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Function and Form in YouTube How-to Videos

Mark Hammond (Kanazawa University, Japan)

 

Abstract

In a wide variety of contexts, we may be called on to give how-to instructions. These may include simple directions for tasks we encounter in our daily lives, such as how to crop a photo on a smartphone, as well as more complex instructions, such as a safety supervisor in a factory explaining the proper use of specialized machinery. This presentation will highlight my research on the salient linguistic features and communicative functions of this type of spoken discourse, which I refer to as procedural monologues. Focusing on a 50,000-word corpus of how-to videos available on YouTube originally compiled for the study, I will give an account of my research findings and how they may support the creation of learning materials to use in the EFL classroom. Examples from my own teaching context at a Japanese national university will be provided.

Research Paper (Video; 25 minutes)

Materials/Course/Curriculum Design

Primarily of Interest to Teachers of University Students


About the Presenter

Mark Hammond has been teaching EFL in Japan for more than 30 years. He is currently an associate professor at Kanazawa University Institute of Liberal Arts and Science, and holds an MA in TESOL from the University of Birmingham and a PhD (focus on linguistic register analysis) from Kanazawa University.