The First International Seminar onof Application of Linguistics was held atin the South China University of Technology on December 16th, 2017. The seminar, jointly held by the Editorial Department of Foreign Language Teaching and Research of Beijing Foreign Studies University together with the Editorial Department of Second Language Learning Research and the School of Foreign Languages (SFL) of South China University of Technology (SCUT), attracted more than 100 scholars and experts of more than 70 universities around the country and linguistic organizations around the countrycircle. The seminar embraced areas as Second Language Acquisition, Psycholinguistics and Neuro-Linguistics, Corpus Linguistics, Language Testing, Foreign Language Teaching and Teacher Development.
The seminar openopening ceremony
The opening ceremony was hosted by the Dean of School of Foreign Languages Professor, Zhong Shuneng. Zhu Min, . Zhu Min, Tthe viceVice President-principal of the South China University of Technology, firstly extended welcome to all the scholars and representatives on behalf of South China University of Technology SCUT and presented an overview of latest development of South China University of Technology and School of Foreign Languages, then he gave credit to the School of Foreign Languages for various achievements of discipline developmentconstruction. The Vice Presidentvice-principal also believed the seminar would turn out to be a driving factor of developmentprogressive advancement of the foreign language discipline since it put forward integration of applied linguistics and related fields of academic study disciplines. Wang Kefe, the editor of Foreign Language Teaching and Research，made a speech on behalf of the organizers, showing the reason for organizing the seminar as well as preparation for it. Mr. Wang ended his speech by expressing wish a fruitful meeting.
Zhu Min, the Vice Presidentvice-principal, was speaking
Wang Kefei，the editor, was giving a speech
This top-notch academic meeting adopted a progressivenewly discussion model of "keynote speech +exposition + Q&A", in which two experts were set up into a group. First, one expert gave a speech on a keynote speech; then the other expert delivered expositions as extensions of the keynote speeches to enrich understanding as well as facilitate dynamic participation and discuss; lastly, representatives raised some questions according to their own knowledge. The groups making successive speeches are:
Professor Wang Chuming of Guangdong University of Foreign Studies with Professor Cai Jinting of South China University of Technology
Professor Lu Zhi of Guangdong University of Foreign Studies with Professor Qiao Xiaomei of Shanghai University of Finance and Economics
Professor Zhang Hui of Nanjing Normal University with Professor Chen Shifa of Ocean University of China
Professor Wang Ruiming of South China Normal University with Professor Zhang Ping of South China Normal University
Professor He An'ping of Guangdong University of Foreign Studies with Professor Zhong Shuneng of South China University of Technology
Professor Lu Jun of Yangzhou University with Professor Zhang Jidong of Shanghai International Studies University
Professor Wang Xuemei of Shanghai International Studies University with Professor Yin Hongshan of Qingdao University of Science and Technology
Professor Zhang Wenzhong of Nankai University with Professor Liu Yongbing of Northeast Normal University
Doctor Xu Hao of Beijingof Beijing Foreign Studies University with Professor Zhang Sumin of Hebei Normal University
Professor Ren Wei of Guangdong University of Foreign Studies with Professor Li Qinghua of Southern Medical University
Wang Chuming Guangdong, a Professor of the University of Foreign Studies, gave a lecture on “Continuous Translation - an Effective Way of Improving Translating Skill”. Professor Wang elaborated steps of continuous translation and its theoretical base. He highlighted that continuous translation facilitates translation teaching and learning and that it opens up a new space for translation research.
Professor Wang was speaking
Cai Jinting, a professor of the South China University of Technology, made a speech on “ Various“Various Continuations Change No Rationale - Synergistic Effect Existing in Foreign Language Learning”. ProfessorMr. Cai believed that continuous translation is a practical way of continuity theory and continuation facilitates foreign language learning while the two basic concepts of continuation theory call for further discussion. He cautioned, however, that only with taking continuation task, learners are motivated by a very limited margin, hence learning effect is unremarkable. In other words, if learners are greatly motivated, they can improve their foreign language skills by various methods, not just continuation tasks.
Professor Cai Jinting was speaking
Professor Lu Zhi of Guangdong University of Foreign Studies gave a speech on "Eye Movement Research on Cognitive load in Translation". He used eye movement experiments to explore cognitive differences between editing after machine translation and artificial translation, and analyzed whether post-translation editing could become a new strategy to acquire Chinese-English translation skills for learners. The results show that (1) subjects of post-translation editing significantly outpaced those of artificial translation, (2) subjects of post-translation editing displayed strikingly lessfewer fixation counts as well as apparently shorter fixation duration than those of artificial translation, and the former subjects ’ pupil diameter is obviously less than those of the latter subjects, which post-translation editing can facilitate cognitive efforts than artificial translation, (3) the main effect of text type is significant, (4) the former subjects show more fixation counts on the original text than the latter subjects and there was great difference between the groups of subjects’ fixation duration on the translated text.
Professor Lu Zhi was speaking
Qiao Xiaomei, a professor of the Shanghai University of Finance and Economics , made a speech on “Cognitive Load, Cognitive Effort and Methods of Neuroscience Measurement”. Professor Qiao expounded the basic conception, theoretical hypothesis, classification method and measurement of Cognitive Load Theory and Cognitive Effort Hypothesis.
Professor Qiao Xiaomei was making a speech
Professor of Nanjing Normal University, Zhang Hui gave a speech on “Using Neuroscientific Methods to Explore the Contributory Factors on Second Language and Bottleneck Effect ”. Professor Zhang Hui began with a brief introduction to the basic knowledge of Event Related Potentials (ERP) and the language-related ERP constituents involved in mother tongue processing, including N400, anterior negativity, and P600. Professor Zhang also briefly reviewed simple syntactic linearity in a second language and its contributory contributory, acquisition of complex syntactic linearity and ERP study on two aspects in language processing.
Professor Zhang Hui was giving a speech
Chen Shifa, a professor atof the Ocean University of China, gave a presentation on “ERP and Study on Acquisition of Second Language”. Professor proposed that ERP is a choice of methodology and selection of research methods should be based on research problems. The key to the study of two language acquisition is the research and experimental design. The crux of acquisitions of the second language lies in research problem and experimental design. The constituents of ERP can be regarded from two perspectives of quality and quantity. In response to Professor Zhang Hui's statement, Professor Chen Shifa pointed out that Professor thought that the processing of vocabulary- semantics (whether in mother tongue or in second language) is basically caused by constituents of N400 which are less regulated by factors such as the age of first exposure to the foreign language, the level of foreign language and the similarity of bilingualism, which serves as an explanation that second language learners and native speakers are using the same neurocognitive mechanism in processing vocabulary and semantics, therefore, acquisitions of vocabulary and semantics would not be a problem for second language learners. HoweverHowever, the conclusion is controversial because the conceptual representation of bilingual psychological dictionary is involved.
Professor Chen Shifa was speaking
Professor of South China Normal University, Wang Ruiming delivered a speech on “The Pros and Cons of Second Language Learning from the Perspective of Psycholinguistics”. In Professor Wang’s view, second language learning exerts both an active impact and negative impact on the cognitive development of individuals. In the future further study, the systematic research on the advantages and disadvantages of second language learning should not be the only research to to focused on, and itsthe the development track and internal mechanism should also be explored. Furthermore, researchers should try to use causality design to explore more directly the influence of second language learning on individual language and cognitive development.
Professor Wang was giving his speech
Zhang Ping, Professor of South China Normal University, gave a speech on “A Study of Second Language Learning from the Perspective of Psycholinguistics: Implications for Second Language Acquisition and Teaching”. Professor Zhang Ping suggested that the research of psychological process concerned with language learning can be undertaken with strengthening the research on the internal mechanism of second language learning and individual cognition development from aspects such as research method, research design, result analysis and so on. Professor Wang continued that the research results of psycholinguistic research can be used for reference in terms of study on acquisitions of second language and teaching procedures, and that researchers should get an understanding of learners’ cognitive and mental development coupled with the promoting or undermining effects language learning has on learners so that better teaching effect can be achieved.
Professor Zhangping was delivering a speech
Zhang Jingyu, a Professor of the Xi'an International Studies University, made a speech on “Written Corrective Feedback and Acquisition of English Articles”. Professor Zhang Jingyu had conservative agreement on the conclusion drawn by former scholars through empirical study. The conclusion indicates that written corrective feedback can enhance learners’ performance of the accuracy of articles, which Professor Zhang believed does not hold the water. Basing on his hypothesis, Professor Zhang did an empirical research on the influence of written corrective feedback teachers gave to Chinese English majors on the performance of the accuracy of English articles in writing. Professor Zhang’s research verified Truscott’s “uselessness of correction” that supportedthat supported the idea of no grammar correction in second language writing.
Professor Zhang Jingyu was speaking
Wang Min, a professor of Xi'an Jiaotong University, gave a speech on “A New Approach to the Study of Written Corrective Feedback in Second Language Writing”. Professor Wang Min considered that Professor Zhang clarified existing researches and analyzed some limitations of thatose researches at both theoretical and methodological level, and that Professor Zhang substantiated the idea of “uselessness of correction” through the example of acquisition of articles. The introduction of semantic complexity of language form into corrective feedback, Professor Wang believed, serves the purpose of not only deepening our understanding of what written corrective feedback can do, which considerably providing reference significance for our further research in the future, but also giving us food for thought about how to reflect on problems existing written corrective feedback from the perspective of newly developed theory of acquisitions of second language (For example, transformation from cognitive perspective to social cognitive perspective )
Professor Wang Min was speaking
He An’ping, a professor of the South China Normal University, made a speech on “Corpus as Assistance of Study of Metaphor”. Professor He An’ping presented a million-word corpus, established by a team fromof Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, which is based on similar topics in Chinese and English media of which aan intercultural-language contrastive analysis of “market metaphor” was made. The team’s research is characterized by semantic categorization of the source domain of 3000 examples on the general level and the specific level which was based on the fact that the projection of metaphor is stratification. The research revealed the similarities and differences of cultural cognition and linguistic preference between Chinese and English "market metaphors". The second characteristic of the research is that the context span of those metaphors’ target domain and source domain is roughly reckoned by applying corpus-related means, which provides an empirical reference for later metaphor study based on the larger-scale corpus.
Professor He An’ping was making a speech
Zhong Shuneng, a professor of the South China University of Technology, gave a speech on “What Characteristics of Our Time does Market Metaphor Reveal?”. Professor Zhong figured out that research on “market metaphor”, which is carried out by Professor He and her team fromof Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, involves diachronic study of metaphor of “bubble economy”, intercultural comparative study of market metaphors in Chinese and English economy media corpus and the study of application of core theories or concepts that metaphor assists to establish in business English teaching.
Professor Zhong Shuneng was delivering a speech
Professor Lu Jun of the Yangzhou University gave a speech on “Towards the Paradigm of Corpus-based Psycholinguistic Experimental Research”. Professor Lu illuminated eloquently b withy examples how to integrate corpus technology with psycholinguistic experiments. In order to solve the typical problem occurring in the process of second language learning, Professor Lu put forward a psycholinguistic experimental paradigm based on the corpus. The paradigm also explores interfaceexplores interface issue of explicit knowledge and implicit knowledge of second language collocations.
Professor Lu Jun was speaking
Zhang Jidong, a professor of the Shanghai International Studies University, put that we should well aware of the fact that language salience of corpus learners’ would be influenced by many factors such as genre, topic, length of a text, appliance of “language evasion” in writing, capability of learner etc.. Hence, the results do not necessarily exactly reflect the fact that learners acquire a language as a consequence of affecting the credibility and validity of the results. Other pProfessors continued to pose morefour questions to Professor Lu throughout the as discussion.
Professor Zhang Jidong was speaking
Zhang Xuemei, a professor of the Shanghai International Studies University made a speech on “Corpora, Second Language Acquisition, and Learner Dictionaries”. On the basis of progress of corpusof corpus linguistics study, Professor Zhang devoted to the study on the relationship between language acquisitions and vocabulary teaching and put emphasis on the study of the application of language acquisitions in lexicography. Professor Zhang then compared advantages of three major dictionaries which were Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary, Collins Learner Dictionary, and Longman Advanced Learning Dictionary, and later presented ample illustrations and examples which were diachronic and synchronic compared, which shows the progress of study on corpus linguistics and acquisitions of the second language. In terms of compliance of dictionary, some of the corpus’s key features wereas explored, which provides practicalticable suggestions for the establishment of corpus and compliance of Chinese dictionary.
Professor Zhang Xuemei was delivering a speech
Yin Hongshan, a professor of the Qingdao University of Science & Technology, made a speech on “The Role Learner's Dictionary Play in Acquisitions of Second Language ”Language”. Professor Yin pointed out that how to give play to the role of the dictionary in second language learning is a controversial topic that relates to issues including the relationship between referring to dictionary and inferring the meaning of words and phrases, influence of attitude that teachers hold towards students’ using a dictionary, individual difference of using a dictionary. Further research on these issues is necessary since it helps learners to make full use of information and resource of a dictionary and improve second language learning effect.
Professor Yin Hongshan was speaking
Professor Zhang Wenzhong of Nankai University made a speech on “Empowering EFL Learners: Some Fundamental Reconsiderations”. On the basis of the principle of “Unity of Power and Responsibility, Combination of Knowledge and Practice, Improvement of Ability”, Professor Zhang Wenzhong believesd that empowerment needs to be recognized by both teachers and students so that potentials of learning and developing can be fulfilled in English learning. Professor Zhang went on to put forward multiple “R” perspectives in English language education and redefine the fundamental elements “WH” in EFL learning and teaching. Professor Zhang also appealed for an empowerment reform in English language education in the future.
Professor Zhang Wenzhong was making a speech
Liu Yongbing , a professor of the Northeast Normal University, made a speech pertinent to Professor Zhang Wenzhong’s remarks. Professor Liu supported Professor Zhang’s appeal for an empowerment reform in English language education in the future. Professor Liu was convinced that empowerment will motivate students to learn actively instead of passively and teacher will not adopt “spoon-feeding” teaching method.
Professor Liu Yongbing was speaking
Xu Hao, Doctor of the Beijing Foreign Studies University, gave a speech on “Major Issues and Heated Topics of Study of Foreign Language Teacher Education”. Doctor Xu began his presentation with a briefly introduction to some key issues of the study of foreign language teacher education and then offered his suggestions for constructing an more perfectunadulterated system of major issues. The dDoctor continued to explore how to properly combine major issues and heated topics which has knowledge value as well as helps to solve practical problems. Lastly, Doctor Xu mentioned the young teachers' professional development in the perspective of foreign language teacher education.
Doctor Xuhao was delivering a speech
Zhang Sumin, a professor of the Hebei Normal University, made a speech on “Foreign Language Teachers Education Research：Issues and Approaches ”Approaches”. Professor Zhang held that major issues and heated topics of study of foreign language teacher education involves every stage and every aspect of teacher’s professional development. Professor Zhang also interpreted Teacher Knowledge, Teacher Professional Identity, Teacher Motivation, Teacher Cooperation, Classroom Discourse, Pre-Service Teacher Education, In-Service Teacher Education, Teacher as Educator, Teacher Research in sociocultural perspective and Teacher Research in ecological perspective.
Professor Zhang Sumin was giving a speech
Ren Wei, a professor of the Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, delivered a speech on “Research on Pragmatic Competence: Connotation, Evaluation, and Promotion”. Professor Ren Wei did a brief review of the development of the connotation of pragmatic competence and its relationship with language ability, communication ability, interaction ability and intercultural communication ability. Professor Ren then gave his opinion on topics such as how to properly evaluate student’s pragmatic competence, how to effectively improve student’s pragmatic competence and how to deconstructto deconstruct pragmatic competence in perspective of Lingua Franca study and multilingual. Professor Ren ended his speech with some pieces of advice for future study on the basis of latest research.
Professor Ren Wei was giving a speech
Li Qinghua, a professor of the Southern Medical University ,University, gave a speech on “Transformation of Paradigm of Pragmatic Competence of Second Language: from Communication Ability to Interaction Ability ”. Professor Li Qinghua pinpointed the role acquisitions of a second language, pragmatics, and pragmatic evaluation have played in pragmatic competence study, and expounded theoretical issues on pragmatic competence, interaction ability, and interactional pragmatic competence. Professor Ren pinpointed that pragmatic competence of the second language is undergoing a transformation from communication ability paradigm to interaction ability paradigm.
Professor Li Qinghua is speaking
After the academic presentation, representatives of the seminar’s sponsors - Department of Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press, Lancco Group Co. Ltd., Beijing New Oriental Xuncheng Network Technology Inc. - showed the audience the latest development of language service and translation technology platform.
In the closing ceremony of the seminar, Professor Zhong Shuneng, the Ddean School of the Foreign Languages, expressed sincere thanks and good wishes to all representatives on behalf of the SCUTe host.
The seminar offered a good platform of high-end cutting-edge academic exchange and promoted communication and exchange of different language study. Scholars and experts discussed academic issues and shared latest research results through the seminar, which pushed applied linguistics forward. The seminar as a success further raised the level academic exchange of School of the Foreign Languages and had great importance for disciplinary construction and development of foreign languages.
Translated by Lin Tongqing
