Genre Description of Pakistani Learners’ Argumentative Essays: A Case Study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.53057/linfo/2023.5.4.4Keywords:
argumentative writing, genre analysis, genre description, Hyland’s model, learner writingAbstract
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.
Downloads
References
Artemeva, N. (2004). Key concepts in rhetorical genre studies: An overview. Canadian Journal for Studies in Discourse and Writing/Rédactologie, 20(1), 3-38.
Altenberg, B., & Tapper, M. (1998). The use of adverbial connectors in advanced Swedish learners' written English. In Learner English of Computer (pp. 80-93.). London and Network: Routledge.
Bazerman, C. (2003). Textual performance: Where the action at a distance is. Journal of Advanced Composition 23(2), 379-96.
Bejarano, P. A., & Chapetón, C. M. (2013). The role of genre-based activities in the writing of argumentative essays in EFL. Profile Issues in Teachers Professional Development, 15(2), 127-147.
Chanifah, C. (2019). Ideational meaning analysis in analytical exposition written by the eleventh graders of Sma negeri 1 Magelang in the academic year 2018/ 2019. Journal of Research on Applied Linguistics, Language, and Language Teaching, 2(1), 58-66.
Derewianka, B. (1990). Exploring How Texts Work. Rozelle, NSW: Primary English Teaching Association.
Derewianka, B. (2003). Trends and issues in genre-based approaches. RELC Journal, 34(2), 133-154.
Eggins, S. (2004). An Introduction to Systemic Functional Linguistics (2nd ed.). Newyork, London: Continuum.
Eggins, S. (2007). An Introduction to Systemic Functional Linguistics (2nd Edition). London: Continuum.
Emilia, E. (2005). A critical genre-based approach to teaching academic writing in a tertiary EFL context in Indonesia (Doctoral dissertation, The University of Melbourne).
Figueiredo, D. (2010). Context, register and genre: Implications for language education. Revista Signos, 43, 119-141.
Fakhruddin, W. F., & Hassan, H. (2015). A review of genre approaches within linguistic traditions. LSP International Journal, 2(2), 58-68.
Hyland, K. (1990). A genre description of the argumentative essay. RELC journal, 21(1), 66-78.
Hyland, K. (2002). Genre: Language, context, and literacy. Annual review of applied linguistics, 22(1), 113-135.
Huen, K. L. (2011). Text analysis with a systemic functional approach: Analyzing US presidential inaugural address. Retrieved from https://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&as_sdt=0%2C5&q=text+analysis+with+systemic+functional+approach+analyzing+US+presidential+&btnG
Imtiaz, Z., & Mahmood, M. A. (2014). Genre analysis of argumentative essays of Pakistani EFL learners. Journal of Education and Practice, 5(30), 95-101.
Ka-kan-dee, M., & Kaur, S. (2014). Teaching strategies used by Thai EFL lecturers to teach argumentative writing. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 208, 143-156.
Kanestion, A., Singh, M. K., & Shamsudin, S. (2017). Developing a framework for writing skill: A corpus-based analysis of the written argumentative essays. Sains Humanika, 9(4-2), 39-47.
Kanestion, A., & Singh, M. K. (2019). A Corpus-based Genre Analysis: Moves in Introductory Paragraph of Argumentative Writing. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 9(7), 821-831.
Martin, J. R. (1992). Context: register, genre and ideology–English text: Systems and structure. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.
Martin, J. R., & Rose, D. (2008). Genre Relations. London: Equinox.
Martin, J. R. (2014). Evolving systemic functional linguistics: beyond the clause. Functional Linguistics, 1(1), 1-24.
Nordin, S. M. (2017). The best of two approaches: Process/genre-based approach to teaching writing. The English Teacher, 35, 75-85.
Permata, R., & Hamzah. (2019). Students’ Ability in Developing the Paragraphs of Argumentative Essay. International Journal of Science and Research, 8(7), 892-895.
Promwinai, P. P. (2010). The demand of argumentative essay writing: Experiences of Thai tertiary students (Doctoral Dissertation). University of Wollongong, Australia.
Rose, D. (2010). Genre in the Sydney school. In The Routledge handbook of discourse analysis (pp. 209-225). London: Routledge.
Saito, S. (2010). An analysis of argumentative essays of Thai third-year English major instructed by the integrated process-genre approach (Doctoral Dissertation). Srinakharinwirot University, Bangkok, Thailand.
Schleppegrell, M. J. (2004). The language of schooling: A functional linguistics perspective. London: Routledge.
Shin, Y. K. (2018). Lexical bundles in argumentative essays by native and nonnative English-speaking novice academic writers (Doctoral dissertation). Georgia State University.
Swales, J. M. (1990). English in Academic and Research Setting. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Wingate, U. (2012). Argument!’ helping students understand what essay writing is about. Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 11(2), 145-154.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2023 Rimsha Umer, Prof. Dr. Muhammad Asim Mahmood, Kanza Umer
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
License Terms
All articles published by MARS Publishers are made immediately available worldwide under an open access license. This means:
- everyone has free and unlimited access to the full-text of all articles published in MARS Publishers' journals;
- everyone is free to re-use the published material if proper accreditation/citation of the original publication is given.