Scientific Writing in a Second Language

Karen Englander, David Ian Hanauer

Description

Scientific Writing in a Second Language investigates and aims to alleviate the barriers to the publication of scientific research articles experienced by scientists who use English as a second language. David Ian Hanauer and Karen Englander provide a comprehensive meta-synthesis of what is currently known about the phenomenon of second language scientific publication and the ways in which this issue has been addressed.

Sujets

• Foreign Language study
• Lettres et linguistique
• Language
• English

Informations

• Publié par: Parlor Press, LLC
• Date de parution: 17 février 2013
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781602353824
• Langue: English

Extrait

Second Language Writing
Series Editor: Paul Kei Matsuda
Second language writing emerged in the late twentieth century as an interdisciplinary field of inquiry, and an increasing number of researchers from various related fields—including applied linguistics, communication, composition studies, and education—have come to identify themselves as second language writing specialists. The Second Language Writing series aims to facilitate the advancement of knowledge in the field of second language writing by publishing scholarly and research-based monographs and edited collections that provide significant new insights into central topics and issues in the field.
Books in the Series
The Politics of Second Language Writing: In Search of the Promised Land , edited by Paul Kei Matsuda, Christina Ortmeier-Hooper, and Xiaoye You (2006)
Building Genre Knowledge by Christine M. Tardy (2009)
Practicing Theory in Second Language Writing , edited by Tony Silva and Paul Kei Matsuda (2010)
Foreign Language Writing Instruction: Principles and Practices , edited by Tony Cimasko and Melinda Reichelt (2011)
Scientific Writing in a Second Language by David Ian Hanauer and Karen Englander (2013)
Scientific Writing in a Second Language
David Ian Hanauer and Karen Englander
Parlor Press
Anderson, South Carolina
www.parlorpress.com


Parlor Press LLC, Anderson, South Carolina, USA
© 2013 by Parlor Press
All rights reserved.
Printed in the United States of America
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Hanauer, David Ian.
Scientific writing in a second language / David Ian Hanauer and Karen Englander.
pages cm. -- (Second language writing)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-1-60235-379-4 (pbk. : alk. paper) -- ISBN 978-1-60235-380-0 (hardcover : alk. paper) -- ISBN 978-1-60235-381-7 (Adobe eBook) -- ISBN 978-1-60235-382-4 (ePub)
1 2 3 4 5
ISBN Information
978-1-60235-379-4 (paperback)
978-1-60235-380-0 (hardcover)
978-1-60235-381-7 (Adobe ebook)
978-1-60235-382-4 (ePub)
Second Language Writing
Series Editor: Paul Kei Matsuda
Cover design by Paul Kei Matsuda and David Blakesley
Printed on acid-free paper.
Parlor Press, LLC is an independent publisher of scholarly and trade titles in print and multimedia formats. This book is available in paper, cloth and eBook formats from Parlor Press on the World Wide Web at http://www.parlorpress.com or through online and brick-and-mortar bookstores. For submission information or to find out about Parlor Press publications, write to Parlor Press, 3015 Brackenberry Drive, Anderson, South Carolina, 29621, or email [e-mail].


Contents
Acknowledgments
1 The Dominance of the English Research Article in the Scientific World
1.1 English Literacy and the Generation of Scientific Knowledge
1.2 English and the Scientific Research Article
1.3 The International World of Science
1.4 The Critical-Pragmatic Approach to Second Language Science Writing
1.5 The Design of This Book
2 The Genre of the Scientific Research Article
2.1 A Genre Approach
2.2 Social Functions: Situating the Scientific Research Article
2.3 Producing a Research Article
2.4 The Structural Features of a Scientific Research Article
2.4.1 The Succinct Expression of Informational Complexity
2.4.2 Depersonalization through the Foregrounding of Knowledge Statements
2.4.3 Facilitating Navigational Clarity
2.4.4 Persuasion and Stance in the Research Article
2.5 The Research Article
3 Second Language Writing and the Research Article
3.1 Introduction
3.2 Socio-Economic and Geographic Context
3.3 Peripheral Participation
3.4 Interaction with the Journal Editors
3.5 Difficulties and Strategies of Writing
3.6 Contrastive Approaches and Language Community Characteristics
3.7 Summary
4 Methodology: Researching Spanish Speaking Scientists in Mexico
4.1 Introduction
4.2 Science in Mexico
4.3 Site Description
4.4 Participant Population
4.5 Method
4.5.1 Quantifying and Specifying the Difficulties of Writing a Research Article for Publication in a Second Language: Method and Analytical Approach
4.5.2 Developing Scientific Writing Expertise: Method and Analytical Approach
4.6 Summary
5 The Quantification and Specification of the Difficulties of Writing a Research Article for Publication in a Second Language: Survey Report
5.1 Introduction
5.2 Research Questions
5.3 Results
5.4 The Quantification and Specification of the Difficulties of Writing a Research Article in a Second Language: A Summary
5.5 Final Comments
6 Developing Scientific Writing Expertise: Qualitative Individual Data
6.1 Introduction
6.2 Individual Data: Scientists’ Narratives
6.2.1 Senior Researchers at the Research Institute
6.2.2 Senior Researchers at the University
6.2.3 Junior Researchers at the Research Institute
6.2.4 Junior Researchers at the University
6.3 Summary of Findings
6.4 Final Comments
7 Developing Scientific Writing Expertise: Qualitative Group Data
7.1 Introduction
7.2 Group Data: Trajectory of Learning Events
7.2.1 Educational Trajectory: Bachelor degree
7.2.2 Educational Trajectory: Masters Level
7.2.3 Educational Trajectory: Doctorate Level
7.2.4 Educational Trajectory: Professional Scientists
7.3 Trajectory of Learning Events within the Subgroups
7.4 Pedagogical Understandings: Participant-Scientists
7.5 Affective Responses
7.6 Summary of Qualitative Results
8 Facilitating Improved Scientific Writing in English as a Second Language
8.1 Aims and Underpinning Positions
8.2 Principles and Recommendations
8.2.1 Long Term Commitment to Writing Education
8.2.2 Differential Needs and Diversified Educational Interventions
8.2.3 Multilayered Understanding of the Research Article
8.2.4 Provision of Expert Support for Science and Writing
8.2.5 Personalized, Continual, and Immediate Support for Research Article Writing
8.2.6 Demystification of the Structures and Processes of Scientific Publication
8.2.7 Broad Administrative, Institutional, and Financial Support
8.3 Educational Interventions
8.3.1 Explicit Teaching
8.3.2 Collaborative, Face-To-Face Interaction with Associates
8.3.3 Expert and Peer Collaborations
8.3.4 Translation and Editing Services
8.4 Educational Program
9 Practical and Policy Implications of Supporting Second Language Scientific Writing
9.1 Introduction
9.2 The Challenges of Second Language Science Writing in English
9.3 The Role of Intervention
9.4 Principles of Support
9.5 Interventions by Different Stakeholders
9.5.1 Universities
9.5.2 National Higher Education Policy Makers
9.5.3 Scientific and University Institutions
9.5.4 Professional Scientific Bodies and Associations
9.6 Policy Implications for Science
Notes
References
Index to the Print Edition
About the Authors


Acknowledgments
The research study that forms the centerpiece of this work began as a conversation between David and Karen on an autumn afternoon on the “tourist strip” of Ensenada, Mexico. In developing this conversation into a project, Karen worked closely and depended greatly on colleagues, administrators and students at the university and the research institute where she worked. We wish to acknowledge the Universidad Autónoma de Baja California for funds allowing David to travel to Ensenada on several occasions for the development of this study. We also thank David Toledo, Dagoberto Hernández, and Magdaleno Aviles for providing Karen with release time to work on this project. The quantitative survey instrument was translated by Carmen Márquez. The immense task of transcribing sixteen in-depth interviews was good-naturedly and efficiently performed by two wonderful colleagues: Carmen Yáñez and Claudia Vega. Assisting Karen with translation—particularly with idiomatic phrases that exceed her knowledge of Spanish—were two students who inevitably answered “help please” requests on instant messenger at all hours of the night; they are Xochitl Barney and Leticia Navarro. We thank Brian Fotinakes, Dr. Hayat Messekher, Eda Basak Azizoglu, and Cheryl Sheridan from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and Javad Bourbour Shirazi of York University for their help in proofreading and formatting this book.
This project could not have been completed without the trust and confidence granted to us by several influential scientists. David thanks Graham Hatfull for his continued support and advice throughout this project. We thank Eugenio Méndez and Roberto Millán for their personal work in supporting this research effort. In particular, we deeply thank Oscar Sosa who has gifted Karen with unscheduled meetings, strategy sessions, and key introductions that made this work possible. It is his personal commitment to the issues that we raise and his desire that we provide real solutions that inspires our work.
We extend thanks to the 153 anonymous scientists who were generous enough to participate in our survey. In addition, we wholly thank the sixteen scientists who shared their time, stories, successes, failures, and expertise with us when they have so much else to do. Their candidness always reinforced for us the importance of this work. We only hope that we can give back something that will ease the burden of writing professionally in a foreign language.
Finally, Karen wishes to acknowledge the friendship of Margaret Hogan and Kevin O’Donnell who listened attentively to her through excitement, frustrati