Occupying Niches: Interculturality, Cross-culturality and Aculturality in Academic Research (Second Language Learning and Teaching)

This book presents a collection of thematically focused articles addressing culture-specific features of academic communication, with a particular focus on communication conducted in English as an Additional Language and directed at multicultural audiences. It comprises papers arranged in four sections: Expert writers, Novice writers and readers, Conference participants, and Non-research academic genres. The book explicitly addresses and is centred upon the concept of a research niche understood as a space to be captured and populated, as a temporary location to move or grow out of in the course of individual professional development from novice to expert, and as a space to consciously reach beyond, delimited by one’s linguistic, cultural, educational, and geopolitical background. Here the niche is approached as a frame of reference for discussion of what is culture-bound, culture-sensitive, and culture-free in the academic community and its practices. Contents 6 1 Introduction 8 Abstract 8 1...Academic Niches: Introductory Remarks 8 2...Interculturality, Cross-Culturality and Aculturality in Academic Discourse Practices 11 3...Contributions to the Book 13 References 18 Part IExpert Writers 22 2 Citation Practices of Expert French Writers of English: Issues of Attribution and Stance 23 Abstract 23 1...Introduction 24 2...Corpus and Methodology 26 3...Reporting Verbs 28 4...Identifying the Degree of Writer Commitment to the Cited Text 31 4.1 According to Versus Selon: Differing Degrees of Writer Commitment 31 4.2 Use of the Conditional in French and English 33 5...Conceding Cited Claims: French si/English if 36 6...Concluding Remarks 37 References 39 3 A Comparison of Author Reference in the Spanish Context of Biomedical RAs Publication 41 Abstract 41 1...Introduction 42 2...Methodology 44 3...Comparing the Occurrences and Distribution of Author Reference in SPENG (L2) and SP (L1) in RAs Rhetorical Sections 45 4...The Meaning of the Word Form WE in Biomedical RAs Sections in SPENG (L2) 46 5...Contrasting Languages: The Use of the Word Form WE in SPENG (L2) as Compared to SP (L1) 48 6...Summary and Conclusion: Author References in SPENG (L2) and SP (L1) 50 References 51 4 Positive Self-Evaluation and Negative Other-Evaluation in NSs’ and NNSs’ Scientific Discourse 53 Abstract 53 1...Introduction: Scientific Communities Under Globalization 54 2...The Case of Poland 55 3...Positive Self-Evaluation and Negative Other-Evaluation as Strategies of an Author’s Self-Promotion 57 4...Aims of the Study and Methodology 58 5...Results and Discussion 60 5.1 Markers of Positive Self-Evaluation 60 5.1.1 Markers of Positive Self-Evaluation: Time, Culture and Language Variables 60 5.1.2 Positive Self-Evaluation According to Grammatical Categories 61 5.2 Negative Other-Evaluation 61 5.2.1 Markers of Negative Other-Evaluation: Time, Culture and Language Variables 63 5.2.2 Negative Other-Evaluation According to Grammatical Categories 64 6...Conclusions 66 References 67 References: Corpus Articles Cited 68 5 A Context-Based Approach to the Identification of Hedging Devices and Features of Writer-Reader Relationship in Academic Publications 70 Abstract 70 1...Introduction 70 2...Background and Rationale 71 3...Data and Methodology 73 4...Identifying Hedging Devices 74 5...Identifying Features of Writer--Reader Relationship 77 6...Discussion and Conclusion 80 References 82 6 Prospects of Indonesian Research Articles (RAs) Being Considered for Publication in ‘Center’ Journals: A Comparative Study of Rhetorical Patterns of RAs in Selected Humanities and Hard Science Disciplines 84 Abstract 84 1...Introduction 85 2...A Brief Introduction to Indonesia 87 3...Some Common Problems Associated with EAL Manuscripts 88 3.1 Language Problems 88 3.2 Parochialism 88 3.3 Divergence from the Accepted Norms of Research Reporting 89 4...Methodology 90 4.1 The Data Sources 90 4.2 The Methods 90 4.3 Objectives of this Study 91 4.4 Research Questions 91 4.5 Theoretical Framework 91 4.6 A Theoretical Issue 92 4.7 Focus of Analysis 93 5...Results 93 5.1 Between Groups Comparison (Humanities vs. Hard Sciences) 93 5.2 Comparison Between Disciplines Within the Humanities Group 94 5.3 Comparison Between Disciplines Within the Hard Science Group 95 5.4 Comparison Across all the Individual Disciplines 96 6...Discussion 96 6.1 Explanation of Results 97 6.2 The Issues 99 6.2.1 Parochial Statements 99 6.2.2 Limited Use of the Literature 100 6.2.3 Lacking Statement of Gap or ‘Defect’ in the Literature 100 6.2.4 Employing Positive Justification: Stating the Practical Need or Necessity to Do the Study 101 6.2.5 Promising Practical Benefits 101 7...Conclusion 101 Acknowledgments 102 References 102 Part IINovice Writers and Readers 105 7 Approaches to Acculturating Novice Writers into Academic Literacy 106 Abstract 106 1...Introduction 107 2...Background 107 3...Genre- and Practice-Focused Models of Writing Instruction 109 4...The Writing Development Project 110 4.1 Approach 1: Discipline-Specific Online Writing Instruction 111 4.2 Approach 2: Embedded Literacy Instruction 113 4.3 Approach 3: Genre-Focused Writing Instruction 114 5...Conclusion 116 A.x(118). Appendix 1: Outline of the Online Module ‘Academic Writing’ 118 A.x(118). Appendix 2: The Five Methods of Embedded Writing Instruction 118 A.x(118). Appendix 3: Example from Genre-Focused Writing Materials 119 References 120 8 Are They Discussing in the Same Way? Interactional Metadiscourse in Turkish Writers’ Texts 122 Abstract 122 1...Introduction 123 2...Contrastive Rhetoric and Metadiscourse 124 3...Methodology of the Study 125 4...Findings and Discussion 126 4.1 Hedges 127 4.2 Boosters 129 4.3 Attitude Markers 130 4.4 Engagement Markers 132 4.5 Self-Mentions 133 5...Conclusion 134 References 135 9 Is the Medical Profession in Spain Living the Culture of ‘Google it’? 137 Abstract 137 1...Introduction 138 2...Methods 140 3...Results 143 3.1 Data Gathered from the Questionnaires to Doctors 143 3.2 Data Gathered from the Questionnaires to Medical Students 145 4...Conclusions 148 References 149 Part IIIConference Participants 152 10 Communicating Research at International Conferences: A Multimodal Analysis of an Intercultural or a Disciplinary Specific Genre? 153 Abstract 153 1...Introduction 154 2...Methodology 155 3...Results 157 4...Discussion 160 References 162 11 Native and Non-Native Speaker Interpersonal Skills at Conferences: Managing Self-Mentions and Humour 163 Abstract 163 1...Introduction 164 2...Materials and Methods 165 3...Results and Discussion 166 3.1 Self-Mentions 166 3.2 Humour and Non-Seriousness 169 4...Conclusions 175 References 177 12 A Cross-cultural Study of Indirectness and Hedging in the Conference Proposals of English NS and NNS Scholars 179 Abstract 179 1...Background 180 2...Method 183 2.1 Data Collection and Analysis 183 3...Results 184 3.1 Frequencies According to the Types of Indirectness Devices Across Groups 184 3.2 Functions of the Common Indirectness Devices Across Groups 185 4...Conclusions and Discussion 188 5...Implications for Further Research and Pedagogical Applications 190 Acknowledgment 192 References 192 Part IVNon-Research Academic Genres 196 13 Breaking the Rules and Searching for Standards in E-mail Exchanges Between Academics 197 Abstract 197 1...Background: Setting 198 2...Background: Medium 199 3...Foreground: Substance and Findings 202 3.1 Participant Configurations 203 3.2 Hierarchy and Status Encoding 204 3.3 Face Recognition 206 3.4 Extending the Standards for ELF 209 3.5 Local Peculiarities Versus ELF 211 4...Concluding Remarks 212 References 213 14 Academic Job Postings as Part of Academic Discourse: A Cross-cultural Perspective 215 Abstract 215 1...Introduction 216 2...Academic Job Search in the Era of Globalization 217 3...Academic Discourse 218 3.1 The Concept of Academic Discourse 218 3.2 Textual Features and Conventions of Academic Writing 219 4...Methodology 219 5...Comparison of Academic Job Advertisements Placed by Anglophone and Non-Anglophone Institutions 220 5.1 Text Statistics 220 5.2 Structural Analysis 220 5.3 Formality and Neutrality Indicators 224 6...Conclusions 230 References 231 Front Matter....Pages i-vi Introduction....Pages 1-14 Front Matter....Pages 15-15 Citation Practices of Expert French Writers of English: Issues of Attribution and Stance....Pages 17-34 A Comparison of Author Reference in the Spanish Context of Biomedical RAs Publication....Pages 35-46 Positive Self-Evaluation and Negative Other-Evaluation in NSs’ and NNSs’ Scientific Discourse....Pages 47-63 A Context-Based Approach to the Identification of Hedging Devices and Features of Writer-Reader Relationship in Academic Publications....Pages 65-78 Prospects of Indonesian Research Articles (RAs) Being Considered for Publication in ‘Center’ Journals: A Comparative Study of Rhetorical Patterns of RAs in Selected Humanities and Hard Science Disciplines....Pages 79-99 Front Matter....Pages 101-101 Approaches to Acculturating Novice Writers into Academic Literacy....Pages 103-118 Are They Discussing in the Same Way? Interactional Metadiscourse in Turkish Writers’ Texts....Pages 119-133 Is the Medical Profession in Spain Living the Culture of ‘Google it ’ ?....Pages 135-149 Front Matter....Pages 151-151 Communicating Research at International Conferences: A Multimodal Analysis of an Intercultural or a Disciplinary Specific Genre?....Pages 153-162 Native and Non-Native Speaker Interpersonal Skills at Conferences: Managing Self-Mentions and Humour....Pages 163-178 A Cross-cultural Study of Indirectness and Hedging in the Conference Proposals of English NS and NNS Scholars....Pages 179-195 Front Matter....Pages 197-197 Breaking the Rules and Searching for Standards in E-mail Exchanges Between Academics....Pages 199-216 Academic Job Postings as Part of Academic Discourse: A Cross-cultural Perspective....Pages 217-234