Jul 2026· Written Communication· 0 citations· 26 references
Abstract
This study examines positioning patterns and their impact on genre performance in Chinese L2 students’ source-based argumentative writing. Drawing on positioning theory and analytical frameworks for source-based argumentation, analysis of 26 undergraduate English majors’ essays, stimulated recall interviews, and reflective journals revealed three overarching positioning patterns (single, negotiated, and simultaneous) and dynamic positioning shifts across essay segments. These patterns significantly influenced rhetorical move production: single and negotiated positioning led to constrained genre performance, while simultaneous positioning facilitated expected or partially identifiable moves depending on alignment. Dynamic positioning shifts further accounted for segment-level variability in rhetorical effectiveness within individual essays. The findings extend positioning theory beyond conversational dynamics to written discourse, demonstrating how positioning operates through momentary decisions and multiple engagement layers. This study reconceptualizes L2 genre performance as emerging from writers’ dynamic negotiation of positioning demands rather than stable capabilities. These insights suggest pedagogical shifts toward positioning-conscious revision strategies and temporal positioning scaffolds, contributing to both positioning theory and L2 writing research by elucidating how various factors materialize in student writing through positioning’s mediating role.
This study investigates argumentative patterns in research article introductions (RAIs) by integrating genre
analysis with argumentation theories. Although Swales’ Create-a-Research-Space (CaRS) model has received sustained attention in
genre-analytic research, particularly for its pedagogical value, its inherently argumentative dimension remains underexplored.
Addressing this gap, the study reconceptualizes CaRS rhetorical moves as argumentative activity types and examines how
argumentative patterns are mobilized in published peer-reviewed RAIs. Drawing on Pragma-Dialectics and the Argumentum Model of
Topics (AMT), forty RAIs from Scopus-indexed journals in applied linguistics were analyzed using a three-tier framework: (1)
identifying issues and standpoints in relation to communicative goals, (2) reconstructing argumentation structures, and (3)
identifying underlying loci. The findings demonstrate how rhetorical organization and reasoning jointly establish research
legitimacy, position studies within existing literature, and substantiate their scholarly contribution. The study also proposes an
integrative framework bridging macro-level genre analysis and micro-level argumentation analysis, offering empirically grounded
guidance for academic writers.
Narjes Sheikh Asadi, Andrea Rocci· Journal of Argumentation in...· 0 citations
This article presents a classroom‐based instructional cycle designed to support university‐level EFL learners in developing narrative writing through a targeted focus on orientation—the discourse component that situates a narrative in time, place, and character. Grounded in Labov's narrative framework and sociocultural theories of learning, the cycle integrates explicit instruction, peer evaluation, and guided reflection to support discourse‐level organization. Students first completed a narrative retelling task based on a short silent film; initial drafts frequently began with action, often omitting essential orientation elements. A mini‐lecture, model texts, and peer‐led discussion then guided learners in noticing and revising their use of orientation. In a subsequent task, students applied an analytic rubric to evaluate peer writing and compared their assessments with instructor ratings, promoting metacognitive engagement and deeper awareness of how orientation shapes reader interpretation. Post‐instruction writing illustrated students' increasing attention to contextually grounded narrative openings, while student reflections indicated increased attention to audience and narrative clarity. Overall, the study offers a practical, classroom‐tested model that positions orientation as a teachable discourse‐level feature and illustrates how process‐based, socially mediated instruction can foster genre awareness and reader‐oriented writing in EFL contexts.
This study investigates how EFL students employ politeness and directness strategies in their prompts to Generative AI and explores the underlying motivations shaping these linguistic choices. While prior studies have examined gendered communication and prompt effectiveness separately, limited research has integrated these perspectives within AI-mediated interaction. Grounded in Politeness Theory, the CCSARP framework, and Genderlect Theory, this study adopts a qualitative design combining directed content analysis and thematic analysis. The dataset consists of twenty-six prompts generated by four Indonesian EFL students, supported by semi-structured interviews. Findings reveal that bald-on-record and conventionally indirect strategies dominate, reflecting a balance between efficiency and minimal politeness. Thematic analysis identifies four key factors influencing prompting behavior: politeness strategies, directness strategies, variation strategies, and perceptions of AI. Politeness is shaped by sociocultural norms and expectations of improved output quality, whereas directness is driven by efficiency and reduced cognitive effort. Participants also demonstrate adaptive prompting behavior, reflecting emerging AI literacy through iterative refinement. Importantly, no strong gender-based differences were observed, suggesting that individual preferences and task demands play a more significant role. The study highlights that politeness and directness function as complementary strategies in AI-mediated communication and offers implications for developing AI literacy in language learning contexts.
Baiq Ulfiya Hafizah, Kadek Meisani Dinda Cantika, Wira Adhi Prasetya et al.· Research and Innovation in A...· 0 citations
Tense shifts are an essential feature of narrative discourse because they help writers organize events, establish temporal relationships, and guide readers through the development of a text. While English tense has been widely examined from grammatical and semantic perspectives, relatively few studies have explored how tense shifts contribute to narrative coherence across different genres. This study investigates the functions of tense shifts in literary, academic, and journalistic texts and examines how they influence readers' understanding of temporal relationships and the overall coherence of a narrative. A qualitative research design was adopted, combining discourse analysis of twenty purposively selected English-language texts with a reader-response survey involving twenty English-proficient participants. The analysis identified the most common patterns of tense shifting and examined how these patterns affected temporal organization, textual clarity, and reader engagement. The findings suggest that carefully managed tense shifts, particularly transitions from the past simple to the past perfect and the selective use of the present tense within predominantly past-tense narratives, make the sequence of events easier to follow and strengthen narrative coherence. In contrast, tense changes that are not supported by clear contextual cues may interrupt the flow of the narrative and increase the effort required for interpretation. The study shows that effective tense management functions not only as a grammatical feature but also as an important discourse strategy that supports clear and coherent communication across different genres. These findings provide useful insights for writers, educators, editors, and translators while contributing to ongoing research in discourse analysis and narrative studies.
This study investigates how post-presentation question-and-answer (Q&A) sessions are presented in Korean for Academic Purposes (KAP) textbooks and suggests directions for improving interactional competence in academic discourse.
Q&A sessions enable presenters and audiences to exchange ideas, clarify information, and extend academic discussion. This study analyzes how KAP textbooks present the concept and purpose of Q&A, politeness strategies, discourse participants, discourse markers, and related learning activities.
The findings reveal several limitations. First, the concept and educational value of Q&A sessions are insufficiently explained. Second, discourse functions and interaction types are not systematically organized. Third, politeness strategies receive limited attention. Fourth, the range and roles of discourse participants are narrowly represented. Finally, links between discourse markers and audience-participation activities remain weak.
These findings suggest that KAP textbooks should move beyond presentation-focused instruction and provide more systematic support for academic interaction by integrating conceptual understanding, discourse functions, politeness strategies, and practical Q&A skills.
Jae-yeon Hyeong· The Korean Language and Lite...· 0 citations
Classroom discourses play a crucial role in shaping how learners understand mathematical concepts, particularly in multilingual South African classrooms. This qualitative study employs critical discourse analysis (CDA) to examine how the language practices, teacher–student interactions, and underlying power relations influence learning in a series of Grade 10 lessons on functions. Drawing on Fairclough’s CDA framework, the study analyzes transcripts of three consecutive lessons to explore how teacher authority, questioning patterns, and classroom norms affect learner participation. The findings show that the teacher’s dominant use of the Initiation–Response–Evaluation pattern and procedural explanations limit opportunities for learner reasoning and autonomy. Code-switching emerges as a supportive strategy for bridging linguistic gaps; however, it also reveals tensions between the language of instruction and learners’ home languages. The results indicate that current discourse practices prioritize efficiency and correctness, contributing to surface-level understanding rather than conceptual engagement. The study recommends a shift toward dialogic and learner-centered approaches that promote equitable participation and deeper mathematical thinking. By highlighting how language and power operate in everyday classroom talk, this research provides insights for improving mathematics teaching in multilingual contexts.
M. Machaba, R. Ngoako· The International Journal of...· 0 citations