Pragmatics of Academic Writing : A Relevance Approach to the Analysis of Research Article Introductions.
Title:
Pragmatics of Academic Writing : A Relevance Approach to the Analysis of Research Article Introductions.
Author:
Owtram, Nicola T.
ISBN:
9783035100693
Personal Author:
Physical Description:
1 online resource (324 pages)
Series:
Linguistic Insights ; v.17
Linguistic Insights
Contents:
Contents -- Acknowledgements 9 -- 1. Introduction. Five Areas of Cross-cultural Variation 11 -- 2. Setting the Frame: Conceptualisations of Academic Writing 19 -- 2.1. Introduction 19 -- 2.2. Historical Background to the Current Debate 20 -- 2.3. Discourse Analysis and Pragmatics 23 -- 2.4. Written Discourse: Reciprocity and its Effects 25 -- 2.4.1. Shared Context 26 -- 2.4.2. Interactivity 29 -- 2.4.3. Channel and Processing Constraints 33 -- 2.5. Genre Analysis and the Role of Conventions 36 -- 2.6. Discourse Communities and Academic Discourse 42 -- 2.7. Contrastive Rhetoric 46 -- 2.8. Style and Stylistics 48 -- 2.9. Conclusion 52 -- 3. Style Manuals: What Can They Tell Us? 55 -- 3.1. Introduction 55 -- 3.2. Style as it is Described in the Manuals 55 -- 3.3. Topic One: Length and Organisation of Paragraphs 66 -- 3.4. Topic Two: Length and Construction of Sentences 71 -- 3.5. Topic Three: Organisation of Information within Sentences 77 -- 3.6. Topic Four: Choice of Vocabulary 81 -- 3.7. Topic Five: Amount of Nominalisation Felt to be Acceptable 85 -- 3.8. Conclusion 89 -- 4. Four Frameworks and Approaches: What Can They Tell Us? 95 -- 4.1. Introduction 95 -- 4.2. Methods and Materials 98 -- 4.3. Halliday/Hasan: Discussion and Analysis 100 -- 4.3.1. Meier/Holbrook: Halliday/Hasan Analysis 106 -- 4.3.2. Pizzorno: Halliday/Hasan Analysis 109 -- 4.4. Rhetorical Structure Theory: Discussion and Analysis 113 -- 4.4.1. Meier/Holbrook: Rhetorical Structure Theory Analysis 117 -- 4.4.2. Pizzorno: Rhetorical Structure Theory Analysis 123 -- 4.5. Swales: Discussion and Analysis 129 -- 4.5.1. Meier/Holbrook: CARS Analysis 132 -- 4.5.2. Pizzorno: CARS Analysis 134 -- 4.6. Beyond Coherence 137 -- 4.7. Grice: Discussion and Analysis 139 -- 4.7.1. Meier/Holbrook: Gricean Analysis 143 -- 4.7.2. Pizzorno: Gricean Analysis 145 -- 4.8. Conclusion 148.
5. Relevance Theory: Comprehension and Style 151 -- 5.1. Introduction 151 -- 5.2. Relevance Theory: Underpinnings 153 -- 5.3. Key Concepts for Stylistic Analysis 164 -- 5.3.1. Contextual Assumptions 164 -- 5.3.2. Processing Effort 169 -- 5.3.3. Explicatures and Implicatures 173 -- 5.3.3.1. Explicatures 174 -- 5.3.3.2. Implicatures 180 -- 5.4. Relevance and Style: Tools for Analysis 186 -- 5.4.1. Abilities and Preferences: Stylistic Choices and Conventions 187 -- 5.4.2. Discourse and Relevance Theory 204 -- 5.5. Conclusion 213 -- 6. Relevance Theory: What Insights Can It Give Us? 215 -- 6.1. Introduction 215 -- 6.2. Meier/Holbrook: "'I Seen My Opportunities and I Took ém': Political corruption in the American States" 215 -- 6.3. Pizzorno: "Lo scambio occulto" 234 -- 6.4. Contrastive Observations about the Two Introductions 253 -- Appendices 257 -- Appendix A 257 -- Appendix B 264 -- Appendix C 275 -- References 279 -- Subject Index 303 -- Author Index 307.
Abstract:
This volume investigates to what extent existing approaches to pragmatics and discourse shed light on how the form of a text creates stylistic effects. Taking a cross-cultural perspective, this book focuses on five key stylistic features of writing - paragraph structure, length and construction of sentences, organisation of information in sentences, relative formality of vocabulary, amount of nominalisation - widely seen as partly responsible for the different impressions created by academic writing in English and Italian. The author develops a theoretical framework for the investigation of intuitions about stylistic differences from a contrastive point of view. To this end, the book gives an overview of recent scholarly approaches to writing and reading, genre studies, contrastive rhetoric and the notions of style and stylistics, together with an assessment of several individual approaches.
Local Note:
Electronic reproduction. Ann Arbor, Michigan : ProQuest Ebook Central, 2017. Available via World Wide Web. Access may be limited to ProQuest Ebook Central affiliated libraries.
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