talking about academic writing: border crossings diane schmitt tesol philadelphia 2012
TRANSCRIPT
Talking about Academic Writing:
Border Crossings
Diane Schmitt
TESOL Philadelphia 2012
Border Crossings in Writing
Secondary School University Writing
EFL Exams EAP Writing
EAP Writing Disciplinary Writing
Freshman Composition Disciplinary Writing
Graduation Writing Exams Disciplinary Exams
Challenges at the Border
EAP WritingEFL Exams
Disciplinary Writing
EAP Writing Disciplinary Writing
Exam Essay Tasks
Disjuncture between IELTS argumentative
essays and assessed academic writing IELTS writing:
gives too much attention to the subjectivity of the argument; this is at odds with the objective, non-personal writing of assessed academic writing
exhibits an excess of authorial authority in the absence of persuasive supporting evidence – this is likely to weaken rather than strengthen an argument
draws too much attention to the writer rather than the argument
overuses hearsay overly direct – not much hedging
(Coffin and Hewings, 2004)
EAP Writing Tasks
EAP writing more often requires students to use information from external sources in their writing.
Sample Pre-sessional Criteria
Assessment Criteria (Final Draft of Essay) - 8 August.docm
IELTS 1 writing task
The graph below shows the different modes of transport used to travel to and from work in one European city in 1960, 1980 and 2000.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.
IELTS writing task 1: requirements
For Writing Task 1 it is very important that candidates are able to understand information that is presented in diagram/graph/chart/table form. They must also be able to choose the most significant information to include in their description and be sure to focus on the overall trends within the data (if data is presented) in order to give an overview of it. They may also need to compare and contrast information.http://www.cambridgeesol.org/teach/ielts/academic_writing/aboutthepaper/task1/index.htm
Olwyn Alexander, 2009
Preparing students for both exams and disciplinary writing The data description writing task in the IELTS
examination differs significantly from data commentary in disciplinary writing, e.g. science and engineering degrees.
By identifying key features of data commentary at university and tasks for teaching it effectively can be developed.
Olwyn Alexander, 2009
How does this relate to disciplinary writing? According to Swales and Feak (n.d.)
writing about non-verbal material in the real world, even in textbooks, typically involves something more or something other than straight information transfer… [it] typically takes the form of a selective and interpretive commentary.http://eca.state.gov/education/engteaching/pubs/BR/functionalsec2_5.htm
Olwyn Alexander, 2009
Analyses of data commentaries by Applied Linguistics researchers (Alexander, 2009)
Author Date Journal or Book Disciplines
Thompson 1993 Written Communication Biochemistry
Brett 1994 English for Specific Purposes
Sociology
Posteguillo 1998 English for Specific Purposes
Computer Science
Williams 1999 English for Specific Purposes
Medical Research
Shaw 2000 Analysing Professional Genres
Animal Nutrition
Yang and Allison
2003 English for Specific Purposes
Applied Linguistics
Kanoksilapatham
2005 English for Specific Purposes
Biochemistry
Bruce 2009 in press
English for Specific Purposes
Sociology Chemistry
Main findings of the analysis(Alexander, 2009)
Results sections in journal articles are commentaries and not descriptions.
They proceed through a series of Moves and Steps Move = communicative purpose, e.g. locate results,
state results, comment on results Step = rhetorical techniques which realize these
purposes, e.g. steps for comment on results might be interpret results, compare results with literature, account for results, evaluate results
These moves and steps are repeated for each new finding.
What’s different between the two types of writing task? There is an overall structure to reporting data from
tables and graphs at university. Locate the results: The graph shows the different modes
of transport used to travel to and from work. Report the main findings: Whereas walking to work was
the most common form of transport in 1960, by 2000 most people travelled to work by car.
Account for the findings: It is likely that by 2000 many companies had relocated to out of town business parks which were too far to reach on foot.
Repeat for each finding: The use of bicycles to travel to work fell dramatically between 1960 and 2000, probably because of the increased number of cars on the road.
Olwyn Alexander, 2009
IELTS writing can thus be distinguished from
university-level writing:
• IELTS requires the first two moves [locate
the results and state the results] and not the
final move [comment on the results]
• data commentaries at university require all
three moves
Purpose of Language Proficiency Examse.g. IELTS General Descriptors
Purposes of Assessed Student Writing in University (Nesi and Gardner, 2012)
Provide opportunities to develop knowledge, understanding and expertise Writing to learn
Purposes of Assessed Student Writing in University (Nesi and Gardner, 2012)
Provide opportunities to develop knowledge, understanding and expertise
Display knowledge, understanding and expertise Assess achievement of learning outcomes
Purposes of Assessed Student Writing in University (Nesi and Gardner, 2012)
Provide opportunities to develop knowledge, understanding and expertise
Display knowledge, understanding and expertise
To explain or argue a point To demonstrate the ability to explain or argue
a point in writing Assess ability to meet academic and disciplinary
conventions for explanation or argument
Purposes of Assessed Student Writing in University (Nesi and Gardner, 2012)
Provide opportunities to develop knowledge, understanding and expertise
Display knowledge, understanding and expertise
To explain or argue a point To demonstrate the ability to explain or argue a
point in writing To earn a grade or gain credits towards a
degree
Purposes of Assessed Student Writing in University (Nesi and Gardner, 2012)
Provide opportunities to develop knowledge, understanding and expertise
Display knowledge, understanding and expertise
To explain or argue a point To demonstrate the ability to explain or argue a
point in writing To earn a grade or gain credits towards a
degree To develop skills to communicate with multiple
audiences – academic and professional
A comparison of writing tasks
EAPClasses
Language Tests
Personal Argumentative Essay Description
Diagram Description Comparison Contrast
Integrative Task – Reading/Listening/Writing Argument/Persuasion
Problem-Solution
Source-based Research Papers
Assessed academic writing tasks:Student writing in the disciplines
1. Case Study2. Critique3. Design Specification4. Empathy Writing5. Essay6. Exercise7. Explanation8. Literature Survey9. Methodology Recount10. Narrative Recount11. Problem Question12. Proposal13. Research Report
(Nesi and Gardner, 2012)
Genre Families found in the BAWE
Realizations of a genre in different disciplines
(Gardner, 2010)
Realizations of a genre in different disciplines
Writing tasks set at UK universities by disciplinary group and level
(Gardner, 2010)
Recognizing the different purposes for academic writing Essays, critical reviews, portfolios and
dissertations, are the end products of a long process which incorporates thinking, listening, reading, collating ideas, drafting and redrafting, discussing and editing. (CAPLITS, 2008)
Recognizing the different purposes for academic writing Essays, critical reviews, portfolios and
dissertations, are the end products of a long process which incorporates thinking, listening, reading, collating ideas, drafting and redrafting, discussing and editing. (CAPLITS, 2008)
Aims of Undergraduate Study
Bachelor's degrees with honours are awarded to students who have demonstrated: a systematic understanding of key aspects of their field of
study, including acquisition of coherent and detailed knowledge, at least some of which is at, or informed by, the forefront of defined aspects of a discipline
an ability to deploy accurately established techniques of analysis and enquiry within a discipline
conceptual understanding that enables the student to…
(QAA, 2008)
Aims of Undergraduate Study
Conceptual understanding that enables the student to: to describe and comment upon particular aspects of current research, or
equivalent advanced scholarship, in the discipline an appreciation of the uncertainty, ambiguity and limits of knowledge the ability to manage their own learning, and to make use of scholarly
reviews and primary sources (for example, refereed research articles and/or original materials appropriate to the discipline).
Typically, holders of the qualification will be able to: apply the methods and techniques that they have learned to review,
consolidate, extend and apply their knowledge and understanding, and to initiate and carry out projects
critically evaluate arguments, assumptions, abstract concepts and data (that may be incomplete), to make judgements, and to frame appropriate questions to achieve a solution - or identify a range of solutions - to a problem
(QAA, 2008)
Aims of Undergraduate Study
Conceptual understanding that enables the student to: to describe and comment upon particular aspects of current research, or
equivalent advanced scholarship, in the discipline an appreciation of the uncertainty, ambiguity and limits of knowledge the ability to manage their own learning, and to make use of scholarly
reviews and primary sources (for example, refereed research articles and/or original materials appropriate to the discipline).
Typically, holders of the qualification will be able to: apply the methods and techniques that they have learned to review,
consolidate, extend and apply their knowledge and understanding, and to initiate and carry out projects
critically evaluate arguments, assumptions, abstract concepts and data (that may be incomplete), to make judgements, and to frame appropriate questions to achieve a solution - or identify a range of solutions - to a problem
Writing tasks are driven by disciplinary content knowledge.
(QAA, 2008)
Disciplinary Argumentation across Genres (Nesi and Gardner, 2012:127)
Law focuses on what is legally right impose, enforce, deter, prohibit
Philosophy focuses on what morally or logically accepted Concession- accept, admit, concede Critique – criticise, imagine, question Entertainment – claim, imagine, postulate
Sociology focuses on what is arguably, fundamentally, socially challenged. Theories and ideas – embrace, shape, reinforce,
legitimise, portray and challenge
Specific uses of linguistic features across genre families Explain and Exercise Genres
The verbs ‘explain’ and ‘understand’ are rarely used “I shall first explain…”
The verbs do fulfill specific functions, e.g. citation, showing how concepts and theories explain
Keywords and their Collocates Students are far less likely to claim than published
authors; they are more likely to endorse these authors than challenge them
Point to the focus of argumentation in different disciplines
Register dimensions of student writing 11 genre families are:
Highly informational Non-narrative Elaborated Lacking overt features of persuasion Highly impersonal
Nesi and Gardner, 2012
Narrative recounts and empathy writing are relatively: Involved Narrative Situation Dependent
Writing is a process
Assessed Writing in the Disciplines requires students to: derive content knowledge from their disciplinary
reading and listening and apply it to a written prompt,
recognize and use the appropriate disciplinary moves and steps required for applying ideas and information
use language that is appropriate to the discipline and the task
A salutory story…
A cohort of 19 students studying for a Master’s Degree in Human Resource Management
External accrediting body requires that core modules are assessed by exams
Two of these are based on case studies 13 students fail the first exam 11 students fail all three exams The students only read the case studies and did
not read other texts from the reading list.
All of students attended either a pre-MA English course or a two or three-term pre-masters course
Case study exam writing
Course work case studies
Reflective writing
Dissertation
Purpose of Pre-university English language or Preparatory Programs
Characteristics of learner production in academic writing A limited lexical repertoire Lack of register awareness Lack of awareness of lexico-grammatical and
phraseological specificities Semantic misuse of connectors and labels The extensive use of chains of connective
devices A marked preference for placing connectors in
sentence-initial position
(Paquot, 2010)
Limited lexical repertoire (ICLE corpus) Overused nouns
advantage, aim, benefit, change, choice, conclusion, consequence, degree, disadvantage, example, fact, idea, influence, possibility, problem, reality, reason, risk, solution, stress
Underused nouns
addition, argument, assumption, basis, bias, comparison, concept, contrast, criterion, difference, effect, emphasis, evidence, extent, form, hypothesis, issue, outcome, perspective, position, scope, sense, summary, theme, theory, validity
How can we better support students? Provide opportunities to develop knowledge,
understanding and expertise, and to Display knowledge, understanding and
expertise Writing needs to be part of a wider cycle of
purposeful reading to learn content Instead of simply focusing on different
rhetorical types, focus more on purpose and function
Taking a genre approach (Tribble & Wingate, 2011)
Compile a corpus of student writing Create materials based on both high scoring
and low scoring work.
Applied Linguistics All of the examples in this guide have been
taken from assignments in the KCL Apprentice Writing Corpus. Assignments on the MA typically require students to demonstrate knowledge of relevant research literature, to reflect on the relevance of this research on specific teaching and learning contexts, and to come to conclusions in relation to the particular issues which are raised in the assignment.
Tribble and Wingate\Tribble and Wingate Samples.doc
Taking a genre approach (Tribble & Wingate, 2011)
Pharmacology
Optimisation Reports in the third year of the MPharm degree typically require students to report the experimental work they have performed in optimising one of four types of pharmaceutical formulations (creams, tablets, capsules or suspensions) over a period of 6 full-day sessions. In this report, they need to 1) demonstrate background knowledge of the formulations by referring to the relevant textbooks and research papers; 2) justify the experimental design, such as the choice of independent variables (the parameters that are varied) and dependent variables (the properties of the formulations that result from varying the independent parameters); 3) report the results of their experiments in a clear, relevant manner; 4) critically discuss their results in the light of available theory, by reference to appropriate literature sources; 5) present conclusions on the most appropriate formulation and reflect on the suitability of the methods used and possible improvements and limitations of the approach taken.
Taking a genre approach (Tribble & Wingate, 2011)
Corpora, Genre, and Talk
Students benefit from seeing not only expert academic writing, but also student writing
Where you have students from a variety of disciplines or undergraduates who do not yet know their major: Use insights from published studies Teach students to be genre and language detectives
Help students to see that choices about text/genre type, organization and language are motivated by the discipline.
