ABOUT IVACS

 

The Inter-Varietal Applied Corpus Studies (IVACS) research centre brings together researchers whose goal it is to add to the description of language variation in context and to explore how the outcomes of this empirical research might apply to pedagogy.

In our framework for research the term 'variety' is viewed broadly to encompass geographical varieties of language, native and non-native speaker varieties, in addition to variation in language that results from context of use.

This inter-varietal focus in our research leads to the examination of research questions across both situational contexts and language varieties. In doing so, this gives a more refined insight into the connection between language in use and conditions of use.

IVACS is an inter-institutional research centre which brings together researchers who wish to pool expertise and compare corpus findings. Findings from our research are presented at international fora, and through publications in edited volumes and international journals.

 

Who is involved in IVACS?

 

Click here for IVACS researchers.

The founding group comprises the following institutions: Mary Immaculate College, University of Limerick and the University of Nottingham.

 

Institutional contacts:

• Dr. Fiona Farr, University of Limerick. (e-mail: fiona.farr@ul.ie)
• Prof. Michael McCarthy, University of Nottingham. (e-mail: Michael.McCarthy@nottingham.ac.uk)
• Dr. Anne O'Keeffe, Mary Immaculate College/UL, Limerick. (e-mail: anne.okeeffe@mic.ul.ie)
• Prof. Diana Slade, University of Technology, Sydney. (e-mail: diana.slade@uts.edu.au)
• Dr. Steve Walsh, Newcastle University. (e-mail: steve.walsh@ncl.ac.uk)

Since 1997, members of these institutions have compared corpus results to produce research into, for example, the following areas:

• Hedging across institutional contexts
• Use of vocatives across British casual conversation and Irish radio phone-in contexts
• Modality in Irish and British institutional and non-institutional contexts Backchannels and listenership devices in British, American and Irish English, and in young women's talk
• Questions in institutional and semi-institutional contexts
• Small talk in Irish and British contexts
• Suggestions episodes in use and in EFL course books

Latterly, researchers from the Queen's University Belfast and the University of Technology, Sydney have joined the research group and this has lead to comparative research in the following area:

• Relational language across British, Irish, American and Australian contexts
• The exploration of classroom discourse in British and Irish contexts.