title: Corpus approaches to discourse analysis: Persuasion strategies in a large corpus of #Covid19NZ Tweets

authors: Burnett, Jessie

abstract: Social media platforms afford a window into the fast-paced and ever-changing world of public opinion. The language used in such outlets allows us to interrogate strategies used for constructing different discourse perspectives. In this paper, we investigate links between grammatical constructions (directives) and politeness strategies to express speaker stance in a large corpus of Twitter posts related to Covid19 in New Zealand. The overall aims of the project are to document an under-studied construction (directives) in a sizeable naturally occurring dataset, and to probe the extent to which we see patterns matching linguistic usage with discursive goals.

text: Corpus approaches to discourse analysis: Persuasion strategies in a large corpus of #Covid19NZ Tweets Social media platforms afford a window into the fast-paced and ever-changing world of public opinion. The language used in such outlets allows us to interrogate strategies used for constructing different discourse perspectives. In this paper, we investigate links between grammatical constructions (directives) and politeness strategies to express speaker stance in a large corpus of Twitter posts related to Covid19 in New Zealand. The overall aims of the project are to document an under-studied construction (directives) in a sizeable naturally occurring dataset, and to probe the extent to which we see patterns matching linguistic usage with discursive goals.

year: 2021

title: Reflections concerning a response to post-modernism

authors: Kelly, Martin

abstract: Post-modernism has had a major influence on academic thought. It has served well in exposing the hidden assumptions which many people have unknowingly allowed to influence their behaviour, but it has provided little support to those who are seeking to discover how they might attempt to ‘progress’. Post-modernism may encourage pessimism and lack of hope; these attributes are debilitating to academics and students. In a post-modern environment any quest for quality learning experiences may come to appear pointless. Responses to the post-modern condition need to be identified. In the area of educational research, we argue that ‘narrative’ provides a suitable response

text: Reflections concerning a response to post-modernism Post-modernism has had a major influence on academic thought. It has served well in exposing the hidden assumptions which many people have unknowingly allowed to influence their behaviour, but it has provided little support to those who are seeking to discover how they might attempt to ‘progress’. Post-modernism may encourage pessimism and lack of hope; these attributes are debilitating to academics and students. In a post-modern environment any quest for quality learning experiences may come to appear pointless. Responses to the post-modern condition need to be identified. In the area of educational research, we argue that ‘narrative’ provides a suitable response

year: 1998

title: Māori academic success: Why the deficit perspectives?

authors: Aporosa, S. 'Apo'

subjects: Māori

abstract: Academics have long discussed the power of communication to both motivate and discourage. Concerning education, Paulo Freire (1997) had explained the dialogical learning process and the empowerment that comes from the inclusion of student knowledge. Alternatively, Carlson & Dimitriadis (2003) describe disempowerment and underachievement among Afro-American students resulting from societal expectations that they will fail. In a recent education environment scan focused on the Waikato-Tainui rohe, 28 kaupapa Māori education providers were identified as sites of high educational success, with one described as “outshining private schools and bucking national trends” (Carson, 2013). This aside, perceptions of generalized educational failure among Māori are commonplace in Aotearoa New Zealand. These impressions are fed by the media, the Ministry of Education (MOE) and in some cases, academic publications. This paper discusses the power of deficit models and counter-narratives to academic underachievement. This will be juxtaposed with commentary on why some students and their education providers within the Waikato-Tainui rohe appear to be unaffected by these counter- narratives and deficit theorizing.

text: Māori academic success: Why the deficit perspectives? Academics have long discussed the power of communication to both motivate and discourage. Concerning education, Paulo Freire (1997) had explained the dialogical learning process and the empowerment that comes from the inclusion of student knowledge. Alternatively, Carlson & Dimitriadis (2003) describe disempowerment and underachievement among Afro-American students resulting from societal expectations that they will fail. In a recent education environment scan focused on the Waikato-Tainui rohe, 28 kaupapa Māori education providers were identified as sites of high educational success, with one described as “outshining private schools and bucking national trends” (Carson, 2013). This aside, perceptions of generalized educational failure among Māori are commonplace in Aotearoa New Zealand. These impressions are fed by the media, the Ministry of Education (MOE) and in some cases, academic publications. This paper discusses the power of deficit models and counter-narratives to academic underachievement. This will be juxtaposed with commentary on why some students and their education providers within the Waikato-Tainui rohe appear to be unaffected by these counter- narratives and deficit theorizing.

year: 2016