Teaching English for Academic Purposes - Annotated Bibliography Example

Name: Tutor: Title: Teaching English for Academic Purposes Course: Date: Table of Contents Table of Contents 1 Bibliography 4 Analysis 7 Stages 7 Language Analysis 9 Conclusion 12 Appendix: 15 Assignment criteria 15 Introduction to assignment 15 Construction & presentation 16 Introduction English for Academic Purposes (EAP) means the language and the interrelated practices that are important for people to undertake their studies or work through English medium in higher institutions of learning. Therefore, EAP courses help the learners to understand the linguistic and cultural practices in particular, institutional and disciplinary practices that are appropriate in studying or working using the medium of English. The ability to analyze the target needs for learners has been considered the starting point in determining the language and associated practices needed in their work as well as academic courses. However, it is important to be keen while researching the needs because different subjects at different instances in different institutions will require different needs (Hyland 2000). In this book, Hood (2010) explains how evaluation in Academic Writing contributes more to the understanding of academic writing in English. His argument is based on the manner in which published writers develop their evaluative approach to view research articles. The author uses appraisal theory applied in systematic functional linguistics to summarize all the texts and the associated phases to decipher the pattern through which writers consolidate different resources so as to give their views on the meaning of discourse. Hood emphasizes that he is careful and consistent in offering clear information on how the appraisal theory can be used in detail. Therefore, his main objective was to ensure that his book is seen as the most valuable guide particularly for the researchers in the appraisal theory. The major focus of his analysis was to see that the teachers of academic discourse directly benefit from his book in terms of how they depend on models and explanations of diverse evaluative resources at work. In writing his book, Hood relied on a collection of different data obtained from different disciplines (Hood 2010). Generally, the use of abstract is more seen in language related to educational institutional than everyday application of the language. This is simply because it helps to interpret people’s different perceptions of the world in unrealistic way of given discipline (Martin 2001). This implies that research based approach to teaching of EAP is important in understanding the academic language of various disciplines. This paper aims to discuss the subject of English for Academic Purposes based on critical analysis of an academic essay to understand the manner in which the concepts of active euthanasia and passive euthanasia are construed as abstractions, grammatical metaphors and technicalities in the discipline of Philosophy. These language resources will help to elicit the relationship of social values and judgment so as to understand the difference between active euthanasia and passive euthanasia. Additionally, the use of embedded genre will be analyzed based on the moral significance and the role of motivation to illustrate the mode of justifying the act of withdrawing or withholding treatment for a terminally ill patient against killing such a person. The introduction to this essay is structured into an overview of the topic and a definition of the concepts of Active Euthanasia and Passive Euthanasia. The social values and judgments that differentiate the two concepts are first established, then a brief outline of the essay. The organization of the body is based on different explanations that provide a detailed understanding of the intuitive difference between the act of killing and allowing dying. The impact of justifying passive euthanasia against active euthanasia based on the social value and judgment of the two acts on a terminally ill patient. A reiteration gives a summary of the main arguments of the essay. Bibliography Hood, S., 2010, Evaluation as genre. In Appraising Research: Evaluation in Academic Writing, pp.7-13. In this article, Hood (2010) examines the issue of evaluation in academic writing based on the perspective of genre. Therefore, he introduces the research article as macro-genre that comprise of related sub-genres. Hood supports the analysis of Martin and Rose (2008) that macro-genre of aspect of his introduction represents a contextual metaphor. The author states that basically the text represents types of descriptive reports but other genres including story genres are also discussed. Furthermore, Hood states that descriptive reports and stories are introduced through evaluation, and thus are used to persuade the reader to understand the writer’s representation. On the basis of a metaphoric level, the author argues that the macro-genre representation of an introduction is intended to legitimize the work of a writer, acting as a warrant for his or her research. Hood points out that while considering using the genres and registers in academic discourse, the learners will be required to accomplish other new roles by engaging in critical understanding of how knowledge has been used in news ways. Regardless of whether the learner is a native speaker of any language instruction, this task specifically involves constructing the texts which appear to have unfamiliar meaning or new language for majority of the learners. From the perspective of field, it has been observed that the discourse of patterns within texts vary according to the extent at which they are organized into in terms of activity sequences and the specific knowledge about people and things. Hyland, K., 2006, Genre analysis and academic texts. In English for Academic Purposes, pp.46-57. Hayland explains the overview of genre by referring it to abstract or socially recognized pattern of using language. The representation of genre is based on the perception that certain features of related group of texts are understood from the social context of how they are created and used. Therefore, those features are described in manner that makes the text to be related to others as well as the choices and constraints controlling the text produce. The use of genre makes the language to be seen as embedded in the social realities, indicating that people use conventionalized forms in a recurrent way to develop relationships, work and establish communities. Hayland explains further that genre theorists can easily identify the participant relationships within the language use based on the assumption that the contexts of specific texts will be easily identified by the writers as well as the readers whom the context are made for. From his conclusion, Hayland sees genres as the effects of a particular action of every social agent that act with the relationship of their history and in limiting certain contents depending on the knowledge of current generic types. He emphasizes on the importance of conducting a target-situation analysis of any linguistics skills and knowledge prior to implementing a strategy-based REGAP curriculum. Harwood, N., 2005, The importance of having EAP teaching materials, Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 4(2), 149-161. The importance of using the teaching material to encourage the ease access of academic discourse for both the teachers and learners has been emphasized by Harwood (2005). Reading texts help students to be aware of the important feature academic pros. It is not necessary that the features must be highlighted by a person who wrote the book. He added that relying on textbooks alone to accomplish this is currently unacceptable standard. In addition, Hardwood claimed that the currently used materials were based intuition as well as the folk beliefs related to academic discourse. Harwood claimed that the main problem is that certain writing textbooks continue the myths about the really meaning of English for Academic Purpose (EAP). It is important for the material writers and publishers to undertake quality research findings to make EAP textbook contents more informative. Harwood suggests the need for the writers and publishers to adopt a genre-based approach to generating materials by integrating multiple patterns. He emphasizes on the importance of understanding process and genre as the two main approached debated across the world in any discussion that concerns the teaching of writing. Whereas the process approach mainly focuses on writers as well as the varying process that they involve in to the final publishing of their texts, the genre approach is in contrast because its main focus is the readers and their associated expectations. Analysis Stages The first stage of the text is the thesis. This begins with the statement of issue “withdrawing or withholding life-sustaining type of treatment from a terminally ill and suffering patient is easily justified compared to killing the patient.” Brief definitions of active euthanasia and passive euthanasia as key terms are used to introduce the supporting argument for justifying passive euthanasia. Then, restatement of definitions is made to emphasize the social value and judgment that differentiates the justification of key terms based on their moral significance. For example, it is argued that doctors are often justified in letting their patients to die by simply withdrawing or withholding the treatment but not justified in killing the ill patient. The doctors have been used to communicate the social purpose of the essay by showing the difference in attitudes on active euthanasia and passive euthanasia in the medical profession. Based on language use, therefore, it is true in Martin and Rose (2008 p. 6) view that genres is a recurrent pattern of meanings which show the social purpose and does not have phonology of its own. The medical field has been conditioned in such way that active euthanasia and passive euthanasia are recurrently mapped on a mode of different attitudes within the medical field. The second stage is the general argument for the issue based on the supporting information for justification of passive euthanasia. An example about Kitty Genovese who was stabbed to death along the New York street but not assisted by 38 people who heard her screaming is used as supporting information to demonstrate argument for passive euthanasia against active euthanasia. In the third stage, intuitive difference between the act of killing and letting to die has been explained in detail through use of double effect to support the argument that passive euthanasia is justifiable. Therefore, the significance of double effect is seen in differentiating the argument between killing and allowing. The subject of moral difference is used to explain the social value and judgment on the two acts. A counter argument is made in opposition to the existence of a real moral significance between the killing and letting die. This was intended to change the argument that active and passive euthanasia are not different at all because they lead to death of a terminally ill patient as illustrated in the previous example of Kitty Genovese’s murder. Therefore, motivation is seen as the influential factor among people’s judgment on the act of killing and allowing dying. An authority has been relied on to argue in support of killing. The agent’s motivation has been argued for as the basis for deciding the morality euthanasia against the method of killing or letting die to illustrate the refutation of counter argument. Therefore, damaging has been argued for as the difference between the morality of killing and allowing dying. The general conclusion and recommendation has been that if there is no real difference between passive and active euthanasia, then views that contributing the argument that there is a distinction must not be true claims. The recommendation was to quit focusing on wrong attitudes and establishing a less vulnerable argument that more accurately reflects the attitude of people. In this case, the possible negative consequences associated with justifying active euthanasia such as the possible negative effect on health care workers who consider their duty as preserving people’s lives, recovering patients, doctors who might take it to their advantage of hiding their mistakes and other people who may use the argument for euthanasia to end the lives of burdensome relatives should not be ignored. Therefore, the argument is maintained that withdrawing or withholding the treatment from a patient who is terminally can be justified, while actively killing the patient so as to relieve the person from suffering is unjustifiable. Language Analysis From the philosophy essay, it can be noted that the student has established the relationship of social values and judgment through the use of institutional abstractions ‘killing’ and ‘withdrawing or withholding’ (bold) to define the concepts of ‘active euthanasia’ and ‘passive euthanasia’ (in bracket): “The killing of a terminally ill and suffering patient (active euthanasia) is prohibited, while majority of the medical professionals sometimes advocate for withdrawing or withholding-life staining treatment (passive euthanasia) and is reflected by laws in NSW.” First, the moral significance between killing and letting die is established. Grammatical metaphor has been used to establish the relationship of social values and judgment by using passive euthanasia as a process through which the suffering of the terminally ill person is reduced. This brings to the surface the language tenor that if the process can be well regulated and administered, it would express the respect for personal autonomy. Therefore, passive euthanasia has been framed to mean an object of reducing suffering of the terminally ill patient. In addition, grammatical metaphor is used throughout the essay to illustrate the intuitive difference between killing and allowing dying in the philosophical social context. Kuhse (p.297) states that the former involves the actual initiation of sequential events that leads to the death of someone, while the latter only involves refraining to take an action in an obvious course of events that will lead to death. Therefore, grammatical metaphors of using active euthanasia and passive euthanasia to mean intuitive difference between killing and allowing dying has been used to pack more meaning into one clause. In order to support the argument that passive euthanasia is justifiable while active euthanasia is not, the technicality and abstraction of the language has been used to illustrate the moral significance between killing and letting die. This is clearly reflected in the phenomenon statement that “permitting active euthanasia would mean undermining the belief in the sanctity of human life, and would in turn begin sliding down a slippery slope that would result in a Nazi-like policy of euthanizing everybody considered as a threat or burden on society.” The technicality and abstraction of the language is also used represent the intuitive difference between the act of killing and letting to die which can be explained in various ways. For example, Helga Kuhse (p.297) explains that the former is actual initiation of the sequence actions that lead to killing of someone. The latter, means refraining so as to participate in the already discovered course of events that contributes to death. The relationship of cause and effect is explained through the use of academic metaphor where moral importance has been used establish the difference between killing and letting die. For example, in this statement; …”not accepting that there is a distinction between killings and allowing dying could lead to strange results. Similarly, neglecting to take donations to World Vision, we may be held responsible for the deaths of individuals dying of starvation just like we would be if we decided to give poisoned grains (Helga Kuhse, p.297).” The student aims to represent the purpose of the essay as a consequential explanation as it is reflected in situation where the word “consequently” is used to show the consequences of justifying killing. In this case, the difference between the act of killing and allowing dying is evidently morally important in setting the limits against an agent’s duties and responsibilities to save the life of a terminally ill patient. Embedded genre has been used in the second stage. This is because factual argument for the issue is clearly represented from the supporting information about the circumstances under which passive euthanasia would be justified. An example about Kitty Genovese who was stabbed to death along the New York street but not assisted by 38 people who heard her screaming is used as supporting information to demonstrate argument for passive euthanasia against active euthanasia. Therefore, the story about Kitty Genovese is used as supporting evidence for the factual argument in support of circumstances that passive euthanasia would justified against active euthanasia. From the above case, embedded genre has also been used to establish the relationship of moral values and judgment and the important role motivation to explain the difference in people’s moral judgment on the act of killing and letting die. Based on the above example, it is quite clear that the use of embedded genre as a language resource gives the knowledge that the person who murdered Kitty Genovese is more morally held responsible for the death than the individuals who ignored to rescue. Significantly, this case can be analyzed in a different view to consider the motivation of the person who is responsible for the murder and the bystanders who deliberately failed to help as completely different. In a similar scenario, the motivation of an individual who refuses to save the life of another person who is left to die of starvation is absolutely different compared to the person gives them some poised grains. Conclusion Based on the analysis, it can be noted that knowledge in Philosophy involves interpreting the meanings of social phenomenon and their relationships in terms of their social values and judgment. In this discipline, therefore, assessing the impact of social phenomenon such as active euthanasia and passive euthanasia requires students to make judgmental understanding of the moral and social values of their actions. Language resources such as abstraction, grammatical metaphors, technicality of the language and use of genres plays an important role in shaping the actions. This helps the learners to develop a consistent evaluation of such actions by making consequential explanations of how different actions can be understood based on their values. Although embedded genre is clearly used to explain the relationship of moral significance and the role of motivation advocating for passive euthanasia against active euthanasia in the essay, it has not been adequately used to represent how knowledge in this analysis. The relationship of cause and effect is clearly explained through the use of academic metaphor where moral importance has been used establish the difference between killing and letting die. References Harwood, N., 2005, The importance of having EAP teaching materials, Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 4(2), 149-161. Hood, S., 2010, Appraisal Research: Critical Evaluation in academic writing, London, Palgrave. Hood, S., 2010, Evaluation as genre. In Appraising Research: Evaluation in Academic Writing, pp.7-13. Hyland, K., 2006, Genre analysis and academic texts. In English for Academic Purposes, pp.46-57. Hyland, K., 2006, English for Academic Purposes: An Advanced Resource Book. London: Routledge. Martin, J.R., 2010, Understanding Language through Register and Genre. In Coffin, Lillis and O’Halloran (eds) Applied Linguistics Approaches: A reader, pp.12-32. London: Open University Press. Martin, J.R. & Rose, D., 2008, Establishing relationships in Genre: mapping culture. London: Equinox. Martin, J.R., 2001, Technicality and abstraction: language and specialized texts. In Analyzing English in a Global Context, pp.211-28. Appendix: Assignment criteria Assignment 1 TEAP (010039) Name: Grade: Introduction to assignment Inadequate Satisfactory Good Very good Outstanding Clearly and succinctly introduces the chosen text and its context of production (discipline, purpose, stages); introduces the task and previews the structure of the assignment. Bibliography Summarizes 3 subject readings that address the chosen text, paraphrasing their contents and shifting their field appropriately.(200 words each) Analysis and interpretation of data Reports accurately on the field of the chosen text in terms of lexical strings, grammatical metaphors, technicality and abstraction. Interprets how academic knowledge is built in the chosen discipline in terms of genre and the language patterns found. Provides illustration from analyses for the claims made of the data. Conclusion to the assignment Draws the threads of your various analyses together to make a final summative comment on the field of the discipline. Construction & presentation Provides a clearly signposted structure to the assignment, with appendices containing analyses Uses appropriate technical terms when describing and interpreting the text. References theoretical and research readings where relevant throughout the paper. Provides a conventional formatted reference list at end. Additional comments: In deed, the assignment required a comprehensive understanding of the language resources, a critical analysis of how language has been used to represent the purpose and knowledge of the Philosophy essay. However, the time allocated for this assignment was too short to consolidate the various ﻟaspects of the language. Please: -This sign means the selected state of evaluation. Read More