|
||||
|
||||
Academic Writing
In this section we take a look in more detail at academic writing as this is one the most challenging aspects of overseas study for foreign students. We start with a look at some of the cultural (i.e non-language) problems involved, and then hear from both EAP students and their teachers. Any comments related to this topic are welcome, and will appear in the next issue of DPDF.
The Non-Language Ingredients of Effective Communication in Academic Writing
 It
is not surprising that students have many problems with learning how to
produce good academic writing in English. Not only do they have to
learn English structure, students also need to be aware of the differences
in the ‘rules’ and assumptions of academic writing in the target cultural
context.
Students need to produce writing which is relevant, critical, well-reasoned and appropriate. However, these criteria are deeply embedded in western cultural and intellectual traditions, and are therefore heavily culturally loaded. Foreign students are unlikely to easily understand them because, coming from a different culture, these words may have very different meanings for them. For example, what is relevant in an English academic context may be very different from what is relevant in an Indonesian academic context. Also, in the assessment of academic writing in universities in their own countries, students may be used to focusing on quite different criteria. Some more observable cultural differences have been mentioned by various researchers. For example, texts written by Asians may involve a ‘delayed introduction of purpose' (i.e. they take a long time to get to the point), making them more difficult to understand by native English speakers, who expect writers to get to the point quickly. Another example is that many Asian texts make the reader work harder to piece together various sections. They tend to have less transitional markers and statements, again making them more difficult to follow for the native English speaker. |
Another cultural obstacle mentioned is that an Asian writer may
have a fundamentally different purpose in writing. One study suggests
that Japanese, for example, are taught the value of language to express
social cohesion and conformity, not as a medium for individual expression
as it is in Western countries.
So what should students do to deal with these obstacles? Here are some suggestions: 1. Keep in mind the ‘iceberg' model of culture, where most lies below the surface. 2. Don't see differences as ‘good' or ‘bad'. 3. Learn as much as possible about the target culture. Read widely, ask questions, discuss issues. 4. Try to develop a clear understanding of the criteria mentioned above (i.e. relevance - etc). 5. Understand that in academic writing in English:
(Vlad Pejovic, Academic English Program Manager, IALF
Bali)
|
|
 |
||
