If-Conditionals and Modality: Description and Pedagogy

Description

This talk combines results from corpus-based studies on the use of English if-conditionals in speech and writing by native speakers and learners of English – and compares their use with the typology of conditionals usually presented in ELT materials. More precisely, the talk examines the extent to which the ELT typology a) reflects actual language use, and b) influences learner use. The results point towards the inadequacy of the ELT typology of conditionals in describing both native-speaker and learner use, as the typology assumes a limited relation between form and semantic function, and reveals a restricted view of the semantic and pragmatic functions that conditionals can perform. The results support a typology of conditionals which recognises the strong link between conditionals and modality, takes account of all modality types, and prioritises meaning over formal criteria. The talk will also discuss the implications of the findings for a coherent pedagogical framework for teaching conditionals and modality to learners of English.

Period	4 Dec 2019
Event title	TESOL Research Seminar
Event type	Seminar
Location	Preston, United Kingdom