DOCUMENT RFSUMEED 293 363FL 017 340AUTHORBillmyer Kristine Micheau Che - PDF document

1 DOCUMENT RFSUMEED 293 363FL 017 340AUTHO
DOCUMENT RFSUMEED 293 363FL 017 340AUTHORBillmyer, Kristine; Micheau, CheriTITLEDiscourse Strategies for Foreign MBA Students: ASociolinguistic Description of the CaseDiscussion.PUB DATEMay 87NOTE14p.; In: Languages and Communication for WorldBusiness and the Professions. Conference Proceedings;see FL 017 281.PUB TYPESpeeches/Conference Papers (150) -- Reports -Evaluative /Feasibility (142)EDRS PRICEMF01/PC01 Plus Postage.DESCRIPTORSBody Language; *Business Admini1:4*ration Education;*Business Communication; *Case Studies; English(Second Language); *English for Special Purposes;*Foreign Students; *Graduate Students; HigherEducation; Learning Strategies; Persuasive Discourse;Role Playing; Second Language InstructionIDENTIFIERS*University of PennsylvaniaABSTRACTA study was undertaken at the University ofPennsylvania's Joseph Lauder Institute to assess the usefulness andrequirements of case discussion for teaching English to foreigngraduate students of business administration. The case method ofanalyzing and solving simulated business problems was chosen becauseit:(1) is one of the most common formats for informationpresentation and discussion found in graduate business schools; (2)requires active student participation; and (3) provides a uniqueopportunity for future managers to practice skills they will need asdecision-makers. The study examined several aspects of the techniqueas a language-teaching tool in this context. First, rules governingverbal, nonverbal, and cognitive behaviors exhibited by students wereidentified and the behaviors that combine to make the case discussiona unique speech event were examined. Second, a descriptive model ofthe communicative competence of successful participants wasconstructed using various linguistic, sociolinguistic, andex

2 tralinguistic variables. Third, the anal
tralinguistic variables. Third, the analysis was used to design acurriculum for foreign students. The study used an ethnographicapproach. (MSE)************************************************************************Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made**from the original document.*********************************************************************** DISCOURSE STRATEGIES FOR FOREIGN MBA STUDENTS:A SOCIOLINGUISTIC DESCRIPTION OF THE CASE DISCUSSIONbyKristine Billmyer and Cheri MicheauUniversity of PennsylvaniaPresented at the Sixth Annual Conference on Languagesand Communication for World Business and the Professions1.,unsored by Eastern Michigan University"PERMISSIONTOREPRODUCETHA/n Arbor, Michigan, May 7-9, 1987MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTEDBYTO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCESINFORMATION CENTER (ERIC)."2U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATIONOffice of Educational Research and ImprovementEDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATIONCENTER (ERIC)JIThis document has been reproduced asreceived from the person or organizationoriginating it.O Minor changes have been made to improvereproduction Outlay,Points,' view or opinions stated in this /loco-ment do not necessarily represent officialOERI position or policyBEST COPYAVAILABLE iDISCOURSE STRATEGIES FOR FOREIGN MBA STUDENTS:A SOCIOLINGUISTIC DESCRIPTION OF THE CASEDISCUSSIONKristine Billmyer and Cheri MicheauUniversity of PennsylvaniaIntroductionAs English teachers of foreign graduate students at the LauderInstitute ofManagement and International Studies, we haveover the past four years sought toimprove the design of the English language curriculum inan effort to make coursecontent and methods as relevant as possible to the current academic and futureprofessional needs of our students.To inform this effort we conductedaclas

3 sroom-centered research project which is
sroom-centered research project which is the subject of thispaper The focus ofthe research project is the well-known case method of analyzing andsolvingsimulated business problems in graduate business schoolsIn particular, we wereinterested in the in-class discussion of thecase and the requirements for oral1 :Tticipation by students in case coursesWe chose the case discussion for severalreasons.First, we felt it deservedattention because of its ubiquity The case method isone of the most frequent formatsof information presentation and discussion found in graduate businessschoolsSecond, unlike lecture-style classes,case courses require participation from allstudents on a regular basis. Student participation is usually gradedand can formanywhere from 101: to 501T. of the student's grade And finally, because of itsnaturethe case discussion provides a unique opportunity for students while still in graduate school. to practice the skills they will need as future managers and decision makersThese include teasingout relevant facts of a problem. analyzing andsynthesizinginformationfrom many sources,challenging and defending assertions, andnegotiating decisionsIn their roles as corporate leaders they will also need tocooperatively build a solution to a problem with a group ofpeers and superiors whilestill maintaining their own agendaOur specific purposes for studying the case discussionwere threefoldfirst, toidentify the rules which govern the verbal, non-verbal, and cognitive behaviorsexhibited by members of the case class and to make explicit those characteristicswhich combine to give the case discussion its identityas a unique speech event.second, to build a descriptive model of the communicative competence of successfulparticipants in case discussions in terms of v

4 arious linguistic sociolinguistic andext
arious linguistic sociolinguistic andextralinguistic variables and third, to useour analysis as a point of departure inplanning the curriculum for a preparatory course forour foreign students at theLauder InstituteThe study is set both theoretically and methodologically within the framework ofthe ethnography of communication as conceptualized by Hymes (1986 [19721) andadapted for classroom studies by Mehan (1984). The basic concept of Hymes' theory isthe notion of communicative competence, which includes both the innate knowledgeof the norms of language use within the speech community and features ofperformance -- knowing when to speak, when not to, what to talk about, with whom,when, where, and in what manner To uncover these tacit rules of speaking andpreviously unnoticed norms for classroom, behavior,we used an ethnographicmethod as set out by Mehan (1984). Through ethnography it is possible to generateasociolinguistic description which a) identifies the rules of speaking which underliethe systematicity in language use in various phases of thecase discussion and b)enumerates what students need to know to be successful participants in theirclassroom community9 '6 7 ,MethodTo collect, data for this investigation we observed seven case discussions and laterinterviewed students and professors at the Wharton School of Business Five differentprofessors were observed in the following coursesBusiness Policy. MarketingManagement, Marketing Research.. and strategic Planning and Control. The numberof students in each class ranged from approximately 40 to 60 studentsTwo of theseven classes were videotaped: all were audiotapedDuring each class one or bothreasearchers were present as non-participant observers, taking notes on theinteraction, the setting. the format of t

5 he case discussion, and other details ab
he case discussion, and other details about theprofessor's style and students' behavior Later. addditional informationwas obtainedthrough informal interviews with each of the professors and several randomlyselected students (both native and non-native speakers of English) in each of theclassesTheinterviews gave us further insight into such topics as teacherexpectations, the value placed on participation in thecase class, the purpose of thecase analysis. and preferred styles of interaction in the case discu3sion.Theseinterviews also helped us to confirm or disconfirm ourown interpretations of thedataAnalysis of the field notes and the video- and audiotapes of each of thecasediscussions, along with information from the interviews, helpedus to identifyrelevant categories and generate a framework for understanding the rules ofspeaking which operate in the discussion of a case. After relevant segments of thetapes were identified, we transcribed them for more detailed analysisFindingsThe results of this study will be described in the followingwayFirst we willpoint out the defining characteristics of thecase discussion in other words, thosefeatures which appeared consistently in the cases we observed and which give thecase discussion its unique identity as a particular speech event. Second, we will try todescribe those features of student behavior thought by both American students andprofessors to be highly desirable for competent membership in the Wharton BusinessSchool speech communityFinally, we will list five areas in which the professor'sindividual style and personality cause variation in both format of thecase discussionand teacher expectations for the students 4A. jkessdiscussion as a speech eventThe speech event under study, the case discussion.can be define

6 dateacher-directed. student-centered cla
dateacher-directed. student-centered classroom activity. basedon a prepared writtencase and aimed at cooperatively reaching a solution to the problem outlined in thecaseSeveral features distinguish the case discussion asparticular kind of speecheventThese include major structural components; regulation andpace ofparticipation. the sequencing of discourse, and patterns ofturn takingIn terms of overall structure and organization, thereappear to be threeidentifiable macro-components of the case discussion The first takes place outside ofthe classroom, thatis the assigned reading and sometimes written analysis ofaformal case study prior to the class discussion.In the classroom, two othercomponents were identified The most prominent is the lengthy teacher-led series ofquestions and answers which both test the students' understanding of theproblemand their ability to bring theory and information from othersources to bear onfinding a solution to the problem. This component is usually subdivided intothesummary of case facts and then the analysis and normally accounts for two-thirds tothree fourths of the time spent in the case discussion The other identifiablesegmentof the case is the lecture segment, placed either at the beginningor the end of theclassDuring this segment the professor relates the findings of thecase to theoryand other issues, discusses the feasibility of solutions proposed by students duringthediscussion. and teaches important terminologyThe !-Aigth and position of thelecture component of the case classes we observed varied from professorto professor,for example, two of the professors lectured at the end,one at the beginning, and oneinterspersed mini-lectures throughout thecase discussion. Nonetheless, the lecturewas a regular feature of all case di

7 scussionsIn terms of the regulation of p
scussionsIn terms of the regulation of participation, thecase discussion is primarily ateacher-directed, though not necessarily teacher-centered activity. Assuch it is tb.eteacher who initiates most of the topics through a series of general and follow-upquestions which probe the students understanding of thecaseStudents have somecontrol over the regulation of turn taking in thesense that while the professor isasking a question. they bid for a turn to reply by raising their hands.Whilepre-empzive self-selection also occurs inevery case discussion, it constitutes theminority of instances of turn taking Competitive biddingwas observed in most of theclassses. leading us to characterize the case discussionas one of high involvementand high participation through an orderly exchange of turns regulated by the 5professor The timing and pace of the exchange in thecases we observed seemed tovary as a function of the coraplexity of the caseIn relatively straightforward casesstudents did not even wait for the professor to finish formulating his question beforethey began biddingIn such cases. there was practically no wait-time between thequestion and the reply. allowing for a great many exchanges to take place ina90-minute classIn more technical. complex cases the professor often reformulatedhis question several times before he was able to elicita reply This slowed the pacedown considerably.Generalizing from the cases we observed, the discourse sequences includedseveral typical elements, in this order. topic initiation througha question asked bythe teacher, non-verbal bidding by several students, teacher nomination ofa studentto reply: and a follow-up question asked by the teacher. Variations in this sequenceincluded chaining replies, that is, several student bids, nominat

8 ions and subsequentreplies to a single q
ions and subsequentreplies to a single question posed by the teacher The sequencewas frequentlyterminated by the teacher giving a summary of the prior discourse and then framingthe next topic. Example 1 illustrates this typical chaining sequence.Example 1T. phrases a general questionSs bid (non-verbal hand raising)T: nominates (non-verbally---pointing to S)S1 respondsT- asks follow-up questionSI: repliesSs bid (non-verbally)T: nominates S2S2 repliesT comments (paraphrase)Ss bidT. nominatesS3 commentsT asks what the ;mplications areSame sequence repeated with other studentssummarizes and frames next topic7970 17/In the above sequence, the students are responding primarily to the teacher, butatthe same time have incorporated information and comments from other students intotheir own responsesIn this way the sequence, while it is teacher-directed, is notnecessarily teacher-centeredAnother typical sequence we observed was classified as student-centered andminimally teacher-directedIn this example the teachers engaged students indiscussion with each otherTwodifferent teachers accomplished this, each usingacompletely different technique. One professor employed role-play and asked variousstudents to take the parts of key figures in the case in order to bring out the issuesunder consideration The other professor set up'debates between students. initiallyasking one student to comment on the opinion of a student who had just spoken. andlater simply serving as a moderator. parsing out turns ,through non-verbal signals.This sequence is illustrated in Example 2Example2SI: Gives opinionT. (looking at S2) Do you buy that. Julie'S2 comments (disagrees)T. (points to St)SI. replies (gives justification)T. (points to S2)S2 responds againetcB. Skills necessary for successful par

9 ticipationThe skills which will be descr
ticipationThe skills which will be described next are those whichare highly valued byboth students and faculty of the Wharton School and considered essential forsuccessfulparticipationin.hecasediscussionThey includeiinguisticextralinguistic and cognitive skills 17471Preparation of the cueAll of the Wharton professors observed andinterviewed cited thorough preparation of the case before the discussionas one ofthe most important criteria for success in the casecourseBasically three types ofpreparation are necessary The first is to be fully in control of the facts of thecaseThis attention to both main idea and detail is essential,as factual recall questions arefrequently asked throughout the discussion. The second type of preparation istoanalyze the facts and synthesize information not only from thecase, but also fromother experience and theory. Again, this should be done prior to thecase discussion.In addition, students need to have formulated several possible analysesof theproblem. not just one, so that if one analysis is not selected during the discussionstudents will have the flexibility to adapt their analyses2Clarity and conciseness of languageAll professors stressed the needfor conciseness and lack of ambiguity since these qualitiesare essential for thestudents' future roles as managersThe desirability of these language skillswasfrequently reflected in the professors' questions whichwere aimed at getting thestudents to clarify their utterances and rephrase theircomments In the followingexchange, the professor is trying to encourage the studentto replace the incorrectlyused word "pricing" and seleft a more precise termExamplesS.then they might start to do a little bit of pricing But I don't thinktheT//butS//most ne ?phytesT//they're going to do a little bi

10 t of what?S They're going to do a little
t of what?S They're going to do a littlethey're going to do a little more frsearchOften the professors themselves modeled the appropriate phrasingor attempted toovertly introduce terminology which they feltwas needed for the more preciseexpression of meaning3Ability to respond appropriately toa variety of questions anddirectives The questions and directives used by the professorsserve a variety offunctions and require that students report factual information,as well as defend9 8assertions, explain, justify, give a rationale challengeor support others' statementsand rephrase and clarify their own The ability to do this successfully derives bothfrom prior preparation of the case as well as from attentive listening to and criticalassessment of the professor s and other students' comments as the case discussionunfoldsThe particular techniques used by most of the professors in eachcasediscussion we observed made it quite obvious to both the naive observeras well as theinformed participant that students were responsible for defending each assertionthey made. Frequently. professors would ask several follow-up questions ofa student,just to make sure that he or she had his/her facts assembled and could defend theparticular position against new informationOne professor we o'Jserved maderegular use of a rather extreme form of this format, whichwe labeled the "hot seat".In the following example the professor grills a student aboutsome case facts.Example 4T Where's the "r" come from, this retention factor?SIt came from NASA. from something.T. (incredulously) NASA said it's .8?SI have no idea quite 'what it was it came from, but it (the case) said itcamefrom NASAT (jokingly) It came from N A S A,?1!, I can't believe you believe that?(laughs with rest of class) I can't beli

11 eve you believe thatNS' With the NASA ad
eve you believe thatNS' With the NASA ads.T Oh, with the NASA ads But why'd they come up with the number .8?S. Frankly.I've got no idea. I assume it's from creative studies that they hadseen done to see one period later how many people had remembered thoseadsWhile this particular style was certainly the most aggressivewe observed otherprofessors employed similar though more moderate forms of interrogation4 Understanding and abiding by the rules of turn takingAs statedpreviously the case disucssion consists largely of a teacher-directed question andanswer format in which the teacher usually nominates students to speak At the sametime, students are graded on the quality and quantity of their oral participationInsuch a setting understanding the intricate rules for turn taking and getting andholding the floor is essential10 9740Students aware of the norms of speaking in the case discussionuse threeprimary techniques for getting turns to speakThe most frequent method isbidding(raising the hand) and waiting for the professor to nominatea student, eitherby non-verbal gesture or calling by nameSuccessful bidding techniques includebidding what the teacher is completing the last few words of his question,or givingpre-bidding signals such as leaning forwardor trying to catch the professor sattention through eye contactLess frepently individual students self-selector theentire group replies in unison without any formal bidding procedure. Ingeneral.students have a certain amount of control in deciding whetheror not to participate inthe interactionIn one class we observed, however, the professor useda coercivenominating technique which we refer toas cold-callingThis left studentsvulnerable to being called upon to perform at almostany given moment regardless oftheir degree

12 of preparedness to handle the questionIt
of preparedness to handle the questionIt is also of interest to discoverthat on rare occasions student-student interaction--unsolicited by the professor--isalso acceptableSince the case discussion is a high-involvement activity in which ideallyasmany students as possible should have the opportunity to participate, limiting thelength of the student's turn also seemed an important feature.In large classes itseems to be the norm that successful students limit the length of their turns by beingconcise. avoiding repetition of others' comments, and staying strictlyon topic.In terms of the particular difficulties foreign students have in thearea of turntaking, we found in an earlier study that foreign students have problems in utilizingappropriate bidding techniques and understanding the rules of timingtheirutterances in order to avoid interrupting others. In addition, they frequently failtorespond quickly enough to nominations, insert inappropriately longintrasententialpauses or take inappropriately long turns5Cooperative solution buildingAll of the professors stressed that caseanalysis is an exercise in using the opinions of various members of thegroup toreach a desirable solution to a business problemIt is important to note that there arevarious possible solutions to each problem Skills required for this criticalarea of thecase discussion include listening critically to others, being able to incorporate others'ideas into one s own analysis and conversely, takingparts of one's analysis andfitting it into the general solutionLinking one's statements to other speakersthrough smooth transitions or specific references to previousstatements is alsodesirableFinally. even the most masterful analysis prepared byan individual 10student may have to be abandoned in 'avor of

13 another path chosen by thegroup Thesucce
another path chosen by thegroup Thesuccessful participant must be able to recognize if and/or how well his analysis fitsthe general trend, if it does nct, he must exhibit flexibility in thinkingon his feetand bringing his comments in line with thz solution to the problem chosen 9.1y thegroupC. Variations in pi °lessors' gtvlesHaving observed five different professors in action, itseems that teacherpersonality and individell style can be important factors in determining theapproach taken to the case discussion. Making studentsaware of possible areas ofvariation could help to facilitate the process of understanding expectations andfitting appropriate behavior to the situation. whatever itmay be The major areas ofvariation areFir- c4the professor's method of allocating turns--ranging from nominatingstudents who bid to cold-calling. and differing in the degree to which student- studentinteraction is encouraged.Second the amount of pressure the professor putson students to preparebeforehand and perform once in class and the degree to which the atmosphere isoneof testing as opposed to informal discussion:Third the teacher's approach whichcan range from traditional question-answer sequences interspersed with lecurettes to story-telling or role-playing.Fourth, the amount of emphasis placed by the teacheron class participation andthe degree to which it actually plays a role in the final gradeFifth The quality of students' contributions, whether studentsare expected todraw more heavily upon theory and facts of thecase or are ally wed to speculate orrely on their own opinion 97L,Application of Research Findings for Curriculum DesignThis description of the case discussion as a speech event along with theidentification of skills and abilities needed for successful partici

14 pation will serve as aVery useful resour
pation will serve as aVery useful resource in designinga unit of study for the coming summer programSeveral possible areas of emphasis are being considered for inclusion in the courseThey are/critical reading of the case in order to isolate important facts and torelate them to broader implications,2.exercises to give students practice in summarizing, giving a concisesynthesis of problems and possible solutions;clarification exercises which develop precision and specificity in Ian 12,uageuse,Iregular attention to vocabulary development and use of terminology foundin the cases themselves;.practice in bidding for and holding the floor, turn taking. and timing ofutterances,6 "hot-seat" activities which require students to justify their r 4ponses throughmultiple follow-up questions posed by fellow students and the teacher;7 the analysis of teachers' styles and patterns of student participation usingvideotaped case discussions:S. activities which target receptive skills such as recognizing cues professorsuse to indicate how, when, and in what detail to answer a question;9 activities which target language-specific skills such as gambits forex-pressing opinion. agreeing. disagreeing. and criticizing diplomaticallyWhere the development of linguistic competence in preparation for graduatebusiness studies was once the main focus, we have now expanded our program withthe knowledge gained from this research to include an additional focus onnorms ofspeaking and patterns of interaction appropriate for the case discussionI 3 S7I ' -ReferencesHymes. D(19S6 :1972:)Models of the interaction of language and social life.InDirections in Sociolinguistics J J Gumperz & D Hymes (eds )OxfordBasilBlackwell 35-71Mehan. H (1984) Language and schooling Sociology of Education 174-183,14" 7