academic writing course English for Specific Purposes SIG of JACET Tokyo Keizai University 10 January 2015 Neil Matheson University of Auckland 1 Contexts yours and mine Reasons for my study ID: 806063
Download The PPT/PDF document "Using student writing and insider perspe..." is the property of its rightful owner. Permission is granted to download and print the materials on this web site for personal, non-commercial use only, and to display it on your personal computer provided you do not modify the materials and that you retain all copyright notices contained in the materials. By downloading content from our website, you accept the terms of this agreement.
Slide1
Using student writing and insider perspectives to develop an academic writing course
English for Specific Purposes SIG of JACET Tokyo Keizai University10 January 2015Neil Matheson, University of Auckland
1
Slide2Contexts – yours and mine
Reasons for my studyExisting research on academic writingResearch strategies employed in the studyDesired qualities & text types in 6 disciplines:
English, History, European Studies, Language Teaching, Anthropology, Sociology
Implications for teaching academic writing
2
Outline
Slide3EFL, EIL, ESP, EAP…secondary, tertiary… other contextsaims for development of English writing ability
ways to teach writingseparate writing classes or integrated skills genre based approach: text types, modelsgeneric writing courses or embedded in a subjectlearning to write or writing to learn3
Your context
Slide4English Writing 101: University of Auckland Arts-based (Humanities and Social Sciences
) 1st year writing course primarily for L1 English users Generic approach focusing on common academic text types and writing conventionsDemand, student diversity & range of students’ subject majors increasing in the course
4
My context
Slide5An overly generalised, decontextualised
approach?Useful practice tasks or “mutt genres?” (Wardle, 2009)Disciplinary variation in academic genres Basturkmen, 2009, 2012; Hyland, 2000, 2009; Kusel, 1992; Lea & Street, 1998, 2006; Monroe 2003; Nesi & Gardner, 2006, 2012; Paltridge
, 1997;
Parry, 1998, Samraj, 2004, 2008; Swales, 1990; Tardy, 2011 Vocabulary, linguistic features, style, broader structures, content embedded in social and disciplinary contexts
5
Questions about course approach
Slide6Academic Literacies perspective
Discourses cannot be divorced from disciplinary practice and beliefs; critical study necessaryInstitution and staff responsibility toadapt to student diversityprovide disciplinary-centred writing support throughout curriculum (Lea & Street, 1998, 2006; Ganobscik-Williams, 2006; Catt & Gregory, 2006)Calls for writing support to be embedded within disciplinary practice (
Arkoudis
, Baik & Richardson, 2012; Beaufort, 2007; Catt & Gregory, 2006; Etherington, 2008)
6
Questions about current approach 2
Slide7But…
practical difficulties of an embedded approach Lack of time, teaching resources, know-how (Beaufort, 2007)Attitude in disciplines: not our area; we do content (Hyland, 2013) Part of acculturation process (Hyland, 2009) or mystification process? “negotiating a sea of unfamiliar objects and practices” (
MacBeth
, 2006)Essay “an enactment of the institutional practice of mystery” (Lillis,2001) Generic writing courses (ex
English Writing 101) likely to continue as the main form of support
R
equires a research-informed curriculum identifying:
appropriate text types illustrated by relevant models
qualities
of academic writing
shared across disciplines
disciplinary-specific qualities where significant
7
Slide8Focuses on expert or graduate level writingmore accessible, prestigious (Johns, 1997; Nesi & Gardner, 2012),
easier to define – ex Swales’ CARS in IMRD reportsExisting undergraduate genre researchusually small scale, error focus, question analysis, surveys (Bruce, 2010; Gardner & Nesi, 2012)Recent development of corporaMICUSP: Michigan Corpus of Upper Level Student PapersBAWE: British Academic Written English Aim: “to capture the broad scope of assessed proficient university student writing” (Gardner & Nesi
, 2012 p. 8)
8
Existing research on academic writing
Slide9To describe assessed proficient undergraduate writing in University of Auckland Arts disciplines to help develop
English Writing 101 curriculumResearch QuestionsWhat qualities are desired in undergraduate writing in University of Auckland Arts disciplines?
Which
text types are required in undergraduate writing in University of Auckland Arts disciplines?
9Study aim & research questions
Slide10Text bank developmentTexts represent “wider rhetorical practices”
(Hyland, 2011)Source of sample texts (Flowerdew, 2000)Proficient student writing collected from courses taken by English Writing 101 students450 texts, 31 subjects (mainly Arts), 170 contributors
Interviews with
subject experts (Etherington, 2008; Gardner, 2012; Hyland, 2000, 2011; Martin & Rose, 2003)Collection
of supplementary data Builds a richer description of context (Alsop & Nesi, 2009; Dudley-Evans, 2002; Nesi & Gardner, 2012)
Course
outlines, marking rubrics, assignment questions, Departmental writing guides, field notes
…
10
Research strategies
Slide116 Arts disciplines English, History
(School of Humanities)European Studies, Language Teaching (School of Cultures, Languages, Linguistics) Anthropology, Sociology (School of Social Sciences)72 text bank texts (12 from each discipline) Selected to provide variety across Years 1-3, courses, topics, authors
range of text types
Interviews with 9 academics from the 6 disciplines Relevant supplementary data
11
Data subset
Slide12establishment of a position or perspective on the topic
development and support of the position with evidence, argumentation, critical analysis demonstration of understanding of the subject matterlogical, well-organised textsclearly and accurately expressed writing in an appropriate style
12
Research Question 1: Desired qualities
Slide13“close reading, analysis, development of argument, clear expression of argument” along with “the demonstration of knowledge of a particular literary area and … the ability to navigate particular theoretical terrains”
(English)“rule number one answer the question…secondly… any essay must have an argument of some sort…it should be well structured…in a logical sequence…and it should be written in proper, accurate, academic language…in that order of priority too” (History)“[I dislike] essays [without] their own cogent argument…unsubstantiated propositions [and] essays with good ideas lost with sloppy language” (European Studies)
to be able to “articulate concepts themselves [rather than] just getting a ready-made one from somewhere - if you don’t understand you can’t articulate it”. Some students “think as they write, leaving a jumble for the reader to sort out”
(Language Teaching)13
Desired qualities – interview extracts
Slide14“we assume that they are always going to critically analyse…that’s the implicit thing in Arts”. (Sociology)
Course aims include “learning to write in an academic style, understand readings, engage with the literature, and critical thinking - not just outlining concepts – comparing or disagreeing with them”. (Anthropology)“you don’t have to write in a complex way to convey complex ideas; making an argument with clarity is key” (Sociology) I like the clear, simple sentence…we don’t need to have these fancy words …you’re trying to make sure your grandma understands this… they think it’s more intellectual or more impressive to throw in a great vocabulary word…it’s like no actually clarity matters.
(History)
14
Desired qualities – interview extracts
Slide15English: close textual analysis and attention to
expressionA passage analysis is “something like a tissue sample or an archaeological find that we subject to a forensic scrutiny…to extract the maximum amount of information from the evidence”“close reading is interpretation, and you need to justify your interpretation or at least…work the evidence hard enough” “I often talk about
torquing
the final version…so you get more work out of the energy you're actually putting in…[for example] being able to manipulate clauses, dependent clauses to more effectively communicate their argument”History : use of multiple sources to build and support a position
A Stage 2 essay is “designed to test a student’s ability to successfully synthesise a substantial amount of information into a logically developed argument”“In
History it's very evidence-based and they get that evidence from secondary resources, primary sources.…Given the public sphere, where people can spew opinions…with no evidence…we are
teaching if you have a
point you’re buttressing it with
evidence.”
15
Discipline-specific qualities
Slide16Language Teaching: application of theory to teachingarticulation and application of concepts to language
teaching situationsLanguage Teaching assignment criteria: “critical analysis of application of theoretical concepts in language teaching contexts” Sociology: theory-based critical, questioning perspectiveDesired outcomes included the ability “to apply social theory…to articulate different ideas, argumentations, understand limitations [and to develop] a particular disciplinary expertise, a particular… disciplinary way of thinking”
“the
emphasis on the theory that we use will be different. I’d like to think that we’re actually more questioning, more critical [than other disciplines]”
16
Discipline-specific qualities 2
Slide17English: literary criticism, critical discourse, drama, poetry…
European Studies: literary vs historical subjects“Sociology is a broad church” Archaeologists - “the rocks & bones people” Biological anthropologists - “do monkeys & DNA”Differences acknowledged but similarities emphasised
“what
I consider good writing seems to be good writing…wherever it is”“you still need to have an argument that's expressed in accurate language and a well-structured essay”. Lack of cross-disciplinary interaction
uncertainty about expectations in other disciplines“my emphasis on argument and topic sentences, I don’t know if that’s reflected elsewhere, I mean we’ve never really had those kinds of conversations.”
17
Awareness of variation across disciplines
Slide18“I mean obviously there [are] huge differences… I know that from my research rather than from my experiences…in what people want and what they expect. When it comes to academic writing, the finished product looks a bit the same, but I think what constitutes the valid argument or support for an argument, can vary quite a lot between fields.”
18A different view of variation across disciplines
Slide19BAWE corpus: 13 genre families based on social purposes and key text stages (
Nesi & Gardner, 2012, p. 26)ex Essays “demonstrate/develop the ability to reason independently and construct a coherent argument” (p. 94)Textbank
subset
8 of 13 BAWE genres present in 72 text subsetEnglish, History, European Studies, Sociology: 98% Essays
Language Teaching, Anthropology: 38% Essays + 7 other genres
56 Essays (78%) cf
.
BAWE
Arts &
Humanities & Social
Sciences
72.6%
30
Exposition essays: claim/thesis in Intro,
Body evidence
& support 10 Commentary essays: more text analysis than argument
5
Discussion essays: alternative positions explored
5
Factorial
essays:
focus on
causes
5 Consequential essays: focus on effects
1 Challenge essay: takes an unexpected position
19
Research question 2: Text types
Slide20English
HistoryEuropeanStudiesLanguageTeachingAnthro-pologySociologyEssay121212
4
511Critique42
Literature survey2Research report
1
Research
proposal
1
Case
study
1
Design
specification
2
Narrative recount
1
1
1
20
Text types in 72 text subset
Slide21Similar qualities desired in all 6 disciplines
establishment of a position or perspective on a topic,development and support with evidence, argumentation and critical analysisan understanding of the subjectlogical, well-organised texts clear, accurate expression in an appropriate
style
Certain qualities emphasised in specific disciplinesEnglish – close textual analysis, crafted expressionHistory – multiple source use as evidential support
Language Teaching – application of theory to language teaching examples Sociology – critical, theory-based analysis
Differences mainly seen as related more to content
than writing
21
Q1: Desired qualities - summary
Slide22Essays the most common genre: 78% of 72 texts
Exposition essays: 42% Commentary essays 14%98% essays in English, History, European Studies, Sociology
38% essays in Language Teaching, Anthropology
Language Teaching: 5 genres, notably applied genres (case study, design specification, narrative recount)
Anthropology: 6 genres, notably research genres (literature survey, research proposal, research report)
Applied & research genres mostly 3
rd
year texts
22
Q2: Text types - summary
Slide23May be possible to accurately generalise about commonly desired qualities, but discipline-specific qualities should also be explained
“Essays” predominant but these can take various forms Greater genre diversity in some Arts disciplines Undergraduates write in a wide range of knowledge areas; more generic expectations at lower levels?
Developing awareness of discipline-specific requirements will help students specialise as they
progress
23
Implications for teaching academic writing
Slide24Implications for teaching writing in your context:24
Slide2525
Thank youQuestions or comments?
Neil Matheson
University of Aucklandnj.matheson@auckland.ac.nz
Slide261. What is academic writing? What is expected at university?2. Does writing vary depending on the subject? D
oes it differ from high school writing? 3. How do university students learn how to write? How do we know what to teach about writing?26