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A Comparative Genre Analysis of English MA Thesis Introductions in Linguistics by English Native Speakers and Postgraduates in Xinjiang

Author: LiCuiLian
Tutor: ChenHuaYing
School: Xinjiang Normal University
Course: Foreign Linguistics and Applied Linguistics
Keywords: Genre Move CARS Model MA Thesis Introduction in Linguistics
CLC: H315
Type: Master's thesis
Year: 2010
Downloads: 82
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Abstract

In order to investigate how postgraduates choose genre structure and language to realize their academic communicative purposes, the study analyzed MA thesis introductions in linguistics written by English native speakers and postgraduates in Xinjiang, China. Since Swales’genre analysis on research article introductions in 1981, studies concerning the same discipline, cross-discipline, and cross-language are too many to be listed here; however, few studies based on MA thesis introduction in linguistics have been conducted, and even fewer studies have been found on MA theses in linguistics by postgraduates in Xinjiang.Based on Swales’CARS model, the study analyzes two corpora of 100 MA thesis introductions by postgraduates in Xinjiang and English native speakers respectively, from two levels, macro-level and micro-level qualitatively and quantitatively. Results show that texts in each corpus capture the main characteristic features in genre structure in CARS model, while differences still exist: 1) Differences exist in realizing three moves in CARS model. The results indicate that in the process of achieving the communicative purpose of“establishing a territory”, English native speakers (NSs) adopt more strategies. They explain related definitions and terminologies much more detailed than Xinjiang postgraduates do. They often make a summary or critics in or after literature review, and their critical words are more direct and more challenging. Almost all students adopt the strategy of‘indicating a gap’to“establishing a niche”, and English native speakers often point out research urgency and necessity seriously in order to attract readers, while Xinjiang postgraduates just introduce the study extensively. In“occupying the niche”, both two groups emphasize the research purposes and significance, but the step“announcing main findings”is usually displayed in a single chapter by the two groups. 2) There are move cycles in both the two corpora, while the patterns of move cycles are different, and language used in describing the study are of great difference. The current study displays the differences from three aspects: 1) lexical features showing the importance of the topic; 2) lexis indicating the problem aspect of the topic under studying; 3) citation features.In a word, the current study finds some new steps in MA thesis introduction in linguistics which are not covered in CARS model. Some of these new steps occur very frequently and become stable steps, but the frequency of the new steps in the two groups is of great differences, so the study analyzes the factors resulting in such differences. Based on the above findings, the study adds or deletes some step variations in CARS model, and has built tentatively a modified model for MA thesis introduction writing in linguistics. I hope this study can shed light on academic discourse study, and be helpful for introduction writing, and be useful for teaching thesis introduction writing.

A Comparative Genre Analysis of English MA Thesis Introductions in Linguistics by English Native Speakers and Postgraduates in Xinjiang

Abstract

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