Hinkel Eli. Second Language Writers’ Text: Linguistic and Rhetorical Features

Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 2002. — xx, 370 pages. — (ESL and Applied Linguistics Professional Series). — ISBN: 1-4106-0284-2.This volume presents the results of a large-scale study of university-level L2 text with the purpose of determining the specific syntactic, lexical, and rhetorical features that differ from those in comparable NS text. The ultimate goal of this book is to provide insight for L2 pedagogical applications of the study findings. Although a substantial number of texts have been published on the teaching of L2 writing, there appears to be no volume that analyzes L2 text and addresses the implications of its analysis for teaching. This volume is oriented for ESL and EFL teachers and researchers, teacher-trainers, curriculum designers, and material developers who often lack a basis for their decisions, applied linguists, graduate students in applied linguistics, and experienced instructors who need to update their familiarity with current research. Because of its detailed examination of L2 texts and compositions, this volume can serve as a comprehensive source of up-to-date information to focus the teaching of L2 grammar, lexis, and writing.The volume consists of three major parts: an overview of the research on the role of text in discourse construction, the text features, and the findings. Part I surveys research on text and discourse in Anglo-American academic prose and other rhetorical traditions as they apply to the analysis of ESL student text, and presents the study methodology. In Part II, descriptions of text features and their functions in discourse in seven languages are summarized to provide the background for the discussion of the findings. The results of the data analysis, their significance, and practical uses are also detailed in Part II. As a side note, it may be interesting to mention that the number of words included in the corpus of student essays in this analysis equals that contained in a 900 to 1,000-page book.Background: Research in Text and Written Discourse
Writing as Text
Theoretical Underpinnings and Research Trends
Contrastive Rhetoric
Text Linguistics
Corpus Analyses
Critical Discourse Analysis
Research in Academic and ESL Written Discourse and Text
Features of Student Essay Writing
Written Discourse and Text in Different Rhetorical Traditions
Written Discourse and Text in Non-Anglo-American Rhetoric
Learning the Norms of L2 Academic Discourse
The Goals and Politics of Teaching ESL Writing
The Importance of L2 Learners in the Academy
English Composition for Native Speakers
L2 Writing Instruction for Non-Native Speakers
Process-Centered Teaching Center Stage
Content-Based Instruction for Writing in the Disciplines
The Outcomes
The Crux of the Issue
Curricula in L2 College-Level Writing/Composition Courses
The Study of Features of Second Language Text: Essays, the Data, and Methods of Analysis
The Present Study
First and Second Language Essays and the Data
Methods of Data Analysis
Common Linguistic and Rhetorical Features of Academic ESL Text
Nouns, Pronouns, and Nominals and Their Functions and Uses in Text
Semantic and Lexical Classes of Nouns
Personal Pronouns (and Contractions)
Nominals
The Verb Phrase and Deverbals and Their Functions and Uses in Text
Tenses
Aspects
Semantic and Lexical Classes of Verbs
Modal Verbs
The Passive Voice(+By-Phrase)
Be-Copula as the Main Verb
Infinitives
Participles
Adjectives and Adverbs and Their Functions and Uses in Text
Adjectives
Semantic and Lexical Classes of Adverbs
Subordinate Clauses and Their Functions and Uses
Noun (Nominal) Clauses (Including Prepositions)
Adjective Clauses
Adverb Clauses
Reduced Adverb Clauses
Text-Rhetorical Features and Their Functions and Uses
Coordinating and Logical Conjunctions/Prepositions
Exemplification
Hedges
Rhetorical Questions and Tags
Demonstratives
Emphatics
Presupposition Markers
Fixed Strings
The Effect of Prompts on ESL Text
The First Three Prompts
The Parents Prompt
The Grades Prompt
The Wealth Prompt
The Second Three Prompts
The Manner Prompt
The Opinions Prompt
The Major Prompt
The Differences That the Prompts Make
Essays of Native Speakers
Essays of Chinese Speakers
Essays of Japanese Speakers
Essays of Korean Speakers
Essays of Vietnamese Speakers
Essays of Indonesian Speakers
Essays of Arabic SpeakersDetermining Priorities in Teaching and Curriculum
Top-Tier Priorities
Second-Tier Priorities
Third-Tier Priorities
Epilogue
Implications for Teacher Training and the Training of Trainers
Learning Advanced Academic Skills
Attention, Awareness, and Noticing
Implications in the ClassroomRank-Order of Median Frequency Rates of Linguistic Features in NS and NNS Texts
Comparisons of Common Linguistic and Rhetorical Features in Academic Essays Across Prompts By L1 groups