Genre-based College English
Instruction: The Case of
Academic Writing
Yang Ruiying
PhD, Professor
Xi’an Jiaotong University
Email: yangryd@mail.xjtu.edu.cn
Themes of the conference
Content-based Instruction (CBI)
English for Specific Purposes (ESP)
Discipline-based Foreign Language
Instruction (DBI)
Content-based Instruction (CBI)
 Content is interpreted as the use of subject matter as a
vehicle for second or foreign language teaching/learning.
 Learners are exposed to a considerable amount of
language through stimulating content.
 Learners explore interesting content & are engaged in
appropriate language-dependent activities. Learning
language becomes automatic.
 Complex information is delivered through real life context
for the students to grasp well & leads to intrinsic motivation.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Content-based_instruction)
English for Specific Purposes
 Defining characteristics by Dudley - Evans
(1997)
 ESP is defined to meet specific needs of the
learners;
 ESP makes use of underlying methodology
and activities of the discipline it serves;
 ESP is centered on the language appropriate
to these activities in terms of grammar, lexis,
register, study skills, discourse and genre.
English for Specific Purposes
 ESP is an approach to language teaching in
which all decisions as to content and method
are based on the learner’s reason for learning”
(Hutchison, 1989:19)
CBI, ESP and DBI
CBI (Teach
language through
subject matter)
ESP
CBI
ESP
DBI
DBI
The
Tree of
ELT
Challenges for Current College English
Teaching
• GE is dominant, without much relation to the
subjects and future profession of students;
• Students are not highly motivated;
• The learning outcome is not satisfactory;
• What they have learned can hardly meet the
needs of communication in further study or in
future profession.
Possible solution
• English for specific purposes,
especially EAP;
• CBI/DBI
Difficulties to teach ESP
Lack of teachers with subject knowledge
(Li Hong, 2010; Jia Weiguo, 2010…)
Lack of suitable materials (Jia Weiguo,
2010 , Ji Peiying, 2010)
The Objectives of ESP
Focus on English or focus on subject
knowledge?
Focus on
English
How could teachers overcome the
difficulties of subject or occupational
knowledge?
Genre Analysis
 The theory of genre analysis provides us a
perspective to understand and explain
“texts in ESP” in terms of communicative
function; It is also a focused and an effective
approach to ESP teaching.
Definition of genre
A genre comprises a class of communicative
events, the members of which share some set of
communicative purposes. （Swales，1990）
Examples of communicative events:
e.g. Wedding ceremony?
Concert?
Sales encounter?
Class lecture?
Academic conference?
Definition of genre
 These purposes are recognized by the expert
members of the parent discourse community, and
thereby constitute the rationale for the genre.
Question to consider:
1. What are the purposes of Wedding ceremony?
2. What is the rationale of wedding ceremony?
3. Are Western ceremony similar as that of
Chinese in terms of rationale?
Definition of genre
This rationale shapes the schematic
structure of the discourse and influences
and constrains the choice of content and
style.
Definition of genre
 In addition to purpose, exemplars of a genre
exhibit various patterns of similarity in terms of
structure, style, content and intended audience. If
all high probability expectations are realized, the
exemplar will be viewed as prototypical by the
parent discourse community.
(Swales, 1990: 58)
Text type
 A traditional concept based on the
form of text such as poetry, novels,
drama, fairy tales etc.
Genre and text type
Genre names overlap with text types, but the
conceptualization is different.
 Text types are classified on the basis of format
and formal structure.
 Genre is recognized as a communicative event
sharing some communicative purposes.
 This difference in conceptualization results in
different ways and methods in interpreting
discourse.
Discourse analysis
Large patterns in text:
problem-solution, generalspecific, claim-counter claim
 Describes language above the sentence level;
 Studies language in use or in context;
E.g. Halliday and Hasan: Cohesion in English
(1976) ;
Michale Hoey: On the surface of discourse
(1983); Patterns of lexis in text (1991).
Instances of genre
Instruction leaflet, personal letters, official
letters, public notice, story, poems, news
report, speech, debate, academic articles,
etc.
Genre analysis
Investigates the discourse which share
some common communicative purposes.
 Aims not only to describe the discourse
features but also to explain the features in
the light of communicative purposes and
the institutional culture.
The CARS Model (Swales, 1990:141)
Establishing a Territory
Step 1: Claiming centrality (and/or)
Step 2: Making topic generalization(s) (and/or)
Step 3: Reviewing items of previous research
Move Two: Establishing a niche
Declining rhetorical effort
Step 1A: Counter-claiming (or)
Step 1B: Indicating a gap (or)
Step 1C: Question-raising (or)
Step 1D: Continuing a tradition
Weakening knowledge claims
Move Three: Occupying the niche
Step 1A: Outlining purposes (or)
Step 1B: Announcing present research
Increasing explicitness
Step 2: Announcing particular findings
Step 3: Indicating RA structure
Academic Genres
lectures
Books and
monographs
Thesis and
dissertations
Conference
Presentations
Research
articles
Academic Supporting Genres (Swales,
2011)
Getting into Graduate School
Statements of Purpose
Personal Statements
Finding Your Voice in the Academic Community
Communicating with Seniors
Communicating with Co-authors
Requests and Reminders
Writing Apologies
Establishing Yourself in Graduate School
Small Grant Applications
Other Applications
Letters of Recommendation
Supporting the Publication Process
Manuscript Submissions
Responding to Reviewers and Editors
Moving on to an Academic or Research Career
Curricula Vitae
External Job Applications
Genre-based ESP teaching
 To enable learners to use language functionally,
so the teaching combines language forms and
functions.
 To examine the structure of discourse, the
relationship between language forms and
discourse functions as well as linguistic features.
Genre-based ESP teaching
• Methodology:
Human activity, whether in employment or in the
classroom can be seen as a series of tasks –
some having a communicative aspect, others
not. (Swales, 1990 )
Task is central to
methodology.
Genre-based ESP teaching
• Swale’s definition of task:
• One of a set of differentiated, sequenceable goaldirected activities drawing upon a range of
cognitive and communicative procedures
relatable to the acquisition of pre-genre and genre
skills appropriate to a foreseen or emerging
sociorhetorical situation.
The Case of Academic Writing
Current Needs:
• Why do college students write in English in
their undergraduate study in China?
Genres
Course papers
?
Application documents
?
Research articles
?
The Case of Academic Writing
Potential needs in future graduate study in China:
• Write research articles?
• Cover letter to editors?
• Reply to revision requests?
• ….
The Case of Academic Writing
Potential
needs for
graduate
study
overseas
Getting into
graduate
school
Studying at
Englishmedium
universities
• Statements of
Purpose
• Curricula Vitae
• Application for
financial aid
• Communicating
with Seniors
• Experimental
report
• Course paper
• Research
proposal
• Thesis and
Dissertation
• Research article
Current and potential writing needs for
Year Two Undergraduates
•
•
•
•
•
•
Communicating with Seniors: Requests and apologies
Statements of Purpose
Curricula Vitae
Recommendation letter
Application for financial aid
Course paper
Course Objectives
 To develop students ability to produce generically
acceptable texts in terms of organization and
style;
 To develop their study skills in handling
academic study such as note-taking from
reading, evaluating facts and opinion; giving
definition, making summary, describing and
interpreting tables and graphs;
 To improve accuracy in writing.
Course Syllabus
Genre
Purpose
Discourse
structure
Style
Writing &
Editing
Skills
Request letter
and reminders
Foregrounding important information
Recommendation
letter 1
Thinking about the audience and
impact
Recommendation
letter 2
Supporting statements with evidence
Application for
financial aid 1
Supporting statements with evidence
Curriculum Vita 1
Organizing information
Curriculum Vita 2
Getting the style right
Statement of
purpose 1
Supporting statements with evidence
Statement of
purpose 2
Making notes for writing
Course paper
Taking notes when reading
Evaluating information
Making summary and definition
Describing and interpreting data
Making comments
Understanding the purpose of request
letter
Task One. Think about the following questions.
1. What would you do if you found a reference that
is essential to your research not available in
your country?
2. Have you ever asked the author to send you the
reference?
3. If you do, how would organize your message?
Understanding the purpose of
request letter
Task Two: Here are two email messages to ask for help.
Which do you prefer and why?
Text A
Dear Professor Swales,
I have been interested in your work for some time, and I
am currently writing a thesis on the history of English for
Specific Purposes in the Arab World. In this context, I
have seen a reference to a 1983 volume on this topic,
which you co-edited with Hassan Mustafa. I have looked
for it here in Morocco, but in vain; I found it is not
available. Would you be able to send me a copy? I am
looking forward to hearing from you soon,
With respect
Ms Fatima Abdulla
Understanding the purpose of
request letter
Text B
Dear Professor Swales,
Would you be able to send me a copy of the 1983
volume on English for Specific Purposes in the Arab
World, which you co-edited with Hassan Mustafa? I have
looked for it here in Morocco, but in vain; I found it is not
available. I am currently writing a thesis on the history of
English for Specific Purposes in the Arab World. I have
been interested in your work for some time. I am looking
forward to hearing from you soon.
With respect,
Ms Fatima Abdulla
Academic correspondence styles
Task Three
Which of the following closings would you choose?
a) Thanks for reading my application & looking forward
to hearing back soon.
b) In closing, this applicant iterates his deep interest in
the position and expresses his profound appreciation
of your careful review of his case.
c) Thank you for your consideration and looking
forward to hearing from you in due course.
Personal Statement
• Task One: Discuss the following
questions
1. What is the purpose of PS? What is it
used for?
2. What information do you expect to find in
it?
3. What characteristics do you think PS
should have?
4. What is the writing style of PS?
Personal Statement
• Task Two: Compare the beginnings (Hook)
of two PS and decide which one is more
effective.
Personal Statement
Text A
• I remember hearing the loud snap
resonating across the field and having no
doubt it was broken. Looking down at my
forearm during the high school football
game, the distal end dangling as both the
left radius and ulna had been broken at
midshaft. I felt certain I had experienced
my last football event. …
Personal Statement
• My initial interest in economics was kindled by curiosity
about the workings of the economy. In the past twenty
years, China went through a series of economic reforms,
including privatization of state-owned enterprises, reform
of non-tradable shares, and reform of agricultural taxes
and charges. Growing up in the midst of these social
reforms has led me to experience the progress and
chaos, and the opportunities and pitfalls caused by
policy changes. My interest in economic issues grew as I
entered university, and I began to wonder about the
forces driving the economy and question the validity of
government economic policies.
Personal Statement
Move 1: Hook (a narrative to grab the reader’s attention)
Move 2: Program (why this particular specialization/
location)
Move 3: Background (evaluation of skills, landmarks of
achievement)
Move 4: Self-promotion (distinctive individual qualities)
Move 5: Projection (personal professional goals/career
trajectory)
Personal Statement
Task Three: Here are two statements of
purpose. Which one do you think is more
effective? And Why?
Task Four: Revise the one that you think is
less effective.
Task Five: Write a PS to apply to XXX
University according top its specific request.
Implication for College English
Instruction
Genre-based approach to the relevant
content for students.
Focus on discourse patterns and linguistic
features of a genre.
Make use of the resources from genrebased studies and develop or adapt
materials.
Thank you!