The research article: a rhetorical and functional comparison of texts created by native and non-native English writers and native Spanish writers

摘要

As English is the leading medium of communication in academia, publication in international journals presents a goal and a challenge for some non-Anglophone researchers. Researchers have compared research articles (RAs) in English and Spanish in order to discover whether the textual organisation in each language is similar or different, with the aim of assisting future scholars to achieve publication at the international level. However, intercultural studies of L2 (English) are sadly small, especially studies focusing on the Introduction and Discussion sections which are known to be troublesome for novice writers. In Spain, researchers are compelled to present their academic contributions in international journals in order to gain international visibility. Therefore, the present study examines RAs in English and Spanish as well as RAs written in English by Spanish-background speakers in the fields of applied linguistics. It focuses on the Introduction and Discussion genre moves and steps. To do so, it draws on two theoretical frameworks, principally on move analysis (Swales, 1990, 2004), complemented by aspects of Appraisal theory (Martin & White, 2005) within Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL). Results of move analysis indicate that the English writers display a close adherence to the schemas of the Introduction and Discussion/Conclusion sections. The variations in move structure in the Spanish L1 group suggest that the Spanish Introduction and Discussion/Conclusion genre shows hybrid interdiscursive patterns, and I suggest that this can be a sign of the globalisation of English-language academia. However, these writers have also resisted standardisation with the English register, as their texts also embody culturally-specific disciplinary practices. The English L2 group appears to be learning to articulate these genres for international publications, thus accommodating the needs of a broader audience. Analysis using Appraisal theory, focusing on the engagement system reveals that these writers attain research “legitimation” (Hood, 2006; Van Leeuwen, 2007) by contracting resources to declare the need for more research in the Introduction section, and endorsing the validation of new knowledge in the Discussion/ Conclusion section. This study, by complementing the moves analysis with Appraisal theory provides pedagogical models for novice and second language writers to understand and/or produce research articles successfully.