Englishmajorstudents’epistemologicalbeliefs,identity,andtheuseofreportingverbsinacademicwriting

英語(yǔ)專業(yè)學(xué)生的知識(shí)觀、身份構(gòu)建與學(xué)術(shù)寫(xiě)作中轉(zhuǎn)述動(dòng)詞的使用

ZHENGYongyan鄭詠滟FudanUniversity復(fù)旦大學(xué)ELTChina2014OverviewBackgroundResearchdesignQuantitativefindingsQualitativefindingsDiscussion&ConcludingremarksAcademicwritingassocialpracticesTraditionalviewofacademicliteracyasasetofdiscrete,value-freerulesandtechnicalskillsRecentshifttosocialconstructivismthatviewsACADEMICLITERACIESassocialpracticesratherthanasetofskills(Barton,1994;Anstey&Bull,2004;LeaandStreet,1998)Academicwritingseenascollectiveliteracypracticessituatedinthespecificdisciplinaryculture(Hyland,2002)DisciplinarycultureDiscipline:humaninstitutionswhereactionsandunderstandingsareinfluencedbypersonal,interpersonal,institutionalandsocioculturalMargina-lizedideascontestingtheoriesPeripheralcontributorStudentneophytesDisciplinesarecharacterizedbyseveralcompetingperspectivesandembodyoftenbitterlycontestedbeliefsandvalues.Thesametextscanbeusedfordifferentpurposes,withdifferentquestions,anddifferentdegreesofengagement(Hyland,2002)competingdiscourseAppliedscientistsHyland(2013):thereisalwaysgoingtobemorethanonepossibleinterpretationofdata,andthefactthatwecanhavethesecompetingexplanationsshiftsattentionfromthelaboratoryorclipboardtothewaysthatacademicsarguetheirclaims.Wehavetolookforproofinthetextualpracticesforproducingagreement.Attheheartofacademicpersuasioniswriters’attemptsbothtoforeseeandaddresspotentiallynegativereactionstotheirclaims,andtodothistheyusethediscoursesoftheirdisciplines.CitationpracticeasdialogicengagementCitationassituatedliteracy

practicesCitationisadirectandexplicitmeansofintertextualitywherebyinformationofvarioustypesisattributedtosourcesexternaltothetext(Coffin,2009;Hyland2002).Citationmediatestherelationshipbetweenawriter’sargumentandhis/herdiscoursecommunity,helpswriterstoestablishapersuasiveepistemologicalandsocialframeworkfortheacceptanceoftheirarguments.Citationpracticesinfluencedbydisciplinarycultures(Thompson,Tribble,2001;Hyland,2002;Charles,2006)andethnolinguisticcultures(Taylor&Chen,Bloch&Chi,1995;Bondi,2009;Hu&Wang,2014)Chinese(student)researchers’citationpracticesTaylor&Chen1995:Anglo-AmericanphysicalscientistswritinginEnglishusedmorecitationsthantheirChinesecounterpartswritinginEnglishandChineseHu&Wang2014:Chinesescholars,intheirChinesepublications,usedfewercriticalcitations;theyweremoreinclinedtousemoredialogicallycontractivecitations(explicitendorseandconteststance)thandialogicallyexpansivecitations(implicitacknowledgeordistancestance).ThepracticesareheavilyinfluencedbyethnolinguisticepistemologyrootedinConfucianism.SomefindingsfromChinesescholars孫迎暉（2009）：Chinesestudentwritersareabletouseavarietyofreportingverbs,buttheytendedtooverusefactiveverbstodescriberesearch-relatedactivities,butunderusenon-factiveverbsthatindicatetheirstanceorattitude.Whentheydidusethem,theytendedtoendorsethepositionbyusingauthor-positiveverbsandneverusedanycounter-factiveorauthor-criticalverbs.婁寶翠（2011）：Chinesestudentwritersfrequentlyusedauthor-positiveverbs(64.8%)aswellasauthor-criticalverbs(24.2%).Butwhentheyusedauthor-criticalverbs,theyactuallyintendedtoconveypositiveorneutralstance.Therefore,thefrequentuseofauthor-criticalverbswasprobablyaresultofmisuse.史文霞（2013）：Chinesewriters’useofreportingverbsisheavilyinfluencedbytheirproclivityofapositivistepistemology.Also,thefrequentuseofpositiveverbsmayalsoresultfromamisunderstandingofthedifferentfunctionsoftheseverbs.Theyalsotendedtousedialogiccontractivecitationforms,leavinglittleroomforfurthernegotiation.ThecurrentstudyMixed-methodWritingsamples:reportingverbsIn-depthinterviews:epistemologyandidentityethnographicperspectiveonacademicwritingFourth-yearundergraduateSecond-yearmasterstudentsSecond-yeardoctoralcandidatesTobetterunderstandstudents’choiceofusingreportingverbsinacademicwritingSofttheoretical:literatureSoftapplied:appliedlinguisticsAnalyticframework(Hyland,2002)EvaluationFactiveNon-factiveAuthorpositiveAuthorneutralAuthortentativeAuthorcriticalCounter-factiveAcknowledge,pointout,establishfail,overlook,exaggerate,ignoreadvocate,argue,hold,seeaddress,cite,comment,lookatsuggest,believehypothesizeattack,condemn,object,challengeFindings:UseofreportingverbsacrossdisciplinesThereareobviousdisciplinarydifferencesintheusebetweenthetypesoffactivevs.non-factivereportingverbs,positive,neutral,tentativeandcriticalverbs.UseofreportingverbsacrosslevelsPostgraduatestudents(masteranddoctoralstudents)aremoreabletousetentativeandneutralreportingverbs.Butstill,criticalstanceisseldomadoptedbystudentwriters.UnawarenessofusingreportingverbsBL:Idon’tknow(whyI

usedthesereportingverbs.It’skindofahabit.I’mjustusedtotheseverbs.Itisanacademicpaper,andmostofthemareverynaturaltome.Idon’tlikeshowingIdon’tknowaboutresearch.(appliedlinguistics,doctoral)WW:IwasnotawareofthereportingverbsthatI

used.I

basicallyusedwhateverpoppedintomyheadwhenIwaswriting.(appliedlinguistics,doctoral)misunderstandinginusingreportingverbsArgue:Non-factive;authorpositiveJC:WhenIuse‘a(chǎn)rgue’,Imeanthatthisisanewideaproposedbytheauthor,thevoiceheutters.ButIdon’tapproveordisapprove.I’msimplytryingtostateafactthattheauthorproposesanewidea.(appliedlinguistics,master)ZJ:Ithink‘a(chǎn)rgue’isaneutralword.WhenIwanttoexpressaneutralattitude,I’duseit.(literature,doctoral)LN:Ithinkargueisaneutralword.It’slikethatthequestionisworthdiscussing,althoughdifferentschoolsmayhavedifferentopinions.Butstill,neutral.(literature,4th-yrundergraduate)Epistemologicalbeliefs:

positivisttendencyZJ(lite.doc.)MJ(lite.master)TT(ling.master.)Factive81421Non-factive12146Counter-factive010positive793neutral132tentative421critical000ZJ:WhatIdohere(inwritingtheliteraturereview)istosummarizeallthestudies,andthenIcanaddsomecomments.IhopeIusealltheneutralwords,suchas“argue”and“incorporate”,sothatIcanpresentthepastresearchasobjectivelyaspossible.IhopeIcanbuildupsomesortofresourcepoolforlaterresearch.(literature,doctoral)MJ:Iexpecttopresentthecurrentstatusasobjectivelyaspossible.Ithinktheperfectreviewisanobjectiverepresentationofwhathasbeendoneintheresearch.(appliedlinguistics,master)TT:Thepurposeofliteraturereviewistopresenttotheaudiencetheextantresearch.Iwillsimplystatewhatresearchhasbeendone.Idon’tneedtoexpressifwhatIthinkisrightorwrong.Notnecessarily.WW:Ithinkthepurposeofliteraturereviewistoleadtomyownresearch.Itwillbealittlebitsubjective.Notpossibletobeveryobjective.…Oneimportantaspectofliteraturereview,orquotingothers,istocriticize.

WX:Ibelieveliteraturereviewneedstobelinkedtoone’sownstandpoint.Becauseifitiscompletelyobjective,thennomatterwhoyouare,whatyouwritedownwillbeallthesame.Sowhenyouwrite,youneedtoselect,andexpressyourattitude.WW(ling.doc.)WX(lite.master)Factive911Non-factive1913Counter-factive42positive73neutral16tentative113critical01Epistemologicalbeliefs:

socialconstructivismtendencyDialogicengagement—I’mnobody.ZJ:Idon’tthinkI’mhavingadialoguewiththeresearchers.BecausetheyarenothearingwhatIsay.Mywritingwillprobablybereadbysomepeople,butnotthem.(literature,doctoral)WJ:Ican’tsaythatI’mhavingadialoguewith(theauthors),especiallytheoldones.Theyareeithertoooldoralreadydead.(appliedlinguistics,4th-yearundergraduate)JC:Iamseldomcriticaltoothers.I

hatedebate.It’sagainstmyownpersonality.AndIdon’tliketopickouttheloopholesinotherpeople’sarguments.(appliedlinguistics,4th-yearundergraduate)MJ:Ialwaysgotthefeelingthatourresearchisnotworthy.Ourteachersdon’tcaremuch.Theydon’texpectsomethingnewfromourresearch.Well,Idon’tthinkIamintheresearchcommunity.(appliedlinguistics,master)DialogicengagementandidentityLN:WhenIwasreadingtheirarticles,IfeelasifI’mhavingadialoguewiththem.It’slikethisonehasthisidea,andthatonehasanotheridea.Thenyoufeelasiftwopeoplearearguingwitheachother.Itisthenthatyoucanstepinandsay,Iagreewithyouonthispart.(literature,4th-yrundergraduate)YY:InmyownwritingIperhapsuselesscriticalevaluation.ButIbelieveitisverynecessary.Tocriticizedoesn’tmeantodenyorevendenouncesomeone.Itmeanstoexpressyourownidea.…Idon’tthinkI’mintheresearchcircleyet.AtmostI’minaslowenteringprocess.(literature,doctoral)WW:Nomatterhowinexperiencedyouareasastudent,it’sstillpossibleforyourtoidentifyapossibleprobleminsomefamousresearcher’slogicoranalysismethod,evenifyourcriticalcommentmaynotalwaysbetrue.Butitisyouropinion….IthinkI’matthebottomofthisresearchsociety.Basicallynotmanypeoplewouldreadmywriting.(appliedlinguistics,doctoral)Itiscriticaltoconstructaresearchcommunityforthestudentwriters,orhelpthemtoimagineacommunityofpracticeintheirownarea.DiscussionUseofreportingverbs:morefrequentuseoffactiveverbsthannon-factiveverbs;morefrequentuseofpos