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Dr Philip Durrant

Dr Philip Durrant

Associate Professor in Language Education

 4974

 +44 (0) 1392 724974

 Baring Court BC119

 

Baring Court, University of Exeter St Luke's Campus, Heavitree Road, Exeter, EX1 2LU, UK

 Office hours:

Wednesdays 1600-1700

Research

Research projects

Growth in Grammar: A Multi-Dimensional Analysis of Student Writing between 5 and 16

(Principal Investigator. 2015-2018. Funded by ESRC: £317,843)

The project will focus on how school students’ use of grammar develops through the course of their academic careers, from age five to sixteen. We will establish a representative collection of authentic student writing from schools across the country and semi-automatically annotate these texts for grammatical features. This will be used to determine sets of features which are characteristic of writing at different stages of development and at different levels of attainment, how students at different stages and levels adapt their use of grammar to different communicative contexts, and how students’ use of grammar compares to that of mature writers. It is hoped that this will enable us to provide a more thorough understanding of grammatical development in writing and to inform national and international curriculum policies on the teaching of English. It will also generate an updatable corpus of grammatically-annotated, educationally authentic student writing which will be made accessible to both researchers and teachers.

 

Using PTE Academic to predict achievement and measure proficiency gains in an intensive EAP foundation programme

(Principal Investigator. 2014-2015. Funded by Pearson: £5,438)

Many institutions provide intensive programmes in English for Academic Purposes for applicants whose English language proficiency is deemed not to be sufficient for direct entry to English-medium higher education. It is essential that these institutions (and the higher education institutions which they serve) are able to make informed judgements about the extent to which particular applicants are likely to benefit from particular programmes and the length and type of programme they are likely to need to attend before commencing their degrees. 

In most cases, such judgements are made on the basis of widely-available academically-oriented proficiency tests, such as PTE-A. It is therefore important to determine: 1) whether and how such tests are able to predict applicants’ degree of achievement on an intensive EAP course; 2) the extent to which applicants can be expected to reach the levels of proficiency higher educational institutions require for entry to degree programmes by engaging in a particular EAP course; and 3) how and why the answers to 1) and 2) vary across applicants. This project aimed to answer these three questions.

It traced EAP students' score gains on PTE-A over the period of a 10-week programme, determined how well pre-course PTE-A scores predicted their performance on the EAP course (as measured by in-house assessments), and how learner and contextual factors influenced these things.

Research networks

Centre for Research in Writing

Language and Education Network

Centre for Research in Professional Learning

Research grants

  • 2015 Economic and Social Research Council
    Growth in Grammar: A multi-dimensional analysis of student writing between 5 and 16
  • 2014 Pearson Education
    Using the Pearson Test of English Academic (PTE-A) to predict achievement and measure proficiency gains in an intensive EAP foundation programme.

Publications

Key publications | Publications by category | Publications by year

Key publications


Durrant P, Brenchley M (2018). Development of vocabulary sophistication across genres in English children's writing. Reading and Writing, 32, 1927-1953. Abstract.
Durrant P (2016). To what extent is the Academic Vocabulary List relevant to university student writing?. English for Specific Purposes, 43(3), 49-61. Abstract.
Durrant P (2015). Lexical Bundles and Disciplinary Variation in University Students’ Writing: Mapping the Territories. Applied Linguistics, 38(2), 165-193. Abstract.
Durrant P (2014). Corpus frequency and second language learners' knowledge of collocations: a meta-analysis. International Journal of Corpus Linguistics, 19(4), 443-477. Abstract.
Durrant P (2014). Discipline and Level Specificity in University Students' Written Vocabulary. Applied Linguistics, 3(35), 328-356. Abstract.
Durrant P, Schmitt N (2010). Adult learners′ retention of collocations from exposure. Second Language Research, 26(2), 163-188. Abstract.

Publications by category


Books

Durrant P, Siyanova-Chanturia A, Kremmel B, Sonbul S (2022). Research Methods in Vocabulary Studies.
Durrant P, Brenchley M, McCallum L (2021). Understanding Development and Proficiency in Writing.
Durrant P, Brenchley M, McCallum L (2021). Understanding Development and Proficiency in Writing Quantitative Corpus Linguistic Approaches. Abstract.

Journal articles

Durrant P, Durrant A (In Press). Appropriateness as an aspect of lexical richness: what do quantitative measures tell us about children's writing?. Assessing Writing Abstract.
Cangir H, Durrant P (In Press). Cross-linguistic Collocational Networks in the L1 Turkish - L2 English Mental Lexicon. Lingua
Durrant P, Brenchley M (In Press). Development of noun phrase complexity across genres in children's writing. Applied Linguistics Abstract.
Durrant P (In Press). Studying children’s writing development with a corpus. Applied Corpus Linguistics
Durrant P, Brenchley M, Clarkson R (In Press). Syntactic development across genres in children's writing: the case of adverbial clauses. Journal of Writing Research
Durrant P, Moxley J, McCallum L (In Press). Vocabulary sophistication in first-year composition assignments. International Journal of Corpus Linguistics
Durrant P (2023). Review of Deignan, Candarli, & Oxley (2023). The linguistic challenge of the transition to secondary school: a corpus study of academic language. Applied Corpus Linguistics, 3(2), 100049-100049.
Durrant P (2019). Vocabulary and English for Specific Purposes Research: Quantitative and Qualitative Perspectives. TESOL QUARTERLY, 53(1), 279-280. Author URL.
Durrant P, Brenchley M (2018). Development of vocabulary sophistication across genres in English children's writing. Reading and Writing, 32, 1927-1953. Abstract.
Lu C, Durrant P (2017). A corpus-based lexical analysis of Chinese medicine research articles. asian journal of applied linguistics, 4, 3-15.
Cangır H, Büyükkantarcıoğlu N, Durrant P (2017). Investigating Collocational Priming in Turkish. Journal of Language and Linguistic Studies, 13, 465-486.
McLaughlin J, Durrant P (2017). Student Learning Approaches in the UAE: the case for the achieving domain. Higher Education Research and Development Abstract.
Durrant P (2016). To what extent is the Academic Vocabulary List relevant to university student writing?. English for Specific Purposes, 43(3), 49-61. Abstract.
Durrant P (2015). Lexical Bundles and Disciplinary Variation in University Students’ Writing: Mapping the Territories. Applied Linguistics, 38(2), 165-193. Abstract.
Durrant P (2014). Corpus frequency and second language learners' knowledge of collocations: a meta-analysis. International Journal of Corpus Linguistics, 19(4), 443-477. Abstract.
Durrant P (2014). Discipline and Level Specificity in University Students' Written Vocabulary. Applied Linguistics, 3(35), 328-356. Abstract.
Durrant P (2013). Formulaicity in an agglutinating language: the case of Turkish. Corpus linguistics and linguistic theory, 9(1), 1-38. Abstract.
Durrant P, Mathews-Aydinli J (2011). A function-first approach to identifying formulaic language in academic writing. Journal of English for Specific Purposes, 30(1), 58-72. Abstract.
Durrant P, Schmitt N (2010). Adult learners′ retention of collocations from exposure. Second Language Research, 26(2), 163-188. Abstract.
Durrant P (2010). Alison Wray, ″Formulaic language: Pushing the Boundaries“. Applied Linguistics, 31(1), 163-166.
Durrant P, Doherty A (2010). Are high-frequency collocations psychologically real? Investigating the thesis of collocational priming. Corpus Linguistics and Linguistic Theory, 6(2), 125-155. Abstract.
Durrant P (2010). Formulaic Language: Pushing the Boundaries. APPLIED LINGUISTICS, 31(1), 163-166. Author URL.
Durrant P (2009). Investigating the viability of a collocation list for students of English for Academic Purposes. Journal of English for Specific Purposes, 28(3), 157-179. Abstract.
Durrant P, Schmitt N (2009). To what extent do native and non-native writers make use of collocations?. International Review of Applied Linguistics, 47(2), 157-177. Abstract.
Durrant P (2007). Collocations in a learner corpus. FUNCTIONS OF LANGUAGE, 14(2), 251-261. Author URL.
Durrant P (2007). Nadja Nesselhauf. Collocations in a learner corpus. Functions of Language, 14(2), 251-261.

Chapters

Durrant P (2022). Formulaic language research in practice. In  (Ed) Corpus Linguistics for Writing Development, Routledge, 157-180.
Durrant P (2022). Grammar research in practice. In  (Ed) Corpus Linguistics for Writing Development, Routledge, 113-135.
Durrant P (2022). Learner corpus analysis in practice. In  (Ed) Corpus Linguistics for Writing Development, Routledge, 15-32.
Durrant P (2022). Studying writing development with a corpus. In  (Ed) Corpus Linguistics for Writing Development, Routledge, 3-14.
Durrant P (2022). Understanding formulaic language in learner writing. In  (Ed) Corpus Linguistics for Writing Development, Routledge, 139-156.
Durrant P (2022). Understanding grammar in learner writing. In  (Ed) Corpus Linguistics for Writing Development, Routledge, 95-112.
Durrant P (2022). Understanding vocabulary in learner writing. In  (Ed) Corpus Linguistics for Writing Development, Routledge, 35-58.
Durrant P (2022). Vocabulary research in practice. In  (Ed) Corpus Linguistics for Writing Development, Routledge, 59-91.
Gries ST, Durrant P (2019). Analyzing co-occurrence data. In Gries ST, Paquot M (Eds.) A practical handbook of corpus linguistics, New York: Springer. Abstract.
Durrant P (2019). Formulaic language in English for Academic Purposes. In Siyanova-Chanturia A, Pellicer-Sanchez A (Eds.) Understanding Formulaic Language: a Second Language Acquisition Perspective, Abingdon: Routledge.
Ardavani S, Durrant P (2015). How have political and socio-economic issues impacted on the motivation of Iranian university students to learn English?. In  (Ed) English language teaching i the Islamic Republic of Iran: Innovations, trends and challenges, London: British Council, 35-45.  Abstract.
Durrant P, Siyanova-Chanturia A (2015). Learner Corpora and Psycholinguistic Research. In Granger S, Gilquin G, Meunier F (Eds.) The Cambridge Handbook of Learner Corpus Research, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Abstract.
Jones M, Durrant P (2010). What can a corpus tell us about vocabulary teaching materials?. In McCarthy M (Ed) The Routledge Handbook of Corpus Linguistics, London: Routledge, 387-400.

Reports

Durrant P, Walker C, Michel R (2015). Using PTE Academic to predict achievement and measure proficiency gains in an intensive EAP foundation programme.  Abstract.

Publications by year


In Press

Durrant P, Durrant A (In Press). Appropriateness as an aspect of lexical richness: what do quantitative measures tell us about children's writing?. Assessing Writing Abstract.
Cangir H, Durrant P (In Press). Cross-linguistic Collocational Networks in the L1 Turkish - L2 English Mental Lexicon. Lingua
Durrant P, Brenchley M (In Press). Development of noun phrase complexity across genres in children's writing. Applied Linguistics Abstract.
Durrant P (In Press). Studying children’s writing development with a corpus. Applied Corpus Linguistics
Durrant P, Brenchley M, Clarkson R (In Press). Syntactic development across genres in children's writing: the case of adverbial clauses. Journal of Writing Research
Durrant P, Moxley J, McCallum L (In Press). Vocabulary sophistication in first-year composition assignments. International Journal of Corpus Linguistics

2023

Durrant P (2023). Review of Deignan, Candarli, & Oxley (2023). The linguistic challenge of the transition to secondary school: a corpus study of academic language. Applied Corpus Linguistics, 3(2), 100049-100049.

2022

Durrant P (2022). Formulaic language research in practice. In  (Ed) Corpus Linguistics for Writing Development, Routledge, 157-180.
Durrant P (2022). Grammar research in practice. In  (Ed) Corpus Linguistics for Writing Development, Routledge, 113-135.
Durrant P (2022). Learner corpus analysis in practice. In  (Ed) Corpus Linguistics for Writing Development, Routledge, 15-32.
Durrant P, Siyanova-Chanturia A, Kremmel B, Sonbul S (2022). Research Methods in Vocabulary Studies.
Durrant P (2022). Studying writing development with a corpus. In  (Ed) Corpus Linguistics for Writing Development, Routledge, 3-14.
Durrant P (2022). Understanding formulaic language in learner writing. In  (Ed) Corpus Linguistics for Writing Development, Routledge, 139-156.
Durrant P (2022). Understanding grammar in learner writing. In  (Ed) Corpus Linguistics for Writing Development, Routledge, 95-112.
Durrant P (2022). Understanding vocabulary in learner writing. In  (Ed) Corpus Linguistics for Writing Development, Routledge, 35-58.
Durrant P (2022). Vocabulary research in practice. In  (Ed) Corpus Linguistics for Writing Development, Routledge, 59-91.

2021

Durrant P, Brenchley M, McCallum L (2021). Understanding Development and Proficiency in Writing.
Durrant P, Brenchley M, McCallum L (2021). Understanding Development and Proficiency in Writing Quantitative Corpus Linguistic Approaches. Abstract.

2019

Gries ST, Durrant P (2019). Analyzing co-occurrence data. In Gries ST, Paquot M (Eds.) A practical handbook of corpus linguistics, New York: Springer. Abstract.
Durrant P (2019). Formulaic language in English for Academic Purposes. In Siyanova-Chanturia A, Pellicer-Sanchez A (Eds.) Understanding Formulaic Language: a Second Language Acquisition Perspective, Abingdon: Routledge.
Durrant P (2019). Press release, leading to news features in Times Educational Supplement.  Abstract.
Durrant P (2019). Vocabulary and English for Specific Purposes Research: Quantitative and Qualitative Perspectives. TESOL QUARTERLY, 53(1), 279-280. Author URL.

2018

Durrant P, Brenchley M (2018). Development of vocabulary sophistication across genres in English children's writing. Reading and Writing, 32, 1927-1953. Abstract.
Durrant P (2018). Project website.  Abstract.

2017

Lu C, Durrant P (2017). A corpus-based lexical analysis of Chinese medicine research articles. asian journal of applied linguistics, 4, 3-15.
Durrant P (2017). Growth in Grammar Twitter feed.  Abstract.
Cangır H, Büyükkantarcıoğlu N, Durrant P (2017). Investigating Collocational Priming in Turkish. Journal of Language and Linguistic Studies, 13, 465-486.
McLaughlin J, Durrant P (2017). Student Learning Approaches in the UAE: the case for the achieving domain. Higher Education Research and Development Abstract.
Durrant P (2017). TES Podagogy Podcast.  Abstract.

2016

Durrant P (2016). To what extent is the Academic Vocabulary List relevant to university student writing?. English for Specific Purposes, 43(3), 49-61. Abstract.

2015

Ardavani S, Durrant P (2015). How have political and socio-economic issues impacted on the motivation of Iranian university students to learn English?. In  (Ed) English language teaching i the Islamic Republic of Iran: Innovations, trends and challenges, London: British Council, 35-45.  Abstract.
Durrant P, Siyanova-Chanturia A (2015). Learner Corpora and Psycholinguistic Research. In Granger S, Gilquin G, Meunier F (Eds.) The Cambridge Handbook of Learner Corpus Research, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Abstract.
Durrant P (2015). Lexical Bundles and Disciplinary Variation in University Students’ Writing: Mapping the Territories. Applied Linguistics, 38(2), 165-193. Abstract.
Durrant P, Walker C, Michel R (2015). Using PTE Academic to predict achievement and measure proficiency gains in an intensive EAP foundation programme.  Abstract.

2014

Durrant P (2014). Corpus frequency and second language learners' knowledge of collocations: a meta-analysis. International Journal of Corpus Linguistics, 19(4), 443-477. Abstract.
Durrant P (2014). Discipline and Level Specificity in University Students' Written Vocabulary. Applied Linguistics, 3(35), 328-356. Abstract.

2013

Durrant P (2013). Formulaicity in an agglutinating language: the case of Turkish. Corpus linguistics and linguistic theory, 9(1), 1-38. Abstract.

2011

Durrant P, Mathews-Aydinli J (2011). A function-first approach to identifying formulaic language in academic writing. Journal of English for Specific Purposes, 30(1), 58-72. Abstract.

2010

Durrant P, Schmitt N (2010). Adult learners′ retention of collocations from exposure. Second Language Research, 26(2), 163-188. Abstract.
Durrant P (2010). Alison Wray, ″Formulaic language: Pushing the Boundaries“. Applied Linguistics, 31(1), 163-166.
Durrant P, Doherty A (2010). Are high-frequency collocations psychologically real? Investigating the thesis of collocational priming. Corpus Linguistics and Linguistic Theory, 6(2), 125-155. Abstract.
Durrant P (2010). Formulaic Language: Pushing the Boundaries. APPLIED LINGUISTICS, 31(1), 163-166. Author URL.
Jones M, Durrant P (2010). What can a corpus tell us about vocabulary teaching materials?. In McCarthy M (Ed) The Routledge Handbook of Corpus Linguistics, London: Routledge, 387-400.

2009

Durrant P (2009). Investigating the viability of a collocation list for students of English for Academic Purposes. Journal of English for Specific Purposes, 28(3), 157-179. Abstract.
Durrant P, Schmitt N (2009). To what extent do native and non-native writers make use of collocations?. International Review of Applied Linguistics, 47(2), 157-177. Abstract.

2007

Durrant P (2007). Collocations in a learner corpus. FUNCTIONS OF LANGUAGE, 14(2), 251-261. Author URL.
Durrant P (2007). Nadja Nesselhauf. Collocations in a learner corpus. Functions of Language, 14(2), 251-261.

philip_durrant Details from cache as at 2023-06-06 03:11:24

Refresh publications

Teaching

MEd TESOL: Language Awareness; Teaching and Researching English for Academic Purposes

EdD TESOL: TESOL Classrooms and Pedagogy

Modules

2022/23


Supervision / Group

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