Undergraduate ESL Writers' Paraphrasing Experiences in an Advanced Academic Writ

259 Pages·2013·1.38 MB·English

“What Do You Mean ‘In My Own Words’?” Undergraduate ESL Writers’ Paraphrasing
Experiences in an Advanced Academic Writing Course

DISSERTATION

Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy
in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University

By
Qian Du
Graduate Program in Education

The Ohio State University
2013

Dissertation Committee:
Professor Alan Hirvela, Advisor
Professor Leslie Moore
Professor George Newell
Copyrighted by
Qian Du
2013
Abstract

This dissertation examined the lived experiences of a group of international
undergraduate students as they learned and practiced paraphrasing in an advanced ESL
composition course at an American university, seeking to unveil the complexities
involved for novice L2 writers to acquire the often taken-for-granted skill of
paraphrasing. Focusing on how nine novice L2 academic writers experienced the process
of learning to paraphrase, this study contributes an emic perspective that is missing in
current second language writing literature as related to textual appropriation and
paraphrasing in particular.
Informed by the theoretical perspectives of academic socialization and language
socialization, data collection utilized such instruments as questionnaire, classroom and
tutorial observation, field notes, audio recording, document gathering, think-aloud
protocol, and (text-based) interviews. Participants of the study included nine international
undergraduate students originally from China, the course instructor, and the course
coordinator. By following the nine student participants throughout the term, this study
seeks to provide a comprehensive portrait of how these novice L2 writers negotiated the
learning of the unfamiliar textual appropriation skill of paraphrasing.
Findings of this study reveal that the nine novice L2 academic writers struggled to
fully understand the values and purposes of paraphrasing as a strategy to actively interact
with source text material and develop their arguments in writing. Viewing paraphrasing
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largely as a linguistic exercise, the participants demonstrated a general reluctance to
utilize the skill in their research paper writing. In fact, these novice L2 writers were only
able to develop a rather superficial understanding of paraphrasing, which prevented them
from being fully socialized into the practice. The study also shows that the participants'
previous literacy experiences in their native language Chinese influenced how they
understood the practice of paraphrasing and source-based writing in general, and that the
gaps between these learners' L1 literacy experiences with regard to textual appropriation
and the expectations in English academic writing contributed to the linguistic and
rhetorical challenges that they encountered in paraphrasing.
Contrary to the common conceptualization of paraphrasing as a basic and simple
activity, the practice itself is a highly complex one that poses major challenges for L2
writers new to English academic writing. By examining how a group of novice L2
academic writers made sense of the practice of paraphrasing and how they utilized this
skill in source-based writing tasks, this study highlights the importance for second
language writing researchers to adopt a learner's perspective and re-examine concepts and
practices often taken for granted by experienced academic writers.

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Acknowledgments

I am deeply grateful for all the help that I have received during the completion of
this dissertation project. I want to express my sincere thanks to my advisor, Dr. Alan
Hirvela, who has guided me throughout the researching and dissertating process. I am
indebted to him for his expertise in and enthusiasm for the field of second language
writing, his insights about conducting research in the classroom setting, and his ongoing
encouragement for me to pursue intellectual curiosity. This study was based on a project
that I completed in Dr. Hirvela's dissertation writing course, and his recommendations
and feedback since then have provided me with new perspectives and ideas that
profoundly shaped this dissertation. I feel honored to have him as my academic advisor.
I am also grateful for my dissertation committee members, Dr. Leslie Moore and
Dr. George Newell. Dr. Moore's extensive knowledge of language socialization and her
suggestions on research design have helped me to make key methodological decisions for
this study. My sincere thanks also go to Dr. Newell, who has pointed me to important
references and provided valuable feedback.
My special thanks go to Dr. Karen Macbeth for her unwavering enthusiasm for
my dissertation project and her extraordinary generosity. Her kind words and
unconditional support have kept me going in the face of challenges and uncertainties, and
her philosophy of teaching and research has greatly shaped my understanding as a novice
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teacher and researcher. I would also like to thank the ESL Composition Program at the
Ohio State University, where I had the opportunity to teach academic writing courses and
generated the preliminary ideas for this dissertation research.
My sincere thanks go to the teachers and students who participated in this study.
Without their cooperation, understanding and help, this study would have never been
possible. It was an extremely enjoyable experience for me to work with all of them.
I wish to express my thanks to all the professors in Foreign and Second Language
Education. Their instruction and guidance during my doctoral study are invaluable in
helping me to develop into an independent teacher and researcher. I also want to thank
Dr. Carmen Taleghani-Nikazm from the Department of Germanic Languages and
Literatures, who has generously shared with me her expertise during my doctorial study
and helped me to understand what it means to conduct rigorous research. My warm
appreciation also goes to my classmates in the program. Without them, my doctoral study
would not have been as enjoyable and fulfilling as it is now.
I am also thankful for my family, who have always believed in me and
wholeheartedly supported my endeavor in pursuing a Ph.D. degree in a faraway country.
My deepest gratitude goes to Rui, for being in my life and holding my hand all the way
along.

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Vita

2007................................................................B.A. English Language and Literature,
Beijing Foreign Studies University
2008................................................................M.A. Foreign and Second Language
Education, Ohio State University
2008 to present ..............................................Graduate Teaching Associate, Foreign and
Second Language Education, The Ohio State
University

Publications

Hirvela, A., & Du, Q. (2013). “Why am I paraphrasing?”: Undergraduate ESL writers’
Engagement with source-based academic writing and reading. Journal of
English for Academic Purposes, 12(2), 87-98.

Du, Q. (2011). Book review of Reading and Language Learning. The Reading Matrix,
11(3).

Du, Q. (2010). "Where do I fit"? Controversies about ESL writing placement tests.
INTESOL Journal 2010.

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Fields of Study

Major Field: Education

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Table of Contents

Abstract ............................................................................................................................... ii
Acknowledgments.............................................................................................................. iv
Vita ..................................................................................................................................... vi
List of Tables ................................................................................................................... xiii
List of Figures .................................................................................................................. xiv
Chapter 1: Introduction ...................................................................................................... 1
1.1 Statement of the Problem ................................................................................. 2
1.2 Objectives of the Study and Research Questions ............................................. 4
1.3 Significance of the Study .................................................................................. 6
1.4 Definition of Key Terms................................................................................... 9
1.5 Assumptions of the Study ............................................................................... 13
1.6 Limitations of the Study ................................................................................. 14
Chapter 2: Theoretical Perspectives and Literature Review ............................................ 17
2.1 Academic Socialization .................................................................................. 18
2.1.1 Language socialization framework. ............................................................ 21
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2.1.2 Current research on academic socialization. ............................................... 23
2.2 Novice Academic Writers’ Textual Appropriation Practices ......................... 33
2.2.1 Plagiarism. .................................................................................................. 34
2.2.2 The developmental perspective. .................................................................. 37
2.2.3 The cultural perspective. ............................................................................. 45
2.3 Summary ......................................................................................................... 50
Chapter 3: Methodology ................................................................................................... 52
3.1 Research Site .................................................................................................. 52
3.1.1 Target writing course. ................................................................................. 53
3.1.2 Student population. ..................................................................................... 55
3.2 Selection of Participants and Brief Participant Introductions ........................ 59
3.2.1 Course coordinator. ..................................................................................... 60
3.2.2 Course instructor. ........................................................................................ 63
3.2.3 Student participants. .................................................................................... 65
3.3 Data Gathering Instruments and Procedures .................................................. 67
3.3.1 Questionnaire. ............................................................................................. 68
3.3.2 Classroom and tutorial observations. .......................................................... 69
3.3.3 Field notes. .................................................................................................. 70
3.3.4 Audio recording of lectures and tutorials.................................................... 70
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