Taking an Effective Authorial Stance in Academic Writing: Inductive Learning for Second Language Writers using a Stance Corpus.

Abstract

The study focuses on a pedagogical proposal using a specialized corpus to assist advanced second language (L2) writers to tackle a critical aspect in academic writing, authorial stance-taking. Novice L2 writers are often found to project an unauthoritative persona and voice, which compromises their research potential. Premised on linguistic (Systemic Functional and Corpus Linguistics) and learning theories, the study tested the hypotheses that (1) rendering explicit the complex linguistic stance resources is beneficial to inform ways to argue with a persuasive authorial stance, and (2) corpora tools encourage inductive pattern-finding, which brings about deep learning and better performance. Seven Mandarin-speaking learners of English studying at post-graduate levels were recruited to engage in five-session training and interaction with the tool as they wrote introductions to their research. Multiple methods were employed to analyze (1) overall writing performance (2) stance understanding, (3) the development of stance understanding, (4) cognitive patterns in using the tool and in overall learning and (5) tool use patterns. Results show a positive relationship between stance learning and writing performance. The semantically-oriented corpus also engaged the learners’ to manage the discursive flow of their stance deployment, critical to greater effectiveness in their writing. Their cognitive learning patterns reflected frequent “sense-making”, “exploring” and “reasoning” about the complex new knowledge while inductive pattern-finding is infrequent. The findings suggest training and more support are need to optimize an inductive learning approach. In addition, individual learning styles and preconception are both critical in dictating learning outcome. Learners’ cognitive burden in learning complex linguistic concept using a second language also need to be considered. Finally, to encourage use of the corpus, more examples need to be included so that the users find convincing patterns of stance deployment which is relevant to their argumentative style and disciplinary background. To conclude, to better support academic writers, corpora tools show great potential in hosting examples at the discursive level to complement a lexico-grammatical approach in writing. Such tools, with annotation and textual enhancement, stimulate the writers’ attention to the structural and prosodic aspects of professional writings, an awareness needed for succeeding in a writing task.

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