Stance in unpublished student writing
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Kimberly Becker
Abstract
This exploratory study investigates modal verbs as stance features in the Physical Sciences sub-corpus of the Michigan Corpus of Upper-Level Student Papers (MICUSP). The study adopts Biber’s (2006) stance framework, including modal verbs in three categories: possibility, necessity, and prediction. Focusing on one feature within one sub-corpus afforded closer consideration of the units of analysis (discipline, level of study, nativeness, and register) that could contribute to variation in the use of modals as stance features. The findings show that possibility and prediction modals are the most common in the Physical Sciences sub-corpus. The study provides a description of student academic writing and considers future research directions and pedagogical implications of stance in Physical Science disciplines, student levels, nativeness, and registers.
Abstract
This exploratory study investigates modal verbs as stance features in the Physical Sciences sub-corpus of the Michigan Corpus of Upper-Level Student Papers (MICUSP). The study adopts Biber’s (2006) stance framework, including modal verbs in three categories: possibility, necessity, and prediction. Focusing on one feature within one sub-corpus afforded closer consideration of the units of analysis (discipline, level of study, nativeness, and register) that could contribute to variation in the use of modals as stance features. The findings show that possibility and prediction modals are the most common in the Physical Sciences sub-corpus. The study provides a description of student academic writing and considers future research directions and pedagogical implications of stance in Physical Science disciplines, student levels, nativeness, and registers.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Introduction 1
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Part I. Focus on writer expertise and nativeness status
- A corpus-based study of academic word use in EFL student writing 9
- Give constructions in Korean EFL learner writing 33
- A corpus-based exploration of constructions in written academic English as a lingua franca 59
- The influence of sources on First-Year Composition L1 student writing 89
- Students’ use of lexical bundles 115
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Part II. Focus on disciplinary variation
- Combining rhetorical move analysis with multi-dimensional analysis 137
- Lexical bundles across disciplines 169
- Lexical bundles as reflections of disciplinary norms in Spanish and English literary criticism, history, and psychology research 183
- Adjectives as nominal pre-modifiers in chemistry and applied linguistics research articles 205
- The use of lexical patterns in engineering 227
- Stance in unpublished student writing 255
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Part III. Focus on register variation
- P-frames and rhetorical moves in applied linguistics conference abstracts 281
- Stand-alone literature reviews 307
- A multi-dimensional view of collocations in academic writing 333
- Name index 355
- Subject index 357
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Introduction 1
-
Part I. Focus on writer expertise and nativeness status
- A corpus-based study of academic word use in EFL student writing 9
- Give constructions in Korean EFL learner writing 33
- A corpus-based exploration of constructions in written academic English as a lingua franca 59
- The influence of sources on First-Year Composition L1 student writing 89
- Students’ use of lexical bundles 115
-
Part II. Focus on disciplinary variation
- Combining rhetorical move analysis with multi-dimensional analysis 137
- Lexical bundles across disciplines 169
- Lexical bundles as reflections of disciplinary norms in Spanish and English literary criticism, history, and psychology research 183
- Adjectives as nominal pre-modifiers in chemistry and applied linguistics research articles 205
- The use of lexical patterns in engineering 227
- Stance in unpublished student writing 255
-
Part III. Focus on register variation
- P-frames and rhetorical moves in applied linguistics conference abstracts 281
- Stand-alone literature reviews 307
- A multi-dimensional view of collocations in academic writing 333
- Name index 355
- Subject index 357
