NON-NATIVE ARGUMENTATIVE WRITING BY VIETNAMESE LEARNERS OF ENGLISH: A ...

443 Pages·2011·2.17 MB·English

NON-NATIVE ARGUMENTATIVE WRITING BY VIETNAMESE LEARNERS OF
ENGLISH: A CONTRASTIVE STUDY

A Dissertation
submitted to the Faculty of the
Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
of Georgetown University
in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the
degree of
Doctor of Philosophy
in Linguistics

By

Vu Le Ho, M.A, M.S.

Washington, DC
May 12, 2011
Copyright 2011 by Vu Le Ho
All Rights Reserved
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NON-NATIVE ARGUMENTATIVE WRITING BY VIETNAMESE LEARNERS OF
ENGLISH: A CONTRASTIVE STUDY

Vu L. Ho, M.A, M.S.

Thesis Advisor: Andrea Tyler, Ph.D.

ABSTRACT

This contrastive study compared Vietnamese students' argumentative ESL essays with model
texts composed by native expert writers in Vietnamese and American English. It identified
several key differences between English and Vietnamese in terms of rhetorical features,
explaining why the ESL writing deviates noticeably from native English texts. These deviations,
supported by both quantitative and qualitative evidence, can be attributed to several factors,
including ESL writers' over-dependence on textual links and shared schema to maintain
coherence, nonlinearity patterns in argument, tendency of making abrupt switches in topical
Themes, dependence on personal opinions instead of objective observations, preference for
generic examples over concrete details, and use of overtly assertive language. These factors may
cause negative reactions from English readers, who may find that ESL argumentative texts are
more disconnected, harder to follow, less persuasive, and less well-supported. Vietnamese
students may have difficulties in addressing these problems since they often are a combined
effect of lack of proficiency, undesirable side-effects of L2 instruction and unconscious negative
L1 transfer.
Observed interactions between rhetorical features indicate that differences between L2
and native writings may not be attributed to a single feature, but rather a combined effect of
several features of different meaning types. Hence, although this dissertation confirms the key
premise of contrastive research (i.e., L1 background is influential in the manner native speakers
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write in L2), it gives substantive default for such a claim by pointing to a trinocular analysis,
which examines data in terms of all three discourse planes as well as possible interactions
between the resources used to express these planes.
This study constitutes a step towards the ultimate need of contrastive studies: a coherent
and implementable framework that can be shared among different studies. Developed within the
SFL framework, I expand a set of relevant analytical tools, providing specific coding guidelines
to not only allow for a more all-round and systematic analysis of the text but also facilitate cross-
language comparison. The results demonstrate that the SFL framework can serve as the needed
unified theoretical foundation that helps contrastive analysis in L2 writing to eventually achieve
a full status as a field.
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The research and writing of this thesis
is dedicated to everyone who helped along the way.

Many thanks,
VU L. HO
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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 1 
1.1 Dissertation Overview .......................................................................................................... 1 
1.1.1 Culture-Related Problems in Second Language Writing ............................................... 1 
1.1.2 Why Argumentative Texts? ........................................................................................... 2 
1.1.3 Design of the Study ........................................................................................................ 3 
1.2 Organization of the Chapters ................................................................................................ 4 
Literature Review ........................................................................................................................... 6 
2.1 Overview ............................................................................................................................... 6 
2.2 Contrastive Research on L2 Writing .................................................................................... 7 
2.3 Text Analysis ...................................................................................................................... 10 
2.3.1 Interactive View of Text .............................................................................................. 10 
2.3.2 Models of Text ............................................................................................................. 12 
2.3.2.1 de Beaugrande and Dressler's Model .................................................................... 12 
2.3.2.2 The SFL Model ..................................................................................................... 13 
2.3.3 Textual Analyses .......................................................................................................... 15 
2.3.3.1 Overview ............................................................................................................... 15 
2.3.3.2 Coherence Theories .............................................................................................. 15 
2.3.3.3 Thematic Progression Analysis............................................................................. 18 
2.3.3.3.1 Overview ........................................................................................................ 18 
2.3.3.3.2 Theme Identification ...................................................................................... 19 
2.3.3.3.3 Thematic Progression..................................................................................... 26 
2.3.3.4 Topical Structure Analysis .................................................................................... 29 
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2.3.3.5 Supplementary Analyses ....................................................................................... 30 
2.3.3.5.1 Reference Pattern Analysis ............................................................................ 31 
2.3.3.5.2 Conjunctive Cohesion Analysis ..................................................................... 34 
2.3.3.6 Physical Analyses ................................................................................................. 37 
2.3.4 Interpersonal Analyses ................................................................................................. 37 
2.3.4.1 Overview ............................................................................................................... 37 
2.3.4.2 Early Studies ......................................................................................................... 38 
2.3.4.3 Stance and Engagement Model ............................................................................. 41 
2.3.4.4 Appraisal Theory .................................................................................................. 42 
2.3.4.4.1 Overview ........................................................................................................ 42 
2.3.4.4.2 Engagement System ....................................................................................... 43 
2.3.4.4.3 Supplementary Analyses ................................................................................ 48 
2.3.4.5 Model Evaluation .................................................................................................. 50 
2.4 Vietnamese Discourse and Contrastive Analysis ............................................................... 53 
2.5 Research Questions ............................................................................................................. 55 
2.6 Summary ............................................................................................................................. 56 
Methods ........................................................................................................................................ 58 
3.1 Overview ............................................................................................................................. 58 
3.2 Subjects ............................................................................................................................... 58 
3.3 Datasets ............................................................................................................................... 59 
3.3.1 ESL Dataset ................................................................................................................. 59 
3.3.2 Model Vietnamese and American Datasets ................................................................. 60 
3.4 Analysis Procedures ............................................................................................................ 62 
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3.4.1 Coding System ............................................................................................................. 63 
3.4.1.1 Thematic Progression Analysis............................................................................. 63 
3.4.1.1.1 Unit of Analysis ............................................................................................. 63 
3.4.1.1.2 Theme Identification ...................................................................................... 64 
3.4.1.1.3 Thematic Progression Patterns ....................................................................... 71 
3.4.1.1.4 Thematic Repetitions ..................................................................................... 72 
3.4.1.1.4.1 Lexical Repetition ................................................................................... 72 
3.4.1.1.4.2 Referential Repetition ............................................................................. 75 
3.4.1.1.4.3 Textual Repetition ................................................................................... 76 
3.4.1.1.5 Example of Coding Steps............................................................................... 77 
3.4.1.2 Conjunctive Cohesion Analysis ............................................................................ 82 
3.4.1.2.1 Coding System ............................................................................................... 82 
3.3.1.2.2 Example of Coding Steps............................................................................... 84 
3.4.1.3 Appraisal Analysis ................................................................................................ 84 
3.4.1.3.1 Coding System ............................................................................................... 84 
3.4.1.3.2 Example of Coding Steps............................................................................... 91 
3.4.2 Interrater Reliability Procedures .................................................................................. 91 
3.4.3 Statistical Procedures ................................................................................................. 101 
3.5 Summary ........................................................................................................................... 105 
Main Statistical Results .............................................................................................................. 106 
4.1 Interrater Reliability Results ............................................................................................. 106 
4.2 Overall Characteristics ...................................................................................................... 108 
4.3 Thematic Progression Analysis ........................................................................................ 111 
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4.3.1 Theme Type ............................................................................................................... 111 
4.3.1.1 Overall Usage...................................................................................................... 111 
4.3.1.2 Textual Theme .................................................................................................... 113 
4.3.1.3 Interpersonal Theme ........................................................................................... 114 
4.3.2 Marked Theme ........................................................................................................... 117 
4.3.3 Thematic Progression Patterns ................................................................................... 121 
4.3.3.1 Statistical Results ................................................................................................ 121 
4.3.3.2 Result Summary and Further Discussion ............................................................ 129 
4.3.3.2.1 Result Summary ........................................................................................... 129 
4.3.3.2.2 Further Discussion ....................................................................................... 130 
4.3.4 Thematic Repetitions ................................................................................................. 133 
4.4 Conjunctive Cohesion Analysis ........................................................................................ 139 
4.5 Appraisal Analysis ............................................................................................................ 144 
4.5.1 Monoglossic Resources ............................................................................................. 144 
4.5.1.1 Overall Usage...................................................................................................... 144 
4.5.1.2 Subtypes .............................................................................................................. 146 
4.5.2 Heteroglossic Resources ............................................................................................ 151 
4.5.2.1 Overall Usage of Engagement Resources ........................................................... 151 
4.5.2.2 Overall Usage of Sub-Heterogloss Resources .................................................... 153 
4.5.2.3 Expand Resources ............................................................................................... 155 
4.5.2.3.1 Overall Usage ............................................................................................... 155 
4.5.2.3.2 Subtypes ....................................................................................................... 156 
4.5.2.3.2.1 Overall Usage of Sub-Expand Resources ............................................. 156 
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4.5.2.3.2.2 Entertain Resources .............................................................................. 158 
4.5.2.3.2.2.1 Overall Usage................................................................................. 158 
4.5.2.3.2.2.2 Subtypes ......................................................................................... 159 
4.5.2.3.2.2.3 Modal Resources ............................................................................ 162 
4.5.2.3.2.2.4 Opinion Resources ......................................................................... 167 
4.5.2.3.2.2.5 Postulation Resources .................................................................... 167 
4.5.2.3.2.2.6 Rhetorical Question Resources ...................................................... 169 
4.5.2.3.2.3 Attribute Resources ............................................................................... 170 
4.5.2.4 Contract Resources ............................................................................................. 175 
4.5.2.4.1 Overall Usage ............................................................................................... 175 
4.4.2.4.2 Subtypes ....................................................................................................... 175 
4.4.2.4.2.1 Overall Usage of Sub-Contract Resources ........................................... 175 
4.5.2.4.2.2 Disclaim Resources ............................................................................... 177 
4.5.2.4.2.2.1 Overall Usage................................................................................. 177 
4.5.2.4.2.2.2 Subtypes ......................................................................................... 178 
4.5.2.4.2.3 Proclaim Resources ............................................................................... 183 
4.5.2.4.2.3.1 Overall Usage of Sub-Proclaim Resources .................................... 183 
4.5.2.4.2.3.2 Concur Resources .......................................................................... 186 
4.5.2.4.2.3.3 Endorse Resources ......................................................................... 189 
4.5.2.4.2.3.4 Pronounce Resources ..................................................................... 192 
4.6 Summary ........................................................................................................................... 192 
Further Discussion ...................................................................................................................... 198 
5.1 Summary of Group Comparisons ..................................................................................... 198 
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