1. Applied Linguistics (Language Teaching and Learning)
Davud Kuhi
Abstract
This paper assumes that developing strong models of academic discourse analysis would not by itself guarantee researchers’ access to the realities of academic communication and that any development in the theory of academic discourse analysis should also be informed and equipped with developments ...
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This paper assumes that developing strong models of academic discourse analysis would not by itself guarantee researchers’ access to the realities of academic communication and that any development in the theory of academic discourse analysis should also be informed and equipped with developments in wider applied linguistics research methodology. The current paper proposes that the departure point of this dialogue between academic discourse theory and research methodology should be the concept of “triangulation”. While in applied linguistics research context, the concept has been defined as a research strategy aiming at developing diverse dimensions to approach the phenomena under investigation, I have argued that triangulation should be redefined and further operationalized in light of the realities of academic discourses and the very demands and desires of academic discourse researchers. To do so, a set of options including genre-based triangulation, culture-based triangulation, discipline-based triangulation, language-based triangulation, mode-based triangulation, time-based triangulation, expertise-based triangulation, analyst-based triangulation, corpus-based triangulation, and audience-based triangulation has been proposed.
1. Applied Linguistics (Language Teaching and Learning)
Davud Kuhi
Abstract
Since its introduction to EAP theory in the 1980s, the concept of genre has proven to be a rigorous theoretical construct for a deeperunderstanding of the nature of academic discourse. However, the inherent potential of this concept as a means of classifying and categorizing academic texts has also given ...
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Since its introduction to EAP theory in the 1980s, the concept of genre has proven to be a rigorous theoretical construct for a deeperunderstanding of the nature of academic discourse. However, the inherent potential of this concept as a means of classifying and categorizing academic texts has also given rise to what we have called “the misconception of homogeneity”. Criticizing this misconception and drawing on the concept of hybridity/heterogeneity of scientific/academic genres, the present paper explores some of the major implications of this view for EAP research and pedagogy. It is argued that the recognition of the concept of hybridity of academic genres would result in redefining the corpus design issues, focusing on genre networks instead of single genres, trying further possibilities of triangulation, redefining the criteria for the selection of formal/functional properties in analytic projects and development of thicker explanatory frameworks. The paper also looks at possibilities of operationalizing this concept within what is called “a hybridity-sensitive EAP pedagogy” and suggests intertextuality/interdiscursivity tracing tasks and discursive conversion tasks as means of raising EAP learners awareness.
2. Applied Linguistics (Inspirations from neighbor disciplines)
Farnaz Sahebkheir; Marjan Vosoughie
Abstract
In this article, researchers set out to discover the metadiscourse markers in research articles written by both native and non-native English speakers. To this end, a total number of twenty research articles published by Iranian and native English speakers in highly reputed journals on Arts and Humanities ...
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In this article, researchers set out to discover the metadiscourse markers in research articles written by both native and non-native English speakers. To this end, a total number of twenty research articles published by Iranian and native English speakers in highly reputed journals on Arts and Humanities domains were randomly selected from major databases including Science Direct, Noormagz, and Magiran. Through Hylands’ Metadiscoursal model (2005), appraisals were accomplished on two main metadiscoursal aspects including interactive vs. interactional resources. The results revealed that interactive resources had the highest proportion in comparison with interactional resources with transitions being in the top list in both native and non-native articles considering different parts of the articles from abstract up to the conclusion part. From among interactional resources, in articles written by native English speakers, attitude markers and for the non-native ones, engagement markers had the least rates. In addition, Iranian scholars had used some markers e.g. ‘attitude markers’, and ‘hedges’ more than native English speakers. It can be included that students should be informed about a balanced use of the frequency and the percentage of different metadiscourse markers in English as a part of teaching writing or grammar in their research writing modules.
Mahnaz Saeidi; shirin Rezaei
Abstract
Although sometimes considered to act only as a means of recognizing debts, acknowledgments give the opportunity for writers to display a self-conscious and reflective representation of self. Following this assumption and to reveal some of the ways this is achieved, a corpus of 80 textbook acknowledgments ...
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Although sometimes considered to act only as a means of recognizing debts, acknowledgments give the opportunity for writers to display a self-conscious and reflective representation of self. Following this assumption and to reveal some of the ways this is achieved, a corpus of 80 textbook acknowledgments in the field of Linguistics and Applied Linguistics were analyzed in order to show what “self” does in an other-oriented academic sub-genre. The findings of the study revealed that acknowledgments is composed of a sequence of moves, through which the writer must mainly and primarily acknowledge the others who have a share in the process of the development of an academic enterprise. However, within this manifest presence of others, the readers also find implicit and explicit traces of self which carry the writers’ desires for promotion. This study clearly indicates that self-promotion is an inherent and integral quality of all academic discourses and even an “other” oriented academic genre can be seen to carry a self-promotional flavour.
Davud Kuhi
Abstract
Inspired by Fairclough's suggestion of the idea of commodification in higher education, particularly in terms of "the marketization of the discursive practices of universities" (1993, p. 143), the author of the present paper proposes a theoretical basis within which the constitutive functioning of academic ...
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Inspired by Fairclough's suggestion of the idea of commodification in higher education, particularly in terms of "the marketization of the discursive practices of universities" (1993, p. 143), the author of the present paper proposes a theoretical basis within which the constitutive functioning of academic discourse in the mentioned process can be understood. In this attempt, Althusser's chain of interpellation is proposed as a rigorous conceptual framework to demonstrate the interdependence of the different components of academic life. As the major contribution of the present argument, the adapted schema demonstrates a dynamic relationship among university as an institution, academic communicative events, academic practice, academic discourse and the identities of the participants of academic context. The paper is concluded with some implications of the argument for EAP research and pedagogy.
Farzad Salahshoor; Mahnaz Sharifi
Abstract
The notion of genre has received a great deal of attention both in discourse analytic studies as well as in the field of ESP/EAP course design. The present paper has attempted to use genre analysis to account for the rhetorical features of research article introductions written by Iranian academics in ...
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The notion of genre has received a great deal of attention both in discourse analytic studies as well as in the field of ESP/EAP course design. The present paper has attempted to use genre analysis to account for the rhetorical features of research article introductions written by Iranian academics in two disciplinary fields of Education and Economics. The corpus comprised 40 research article introductions (20 from Education, 20 from Economics fields). Applying John Swales’ (1990) CARS model and based on the notions of generic move, and step, our analysis showed a high degree of compatibility between our data and Swales’ model. The only marked difference was that the frequencies of occurrence of moves 1 and 2 were significantly higher than that of move 3. Some minor differences were also identified and discussed. The findings may be of some value both to contrastive rhetorical studies and genre analytic studies. They may also be practically useful for EAP syllabus designers in developing genre-oriented EAP material, and EAP teachers in postgraduate courses aiming at developing academic writing skills.
