Description

The balance struck in this volume between discussion of theory and reports on and suggestions for practice make it an invaluable collection for all those engaged in researching and teaching academic writing. Most of the contributions present work influenced by systemic functional linguistics, but the collection will also be of interest to those adopting alternative approaches.' Martin Hewings, Senior Lecturer, English Department, University of Birmingham and Co-Editor, English for Specific Purposes. This book presents international research by renowned linguists and second language experts across different languages on issues surrounding Academic Writing. Academic Writing is an important skill for students entering tertiary education to learn. Each discipline has its own rules and formulae of acceptable academic and pedagogic discourse, and the essays collected in this volume analyze how these vary according to subject. Using a primarily Systemic Functional Linguistic approach, the contributors foreground the relations between academic writing and the social, cultural and educational context in which such written discourse is undertaken. This volume covers the writing not only native speakers of the language in which they are being taught, but also that of those to whom the language of pedagogy is secondary. Academic Writing uses case studies drawn from EFL students, the affect of the International English Language Testing System on academic writing, the role of technology in pedagogic discourse, writing within specific disciplines and across different subjects, the problems of constructing an evaluative stance in academic writing, and technical writing in a second language.