Genre Description of Pakistani Learners’ Argumentative Essays: A Case Study

Authors

  • Rimsha Umer M.Phil. Scholar, Department of Applied Linguistics, Government College University, Faisalabad, Punjab, Pakistan.
  • Prof. Dr. Muhammad Asim Mahmood Dean, Faculty of Art and Social Sciences, Government College University, Faisalabad, Punjab, Pakistan.
  • Kanza Umer Lecturer English Literature, Department of English, Government College University Faisalabad, Punjab, Pakistan.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.53057/linfo/2023.5.4.4

Keywords:

argumentative writing, genre analysis, genre description, Hyland’s model, learner writing

Abstract

This study has a primary objective of examining the generic structure employed by Pakistani learners in their argumentative essay writing. To achieve this goal, we utilize manual move analysis based on Hyland's move analysis model. We randomly selected twenty-five essays from the International Corpus of Learners’ English (ICLE), all addressing the topic of "why marriages fail." The quantitative analysis, focusing on generic structures, reveals that the majority of essays in this study comprise three schematic stages: thesis, argument, and conclusion. However, crucial phases such as the proposition phase in the thesis stage, the support phase in the argument stage, and the consolidation phase in the conclusion stage are notably absent in most of the essays. Conversely, certain elements, including gambit and elaboration in the thesis stage, hyper claim and claim in the argument stage, as well as marker and close in the conclusion stage, recur frequently. Furthermore, the qualitative analysis sheds light on the distinct challenges faced by Pakistani learners when employing the appropriate generic stages in argumentative essays. These challenges can be categorized as follows: overgeneralized statements used instead of a proposition and preview, unnecessary "recommendation" in elaboration, split claims, and the absence of consolidation. Through this study, we gain valuable insights into the structural aspects of argumentative essays produced by Pakistani learners, identifying both recurring patterns and specific challenges.

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Author Biographies

Rimsha Umer, M.Phil. Scholar, Department of Applied Linguistics, Government College University, Faisalabad, Punjab, Pakistan.

Rimsha Umer is currently working as Lecturer at Government Graduate College, Peoples Colony no 2, Faisalabad. She has served as an Access Program Teacher from 2019 to 2021. She earned her BS (Hons) and MPhil degree from Department of Applied Linguistics, GCUF. She secured first position in both BS and MPhil. She has attended different RELO trainings. Moreover, she has worked as Friends of the Corner at GCUF. She has conducted different workshops on Critical Thinking; Postmodern Literature and Critical Theory at Lincoln Corner, Faisalabad.

Prof. Dr. Muhammad Asim Mahmood, Dean, Faculty of Art and Social Sciences, Government College University, Faisalabad, Punjab, Pakistan.

Prof. Dr Muhammad Asim Mahmood is working as Dean, faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Government College University Faisalabad. He has been working as a chairperson of the Department of Applied Linguistics since 2012. He earned his PhD in Linguistics from the Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan in 2012. He worked as a visiting research associate in University of Birmingham, UK from February 2008 to July 2008. He launched a research journal entitled “Pakistan Journal of Language Studies”.

Kanza Umer, Lecturer English Literature, Department of English, Government College University Faisalabad, Punjab, Pakistan.

Kanza Umer works as lecturer in English at Government College University, Faisalabad. She did her graduation and MPhil in English Literature from GCUF. Her areas of study include Gender Studies and Leadership Skills.

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Published

2023-12-30

How to Cite

Umer, R., Mahmood, P. D. M. A., & Umer, K. (2023). Genre Description of Pakistani Learners’ Argumentative Essays: A Case Study. Linguistic Forum - A Journal of Linguistics, 5(4), 74–89. https://doi.org/10.53057/linfo/2023.5.4.4