July 2021.
  20. ↑ Miranda, Devine (26 February 2017). "Gender warriors defeating our army". The Sunday Telegraph.
  21. ↑ University of Wollongong (2021). "Award Recipients 2003". University of Wollongong. Archived from the original on 15 July 2021. Retrieved 15 July 2021.
  22. ↑ AdvanceHE. "Global Teaching Excellence Award". Archived from the original on 10 August 2020.
  23. ↑ Thomson, Elizabeth. "Tesitmonial". Archived from the original on 20 September 2020.
  24. ↑ "John Benjamins Publishing". John Benjamins Publishing Catalog. Archived from the original on 31 March 2020. Retrieved 20 February 2022.
  25. ↑ "Systemic Functional Perspectives of Japanese; Descriptions and Applications; Elizabeth Thomson; William Armour". Archived from the original on 7 August 2021. Retrieved 20 February 2022.
  26. ↑ http://www.continuumbooks.com/books/detail.aspx?BookId=130951&SearchType=Basic [ dead link ]
  27. ↑ Thomson, Elizabeth; Auhl, Greg; Uys, Philip; Wood, Denise; Woolley, Dallas (10 March 2019). "Towards best practice in course design: A case study of flexibility and collaboration between users and developers in supporting process with technology". Journal of University Teaching and Learning Practice. 16 (1): 81–97. doi: 10.53761/1.16.1.6 . S2CID   115286186. Archived from the original on 3 August 2020. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
  28. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 20 February 2022. Retrieved 20 February 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  29. ↑ 2001 Winner Tertiary Technology Showcase Category in The Australian Awards for Excellence In Educational Publishing
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.