Том 10, № 3 (2024)
- Год: 2024
- Статей: 11
- URL: https://journals.rcsi.science/2411-7390/issue/view/24248
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.17323/jle.2024.v10.i3
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От редактора
Описание данных в исследовательской публикации: обзор предметного поля
Аннотация
Введение: Доказательная медицина (EBM) получила широкое распространение в 1990-х годах, что положило начало новым подходам к научной методологии и научно-исследовательским данным и изменило практику в области медицины. Вслед за доказательной медициной вступили в новый этап создания и распространения знаний в других социальных сферах: от образования до государственного управления и разработки политики в разных областях. Каждая область социальных наук, основанная на доказательной методологии, создает свою собственную совокупность доказательств и их синтез, закладывая основу для эффективной социальной практики. Предварительный поиск источников не выявил всеобъемлющую и полную доказательную методологию для социальных наук.
Цель: Данный обзор предметного поля ставит своей целью определить границы возникающего исследовательского поля доказательных социальных наук и практик.
Метод: Обзор придерживался дополненной версии PRISMA для обзоров предметного поля и рамочной структуры PCC (англ. Problem (population), concept, context). Критерии отбора организованы в контексте рамки PCC (популяция, концепция, контекст), с учетом языка, хронотопа исследования, типов источников, географии аффилиаций, баз данных, предметных областей исследований. Поиск соответствующих публикаций осуществлялся в международной наукометрической базе данных Scopus. Исследования были определены и отобраны на основе заглавий, аннотаций и полных текстов, в целом было выбрано 35 документов.
Результаты: Раздел «Результаты» включает результаты поиска и отбора; библиометрический анализ, распределение публикаций по четырем тематическим блокам; выводы, касающиеся методологии медицины и практики, применимой к социальным наукам; анализ исследовательского поля доказательных социальных наук и практик; доказательные практики в области социальных наук по областям знаний. Значительная часть доказательной методологии была заимствована социальными науками непосредственно из EBM. Основные противоречия были выявлены в иерархии и уровнях доказательств, поскольку социальные науки базируются на человеческом выборе. В контексте социальных наук были проанализированы рандомизированные контролируемые испытания и систематические обзоры. Наиболее тщательно разработанные и быстро развивающиеся области доказательных социальных наук включают доказательное образование и доказательную политику. Также активно внедряли методы доказательной практики государственные учреждения и институты в ряде стран мира.
Вывод: Обзор достиг цели и дал ответы на вопросы исследования. Было выявлено несколько исследований, в которых всесторонне изучалась возникающая область исследований — доказательные социальные науки и практики. Фрагментированные части поля исследований сформированы неравномерно, при этом существует большое количество противоречий, базирующихся на устойчивых стереотипных представлениях, и много спорных вопросов, касающихся качества доказательств, их веса и иерархии, а также типов исследований.
Journal of Language and Education. 2024;10(3):5-24
5-24
Оригинальное исследование
Variation in Academic Writing: A Corpus-Based Investigation on the Use of Syntactic Features by Advanced L2 Academic Writers
Аннотация
Background: Writing means communication through words whereas academic writing means making careful use of words to communicate ideas to a range of readers and audiences. Therefore, academic writing reflects specificities related to audience, context/discipline and purpose of the use. These specificities result in ample differences in terms of language use.
Purpose: This study investigates disciplinary variation in the use of different syntactic (i.e., clausal, intermediate and phrasal) features in academic writing produced by the Pakistani advanced writers of English as an L2 specializing in different disciplines of arts and humanities, life sciences, physical sciences and social sciences.
Method: For the said purpose, the corpus has been developed from dissertation texts produced by the Pakistani doctoral candidates from 16 academic disciplines of four disciplinary divisions. The analysis has been performed using AntConc Software after tagging with Multidimensional Analysis, and TagAnt Taggers.
Results: The results reveal mixed findings. On the one hand, the results show variation in the use of syntactic features that is observed to be marked by the difference in the frequency of the different types of the said features across disciplines. On the other hand, the results show a similarity in the use of syntactic features that has been evidenced by the finding that the most and least frequently used features are identical across disciplines.
Conclusion: These results suggest both heterogeneity and homogeneity in the use of syntactic features by the Pakistani advanced L2 academic writers. The results of this study have implications for educators, policy makers, and syllabus designers to ensure discipline-specific instruction, and incorporation of the discipline-specific syntactic features into the academic curricula for supporting academic writing development skills in the students particularly at the advanced level of education.
Journal of Language and Education. 2024;10(3):25-39
25-39
Evaluative Stancetaking in English-Medium Academic Prose: A Study of Research Article Abstracts by Russian and Chinese L2 Writers
Аннотация
Background: Globalization has created the academic community’s need to learn English in order to publish internationally and caused intensive research into academic prose by non-native writers with the aim of revealing prevailing culture-and discipline-specific rhetoric structures and suggesting ways of improving academic writing skills.
Purpose: This contrastive study explored preferences in the employment of stance features in English-medium research article abstracts by second language writers from two different cultural backgrounds (Russia and China) assuming that variations in stancetaking are culturally shaped.
Method: Hyland’s (2005b) taxonomy of stance resources was adopted for the current study as the most comprehensive one including a wide range of writer-oriented features. This taxonomy can help identify pragmatic functions of linguistic markers used for stancetaking in academic prose. The methods of quantitative and qualitative analysis were applied.
Results: A contrastive analysis of the findings showed that the Russian and Chinese academic communities manifest different stancetaking preferences. The quantitative analysis revealed that Chinese-authored RA abstracts contained considerably more stance features than those written by their Russian counterparts. Most quantitative differences between the application of stance features by Russian and Chinese authors were statistically significant. It was also revealed that while the Chinese academic writers seemed to be more careful in making claims, anticipating and acknowledging, the Russian scholars chose to create an impression of certainty and assurance, instilling confidence in their readers. The differences in the employment of stance features identified in the study are likely to reflect culture-specific writing peculiarities of the Chinese and Russian academic communities which favour slightly different discursive strategies.
Conclusion: The findings carry pedagogical implications for academic writing course designers and can enhance L2 writers’ familiarity with the culture-specific academic writing conventions in the knowledge domain.
Journal of Language and Education. 2024;10(3):40-52
40-52
Mitigating Plagiarism in ESL Academic Writing: Evaluating the Efficacy of Educational Intervention
Аннотация
Background: Plagiarism is a serious academic misconduct demanding mitigation to uphold the integrity of original work. Undeniably, with the advancement of technological age, plagiarising becomes easier and harder to detect. However, the reliance on technology significantly rises the likelihood of fostering academic dishonesty among the students. Therefore, it is imperative to disseminate explicit education on plagiarism reduction strategies, particularly on the importance of mastering correct referencing techniques.
Purpose: The present study applied a mixed-method approach to explore the effectiveness of an intervention called Educational Intervention (EI) on enhancing ESL students’ academic referencing skills namely in in-text citation abilities, paraphrasing skills and writing reference list using APA style.
Method: The EI consisted of explicit instruction that involved structured teaching sessions integrated with two primary instructional strategies: lectures and practical exercises on referencing in academic writing. A total of 70 participants participated in the study. Data collection involved administering tests, assigning exercises and assignments, and conducting focus group interviews. The study utilised a quasi-experimental design to analyse the effectiveness of the intervention. Quantitative data were analysed using one-way ANOVA and paired sample t-test to assess the effectiveness of the EI. Qualitative data were examined through thematic analysis to explore participants’ experiences and perceptions.
Results: Data analyses of the plagiarism test indicated that the experimental group showed significantly greater improvements in referencing skills compared to the control group, with statistical significance at p .05 for all assessed skills. However, findings for the gathered exercises and assignments demonstrated improvements but not statistically significant in their referencing skills except for paraphrasing. Nonetheless, feedback from focus group interviews indicated positive responses toward EI and its role in enhancing referencing skills.
Conclusion: Overall, while EI proved effective in enhancing ESL undergraduates’ referencing skills, there remains room for improvement to fully realize its potential. The study holds a global importance of imparting explicit education on referencing skills, offering educators worldwide a strategic measure aimed at reducing plagiarism act.
Journal of Language and Education. 2024;10(3):53-68
53-68
To Type or To Write: The Effect of Writing Modes and Time Constraints on Students’ Writing Quality
Аннотация
Background: The incorporation of technology into English writing class has prompted the use of computer typing as an alternative writing mode to handwriting. However, previous studies investigating the effect of writing modes on writing quality have delivered conflicting results.
Purpose: Considering the increasing prevalence of computers in English writing classes and the time limitation commonly employed by teachers in writing courses, the present study attempts to identify the interaction effect of writing modes and time constraints on EFL students’ writing quality.
Method: This study adopted a counterbalanced quantitative design; data were collected from 30 EFL undergraduate students majoring in English Education, using an adapted version of Jacobs’ ESL Composition Profile. All participants were subjected to four writing conditions, based on the combination of typing using a computer or writing by hand and a30-minute or 60-minute time allotment.
Results: The findings of the present study suggest that there is no interaction effect between writing modes and time constraints on writing quality F(1, 116) = .086, p = .770, and despite the higher scores obtained by the essays typed with computer, writing modes have no significant effect on writing quality F(1, 116) = .820, p = .367. The results also suggest that time constraints significantly affect writing quality F(1, 116) = 14.308, p = .001.
Conclusion: Due to the absence of writing modes effect on writing quality, English teachers are recommended to permit both writing modes in writing essays and to provide more time for students to write, especially in a creative writing environment as opposed to an examination environment.
Journal of Language and Education. 2024;10(3):69-78
69-78
Synergizing Generative Pre-Trained Transformer (GPT) Chatbots in a Process-Based Writing Paradigm to Enhance University Students’ Writing Skills
Аннотация
Background: The combination of the process-based writing framework and GPT-based chatbots establishes a dynamic and interactive environment, leading students through the stages of planning, drafting, revising, and editing. This collaborative approach not only elevates writing skills but also cultivates critical thinking and self-reflection, thereby transforming the writing process into a more effective and engaging learning experience. Despite the potential synergy to revolutionize the writing process, there exists a surprising lack of research within the educational domain exploring the impact of this innovative approach.
Purpose: This study investigates the influence of a GPT-based chatbot within a process-based writing framework on university EFL students’ writing skills, specifically focusing on components such as organization, content, coherence-cohesion, logical connection, and argumentation.
Method: Employing a sequential mixed methods type of research with a pre- and post-test design, 30 university EFL students were selected via purposive sampling technique. They engaged in 10 sessions that incorporated GPT-based chatbots within a process-based writing framework. Data collections were through pre-and post- writing tests, writing quizzes, and semi-structured interviews.
Results: The results highlighted substantial improvements in participants’ writing performance, evident through a noteworthy increase in post-writing test scores (x̄=17.03) in comparison to pre-writing test scores (x̄=9.13). The study identified a progressive enhancement in four out of five writing components - organization, content, coherence-cohesion, and argumentation - across the 1st to 4th quizzes. However, the ‘logical connection’ component experienced a temporary decline during the 2nd and 3rd writing quizzes, rebounding significantly in the 4th quiz. Notably, the most improved writing components were ‘content’ and ‘argumentation,’ while the component related to ‘logical connection’ exhibited the least improved one. Qualitative findings further underscored participants’ acknowledgment of the effectiveness of the strategy in facilitating their writing tasks.
Conclusion: The integration of chatbots within a writing framework was concluded as a facilitative pedagogical approach, fostering a dynamic, personalized, and effective learning experience, contributing to the multifaceted improvement of their writing skills. As educators and practitioners consider innovative approaches, this study provides a compelling case for the effective utilization of GPT-based chatbots in fostering language proficiency and a more engaging learning experience.
Journal of Language and Education. 2024;10(3):79-94
79-94
Academic Vocabulary Distribution in Applied Linguistics Journal Research Articles: Do SINTA Rankings Matter?
Аннотация
Background: As a national database for indexing scientific journals, SINTA has considerable significance for the Indonesian academic community as it measures the performance of national journals and increases the visibility of Indonesian journals and researchers internationally. Although studies have been conducted to examine the role of academic vocabulary in scholarly publications, very little has investigated how academic vocabulary has been used in SINTA-indexed applied linguistics journals (SIALJ) research articles and whether there are differences in academic vocabulary coverage across SINTA rankings.
Purpose: This study examines the academic vocabulary measure of whether significant differences in academic vocabulary coverage are present in SIALJ research articles across rankings. This examination will offer insights into the linguistic expectations set by the editorial boards of the journals across rankings.
Method: Out of 8585 journals indexed by SINTA, we found 72 related to applied linguistics. We chose four journals with the highest impact factor in each ranking to ensure representativeness. We included approximately 250000 running words from each journal in each ranking and obtained 6073379 tokens in total. We used AntWordProfiler to analyse the lexical distribution with GSL and AWL as the base lists.
Results: We found that the academic vocabulary coverage in SIALJ research articles accounts for 11.01%, similar to other studies that also found that academic words typically cover at least 10% of academic texts. We also identified that the higher the journal rank, the more coverage of the academic vocabulary. However, our quantitative measurement identified no significant differences in academic vocabulary coverage in SIALJ research articles.
Conclusion: The absence of significant distribution disparities across rankings suggests a shared practice of strategies language use in SIALJ, irrespective of their rankings and challenges common assumptions about strategic language use discrepancies among journal clusters.
Journal of Language and Education. 2024;10(3):95-107
95-107
Рецензии
Your Article is Accepted. Academic Writing for Publication: A Deep Dive into International Research on Challenges and Strategies
Аннотация
Background. Academic writing for publication (AWforP) has recently come to the fore because of the critical importance of scholarly publication to academia. A review of the scientific literature on AWforP found that it is underdeveloped and lacks comprehensive frameworks and models for AWforP challenges, AWforP strategies, or both.
Purpose. To contribute to bridging these gaps, this article aims to summarize and map the AWforP challenges and AWforP strategies identified in the scholarly empirical literature.
Method. A systematic Scopus/WoS literature review was used for data collection, identifying 15 relevant sources (n, sample size). Data were analyzed and summarized by deduction and meta-analysis based on chi-square heterogeneity test and meta-regression, then mapped by induction and K-means clustering.
Results. First, 31 challenges to AWforP and 36 strategies for AWforP were detected. Second, an original classification of AWforP challenges was introduced. The taxonomy of academic writing strategies was expanded with AWforP strategies. Third, AWforP challenges/strategies were ranked based on their frequency of mention in the sample. Semantic difficulties were the most prevalent challenge, and attending academic writing courses was the most advised strategy. Fourth, through meta-analysis, the sample was found to be moderately statistically heterogeneous (I2=60.97%), and the summary effect size was positive and statistically significant. Fifth, the sampled sources were mapped into five clusters based on the country of researchers studied (SSE=10.511).
Conclusion. This article conceptualizes empirical research on AWforP challenges and AWforP strategies by identifying, comprehensively systematizing, summarizing, and mapping them. Implementing the proposed taxonomy of AWforP challenges/strategies under the identified cluster specifics in strategic research planning and control practices would improve researchers’ publication activity and research management effectiveness at the university and national levels.
Journal of Language and Education. 2024;10(3):108-127
108-127
Text Redundancy in Academic Writing: A Scoping Review
Аннотация
Background: Academic writing aims to communicate and disseminate new knowledge and discoveries effectively, necessitating a balance of brevity and thoroughness in the expression of scientific ideas. However, the quality of academic writing is often compromised by various factors that reduce clarity and readability. Among these — a well-known issue in general writing that remains insufficiently addressed in the academic context. Although studies have examined redundancy in written texts broadly, there is limited focus on its specific implications in academic writing. Currently, there is no shared understanding, of the problem in academic writing, nor a common classification, or comprehensive analysis of the causes and effects of redundancy in academic texts.
Purpose: This article seeks to map the existing literature on text redundancy, examining its definitions and types. It further investigates factors contributing to redundancy in academic writing and assesses the impact of text redundancy on the clarity, coherence, and overall quality of academic communication.
Materials and Methods: The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines and the “PCC” mnemonic (Population, Context, Concept) were applied to establish inclusion and exclusion criteria. A literature search was conducted in June 2024, employing a detailed search strategy across two electronic databases, Scopus and Google Scholar, initially yielding 252 studies.
Results: A total of 65 English-language studies on text redundancy were included in the review. The synthesis of these studies revealed diverse perspectives on redundancy: some view it as a detractor from text quality and comprehension, while others regard it as a strategy improve clarity and explicitness. Various classifications of redundancy emerged, including distinctions by mode of expression, nature, and role or impact. The review examined both the functions and implications of redundancy in academic written communication.
Conclusion: This review underscores the dual role of text redundancy in academic writing. Redundancy can enhance comprehension by reinforcing key points but may also hinder communication through excessive repetition. The study classifies redundancy into three main categories: functional (beneficial), wordiness (excessive), and contextual redundancy. This framework offers writers guidance on managing redundancy effectively. The article highlights the importance of balancing necessary repetition with conciseness to maintain clarity and reader engagement, noting that excessive redundancy may lead to reader fatigue.
Journal of Language and Education. 2024;10(3):128-160
128-160
Research Trends on Students' Writing Skills: A Bibliometric Analysis Using Scopus Database
Аннотация
Introduction: Students' writing skills positively impact their overall academic ability. Writing allows students to gain knowledge while enhancing their intelligence, initiative, courage, and willpower. Moreover, it fosters creativity, inspiring students to think outside the box. Therefore, it can be said that teaching students to write is crucial to the learning process in the classroom, even though, in reality, teaching students to write is an activity that neither teachers nor students enjoy. It seems contradictory that writing is both necessary and undesirable simultaneously.
Purpose: This study investigates research trends in students' writing skills through bibliometric analysis recorded on the Scopus database from 2014 to 2023.
Method: The study identified 7650 publications in the Scopus database when searching for the keyword "students, writing, and skills." Using the Prisma model, it selected 2214 publications as the sample. The data were analyzed using bibliometric analysis.
Results: The analysis has revealed that Graham (f= 105), Hwang (f= 102), and Kent (f= 84) were the top three authors who investigated students' writing skills in their studies, showcasing the diversity of research in our field. Meanwhile, Reading and Writing, Asian EFL Journal, and International Journal of Instruction are the top three publishers with the most publications, further highlighting the breadth of our field. At the country level, the United States is the most productive country, with Arizona State University being the most productive university in research about students' writing. The study also found that writing in higher education contexts is the most widely researched area.
Conclusion: More importantly, the bibliometrics analysis has also revealed that argumentative writing skills, collaborative writing, EFL learners, and writing attitude are some areas that need more research.
Journal of Language and Education. 2024;10(3):161-182
161-182
Рецензия на книгу
Stylistics: Text, Cognition and Corpora: Book Review
Journal of Language and Education. 2024;10(3):183-185
183-185