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Title: Genre analysis of journal article abstracts for students of

MA Applied Linguistics

Assessment #2: Identify spoken or written text(s) exemplifying language learners' needs,
analyse relevant linguistic features of the text and show how those features could inform
teaching practice

MA TESOL - Analysing Language (77-705705-BF)

1. Target Learning Situation

This assignment aims to analyse a set of texts that represent a target language situation for a
specific group of learners. The learning context in which the target language findings of this
study will be applied is a group of non-native English speaking (NNES) students currently
studying a Master’s degree in Applied Linguistics (AL) at an international university in Asia.
These learners are given the chance to participate in an extra-curricular course aiming to enable
them to engage in scientific journal article writing, related to their field of study, in order to
become active participants within their field’s discourse community, that is, the group of
people engaging in discourse within their particular disciplinary field (Richards & Schmidt,
2010). Dujsik (2013) and Hyland (2009) point out that many academic institutions around the
world now require their researchers to be able to publish research articles (RA) in English,
directed towards international journals, in order to enhance their career opportunities and to
be able to take an influential stand within their field’s future development.

This current study focuses on abstracts in Applied Linguistics research articles (ALRA), due to
the learners in context particularly struggling with this short, summarising component, often
failing to include applicable conventional moves (parts of abstracts which perform specific
communicative functions (Biber, Connor & Upton, 2007)), and struggling with the use of
appropriate tenses to express these moves. In order to generate contemporary and useful data
to be given to these students, with the aim to support their particular needs, this study uses
‘Genre Analysis’ following the ESP (English for Specific Purposes) tradition, with the goal to
investigate relevant macro and micro-linguistic features, in particular RA abstracts’ moves and
possibly conventionalised verb tenses of each move. The findings of this study are aimed to be
implemented in the discussed course’s syllabus, with the goal to familiarise learners with these
abstracts’ prototypical rhetorical moves, and the verb tenses used to realise each move’s
communicative function.

2. Theoretical Background

2.1. Genre Analysis

Flowerdew defines genre as “specific communicative events [within] a particular field of activity
or profession” (2013, p. 138), usually enabling a specific communicative purpose through
conveying meaning to an interlocutor or reader. The purpose of such events might be intended
to be informative, persuasive or didactic, amongst others, which is commonly realised through
specific sequential structures and other textual and linguistic features applied within a genre by
its affiliated discourse community (Bhatia, 1993; Bhatia, 2014; Swales, 1990). Within genres,
these structures and features are often conventionalised, for possible reasons being that these
linguistic compositions convey the anticipated communicative purpose particularly well, while
also catering towards the discourse community’s expectations of how a genre should be
presented (Bhatia, 1993; Bhatia, 2014). According to Bhatia (2002), it is important for genres to
be recognisable and easily comprehensible by its readers, considering that genres and their
features can vary greatly between different disciplines and professional communities.
Flowerdew (2013) supports this view, stating that the recurrent nature of genres makes them
more easily identifiable and comprehensible for the intended readers, catering towards their
mental representations and expectations of particular genres. These points give valuable
reasons for passing on these discussed features of relevant genres to new generations of
researchers within a professional field, to make sure that they can participate in communicative
events in a receptive as well as a productive manner (Shaw, 2015).

Hyon (1996) discusses different schools focusing on genre analysis, each with a slightly different
approach towards the analysis of texts, the anticipated findings of such analyses and the
implementation of these findings in a pedagogical context. One of these schools is ‘English for
Specific Purposes’ (ESP), which focuses on genre functions, structures and lexico-grammatical
features (grammar, lexis, and their relationship (Richards & Schmidt, 2010)). The ESP approach
differs from other traditions in analyses aiming to generate findings applicable to a particular
educational field and their rhetoric use of genres, namely EPC (English for professional
communication) and EAP (English for academic purposes) (Flowerdew, 2013; Henry &
Roseberry, 1998; Hyon, 1996; Paltridge, 2014), having shown positive results in creating more
successful writers and readers within EAP contexts (Henry & Roseberry, 1998; Swales, 1990;
Wang, 2013), hence making the ESP approach a suitable choice for the context of this study.

2.2. Abstracts – a recognisable Genre

Abstracts usually aim to summarise the RA, giving readers the reasons for and the purpose of
conducting the study, as well as the applied methodologies and which relevant findings it may
have produced (Bhatia, 1993; Cooley & Lewkowicz, 2003; Hyland, 2000; Swales and Feak,
2012). It is usually the final part to be written by an author, however, often the first section to
be addressed by the reader, giving it significant importance for generating the readers’ interest,
while giving them a clear overview of what to expect from the article (Cooley & Lewkowicz,
2003; Hyland, 2000; Tseng, 2011). According to Bhatia (1993), abstracts are a recognisable
genre within the EAP context, acting as a standardised communicative event within RAs
(Santos, 1996). For novice researchers the writing process of abstracts can often be challenging
(Al-Khasawneh, 2017), considering the amount of information condensed into this typically
short text (Pho, 2008). This can be especially challenging for NNES writers (Al-Khasawneh,
2017), highlighting the need to introduce conventionalised structures and linguistic realisations
of this often obligatory genre in RAs to anyone planning to engage in constructing RAs (Pho,
2008; Santos, 1996), making ESP Genre Analysis a suitable choice of analysis, as discussed in
section 2.1.

Abstracts have been a popular genre to be researched within ESP, with some studies having
focused on analysing abstracts from the field of AL (e.g. Al-Khasawneh, 2017; Chalak & Norouzi,
2013; Pho, 2008; Santos, 1996; Tseng, 2011), generating useful findings to be implemented into
EAP classrooms focusing on ALRA abstract writing. Although very informative, these findings
have not always been conclusive, considering that different studies have produced different
results, for reasons of researched abstracts being chosen following different criteria, such as
year of publication, publishing journals, including either theoretical accounts or empirical
studies, or both, and researchers choosing different frameworks for their analyses (Hyland,
2000; Pho, 2008; Santos, 1996; Tseng, 2011). Additionally, Hyland (2000) points out that
abstracts are a constantly evolving genre, highlighting the importance of analyses being
contemporary in order to generate useful findings applicable in pedagogical contexts. It is for
that reason that this study aims to look at more recently published RAs and their abstracts, to
generate up-to-date findings and use them for planning the syllabus catering towards the
learners in context.

2.3. Move Analysis and Abstracts

Move analysis aims to identify the different rhetorical constituents of a genre, each
contributing a communicative function, which when added up lead to the genre’s overall
communicative purpose (Swales, 1990). The findings of such analyses can be a valuable
resource given to novice researchers such as the students in context of this study, familiarising
them with conventional macro and micro-linguistic features of texts for productive as well as
receptive purposes (Bhatia, 2002). In the case of RA abstracts, there are some well-established
frameworks indicating typically occurring moves and move structures (e.g. Hyland, 2000;
Santos, 1996; Swales & Feak, 2012), which have been applied for the purpose of analysing these
texts in a deductive manner, that is, identifying moves following a top-down approach, using
these frameworks to identify moves based on their communicative function (Pho, 2008; Tseng,
2011). As discussed earlier, these findings have not always generated equal results, with
different findings related to move frequency and consistency across studies (Al-Khasawneh,
2017; Tseng, 2011) which was a motivating factor to include a move analysis in this research, to
guarantee contemporary findings to be shared with the learners in context.

This study will draw on Hyland’s (2000) framework, a well-reputed and often used framework in
abstract move analyses (Al-Khasawneh, 2017; Noorizadeh-Honami & Chalak, 2018) which
Hyland (2000) himself derived from an analysis of over 800 RA abstracts. In this framework, he
proposes a five-move model, indicating the conventionalised structure of RA abstracts, listing
the moves together with their distinct communicative function, visible in the table below, taken
from Hyland (2000, p. 67).

2.4. Verb Tenses of Abstract Moves

Verb tenses are considered an important linguistic element of abstract moves, supporting each
move to realise its communicative function effectively (Pho, 2008; Santos, 1996). They can
often vary across these moves, possibly making the use of the appropriate tense a challenging
process for beginner writers, giving reason for including this aspect in EAP related pedagogical
contexts as attempted in this study (Hyland, 2000; Swales and Feak, 2012; Tseng, 2011).

Tseng’s (2011) research looked at tenses in ALRA abstracts, generating interesting findings
about writers’ tense choices in order to communicate their intentions effectively. However, his
analysed abstracts were all derived from RAs published up until 2007, which based on Hyland’s
(2000) claim, that abstracts are an ever-evolving genre, calls for a more recent analysis of RA
writers’ tense choices in abstract moves, hence the focus on this aspect in the current study.

Following Tseng’s (2011) approach, this study will focus on identifying two verb tenses within
abstract moves, namely the past tense and the present tense (including the present perfect).
Looking at the frequency of verb tenses in each move may uncover writers’ preferred tense
choices, which can then be introduced to the learners in context as a practical guiding principle
for successfully writing ALRA abstracts (Pho, 2008; Tseng, 2011).
3. Data Collection

20 ALRA abstracts were collected to be analysed for this study, which can be considered a
reasonable number to generate generalisable results (Al-Khasawneh, 2017; Chalak & Norouzi,
2013). They were taken from selected journal articles in AL journals, which is the type of journal
the learners in context (discussed in section 1) aim to participate in after completing their
course, therefore, following Bhatia’s (1993) advice to select representative samples of the
genre in focus to guarantee useful and appropriate findings for educational contexts. The
abstracts were taken from three journals, namely the ‘Journal of Second Language Writing’
(SLW), ‘Language Learning’ (LL) and ‘TESOL Quarterly’ (TQ). These journals were selected based
on Egbert’s (2007) study listing them among the seven highest quality journals in the field of AL,
according to his applied quality indicators. This might guarantee a certain quality standard
amongst all selected abstracts, in order for the analysis to generate valuable results to be
passed on to the learners. Additionally, the abstracts were selected from three ‘different’
journals, which according to Tseng (2011) may be useful due to different journals possibly
varying in their requirements for authors’ abstracting, enabling this study to take such
variations into account. Another criteria in the selection process was to only include abstracts
from journal articles published in 2017 and 2018, making sure that all selected abstracts follow
the most recent guidelines expected from these journals. Due to abstracts often following a
different structure in RAs reporting on empirical studies, compared to theoretical accounts
(Tseng, 2011), only abstracts from empirical, data-based studies were included in this research.
Apart from that, the selection process of included RAs was performed at random, choosing any
RA which followed the discussed criteria and contained an abstract. Appendix 7 shows a full
reference list of all RAs included in the study.

4. Method of Analysis

4.1. Move analysis

The move analysis was conducted following a process suggested by Hyland, who mentions the
following aspects to be included (2000, p. 66).

1. “Examin[e] each abstract several times to get a feel for the overall organisation of the
abstracts”

This was achieved through reading each abstract once before the actual analysis,
developing a sense for the structures and linguistic realisations.
 2. “Identify recurring rhetorical patterns”

This step included reading all the abstracts again, this time using Hyland’s (2000) framework
(discussed in section 2.3) to identify each move based on their communicative function as
suggested by Swales (1990). The moves were identified and analysed on a phrase, clause
and sentence level, considering the brevity of abstracts, with moves often being realised in
smaller units, which is an approach implemented by several previous studies on abstracts
(e.g. Noorizadeh-Honami & Chalak, 2018; Pho, 2008; Santos, 1996; Tseng, 2011). An
example of smaller-unit move realisation can be seen in appendix 6, abstract 17, where the
move ‘methodology’ is realised on a clause level.

3. “Mark[…] the moves with coloured highlighter pens”

Each move was attributed a certain colour, resulting in a ‘colour code’ (see appendix 4).
Following this colour code, each move within an abstract was then highlighted digitally with
its designated colour, using Microsoft Word’s highlighting function. Appendix 6 shows all
the abstracts analysed, using the discussed method.

4. “Check for inter-rater reliability”

Hyland (2000) suggests to include other researchers in a move analysis, ideally cross-
examining results to further assure their reliability. Unfortunately, this was not possible for
the current study, which is why Tseng’s (2011) suggested approach was implemented, that
is, the researcher analysing each abstract twice using the discussed framework and
comparing the results. Following this suggestion, all abstracts were analysed once on one
day, and then analysed a second time the following day, resulting in an intra-coder
reliability of 97%. Appendix 5 shows the first analysis of all abstracts included in this study,
and appendix 6 shows the second analysis as a comparison. Abstracts 10 and 11 had one
move each which was analysed differently the second time. After detailed comparison and
careful consideration, the results of the second analysis were used as the final results of the
study.

After completing the analysis, the move frequency in each journal as well as across the entire
corpus was calculated in order to generate results indicating which moves were most
frequently used overall, as well as how these may vary across journals (see appendix 1) due to
possible differences in journals’ guidelines or publishers’ expectations. The calculations were
conducted via Microsoft Excel and the results expressed in ‘percentage’ indicating how often a
move was included within the corpus. An example can be given looking at move 4 (Product)
which was integrated in 19 out of 20 abstracts, resulting in being contained by 95% of all
abstracts, using the formula ‘x = 19/0.2’. It should also be noted that results were either
rounded up or down, depending on their decimal numbers being ‘< .50’ (round down) or ‘>/=
.50’ (round up).

Once results were generated, they were briefly compared to previous studies investigating
moves in ALRA abstracts following a similar framework, for reasons of possibly validating these
findings, as well as to get a broader idea about moves in ALRA abstracts (Tseng, 2011; Pho
2008). Another interesting aspect may be how abstract moves might have evolved in recent
years, following Hyland’s (2000) claim, that they do change over time.

4.2. Analysis of Verb Tenses

Verb tenses within moves were analysed following Tseng’s (2011) example, focusing on the
present tense (including the present perfect) and the past tense, which are the commonly used
tenses found within abstracts (Hyland, 2000). Tseng suggests the following procedure for the
analysis, which was also employed for the current study (2011, p. 29).

1. If a move was represented by a sentence, the verb tense of that sentence was the
verb tense of the move.
2. If a move was realized in a clause or a phrase, then the verb tense of that move
was not included in the data analysis procedure.
3. If a move was represented by several sentences which had both present tense and
past tense, then both tenses were included in the data bank.

This analysis aimed to identify preferred tense choices within moves of researchers engaging in
RA abstract writing, which was achieved through identifying all tenses within all moves across
all abstracts (see appendix 3). After that, tense frequencies across moves were calculated within
each journal as well as across the whole corpus (see appendix 2), again for reasons of
comparing possible differences amongst journals. The calculation of tense frequency was
performed in the same way as the move frequency discussed in section 4.1, with an example
being move 3 (Method), which was realised through the past tense 15 times, the present tense
2 times and another 2 times using both tenses (present + past) across the whole corpus. The
results, again expressed in ‘percentage’, indicated a total of 79% of all ‘Method’ moves being
expressed in the past tense (x = 15/0.19), 11% being realised in the present tense (x = 2/0.19)
and another 11% having used both tenses (x = 2/0.19) within the same move. Decimal numbers
were rounded again, as explained in the previous section.

These findings were also compared with other studies investigating tense choices in ALRA
abstracts, for the same reasons as discussed in section 4.1.
5. Results

5.1. Frequency of Abstract Moves

‘Appendix 6’ shows all abstracts investigated in the discussed move analysis, following the
colour code visible in ‘appendix 4’. ‘Appendix 1’, displays the calculated results of move
frequency across all analysed abstracts as well as within each of the three journals the abstracts
were selected from.

Results indicate that most abstracts included in the analysis followed a four move structure,
making use of moves 2 (Purpose), 3 (Method), 4 (Product) and 5 (Conclusion), most often not
including move 1 (Introduction). Moves 2, 3 and 4 appear to be compulsory moves, with move
2 and 3 appearing in all analysed abstracts and move 4 included in 19 out of all 20. Move 5
appeared in the majority of the corpus, with 70 % of abstracts having included the move.
However, move 1 was only found in 4 out of all 20 abstracts, indicating that it may be an
optional move within some journals.

Comparing move frequency across the different journals shows that move 2, 3 and 4 seem to
be obligatory moves to be included in all three journals. Move 1 seems to be optional in TQ and
SLW with only a small number of writers having implemented this move in their abstracts,
however, no abstracts of LL seem to have included this move, possibly indicating that it is either
optional or not desired considering this journal’s guidelines. Move 5 is evident in all three
journals, however considerably less evident in LL compared to TQ and SLW.

These findings can be contrasted with previously conducted studies investigating moves in
ALRA abstracts, using either the same or a very similar 5-move framework for their deductive
analysis (Hyland, 2000; Santos, 1996; Swales & Feak, 2012), making them suitable for
comparison (Can, Karabacak & Qin, 2016; Tseng, 2011). This comparison makes evident that,
overall, findings seem to match. The three moves most prominent in this study were also found
to be obligatory moves in other studies (e.g. Al-Khasawneh, 2017; Can, Karabacak & Qin, 2016;
Chalak & Norouzi, 2013; Pho, 2008; Santos, 1996; Tseng, 2011). Move 5 varies slightly across
studies, having found to be less prominent in some other studies (Chalak & Norouzi, 2013;
Santos, 1996), compared to the current study, which produced findings closer related to the
studies of Al-Khasawneh (2017), Pho (2008) and Tseng (2011), indicating that this move may
still be part of the expected framework of ALRA abstracts amongst a variety of journals. Move 1
was found to be least occurring in abstracts analysed in the current study, with other studies
having found this move to be included in about 40% of their analysed corpora (Al-Khasawneh,
2017; Can, Karabacak & Qin, 2016; Chalak & Norouzi, 2013; Pho, 2008; Santos, 1996; Tseng,
2011), compared to only 20% in the current study. It should be noted that differences in
findings may have occurred due to researchers having selected abstracts based on different
criteria, as discussed in section 2.2.

5.2. Frequency of Verb tenses in moves

‘Appendix 3’ displays all verb tenses found within all moves across all abstracts. ‘Appendix 2’
shows verb tense choices via frequency of all five moves across the whole corpus, as well as
within each separate journal.

The present tense was the most dominant choice of ALRA authors in moves 1 (Introduction), 2
(Purpose) and 5 (Conclusion), while the past tense was typically used to realise move 3
(Method) and 4 (Product). However, it should be considered that both tenses seemed to be
popular choices within move 2, with the present tense being used only slightly more than the
past tense. Move 4 had the highest number of present and past being used across two or more
sentences within one move, namely 4 times. Although, the past tense being most frequently
used within this move, 42% were realised through either using the present tense or both
tenses, indicating that RA authors seem to vary with their tense choices when reporting their
research findings. Move 3 showed clearer results, with 79% being expressed in the past tense,
while move 1 and move 5 were realised through the present tense in 100% of all cases, clearly
indicating this tense being the norm for these moves within the selected ALRA abstracts.
Nonetheless, it should be noted that move 1 was only analysed four times across all abstracts,
which may not be a sufficient number to generate representative results.

Comparing moves’ verb tenses across the three different journals, move 1, 3 and 5 were found
to be realised through similar tense choices. A much more significant difference was analysed in
move 2, where writers publishing RAs in TQ and SLW seemed to favour the use of the present
tense to express this move, compared to LL where the past tense was the predominant tense
chosen. Additionally, move 4 was realised in the past tense in 100% of all abstracts analysed in
LL, while the move showed more variation in tense choices in RAs taken from TQ and SLW. It
becomes evident that some moves in LL abstracts differ from TQ and SLW abstracts regarding
tense choices, which could perhaps be explained with the journal favouring different, possibly
stricter conventions related to verb tenses within moves. TQ and SLW certainly show more
tense variation across move 3 and 4, which could be understood as writers possibly having
more freedom in choosing tenses to realise these moves.

The resulting data of this analysis very much agrees with previous findings in studies focusing
on tense usage in moves of ALRA abstracts (Chalak & Norouzi, 2013; Tseng, 2011), identifying
the present tense as most frequently applied in moves 1, 2 and 5, and the past tense most
often used in moves 3 and 4. One perhaps mentionable difference in Tseng’s (2011) study is
that move 5 was realised through the present tense in only 86% of the move’s overall
occurrence, whereas it was used in all these moves within the corpus of the current study.
Considering Tseng having analysed abstracts published approximately 10 years previous to the
abstracts researched in this study, using the present tense in the conclusion move might have
conventionalised further in recent years. However, many other factors could have additionally
influenced this slight variation of results, such as the use of different journals as well as Tseng
having analysed a bigger corpus in his study.

6. Discussion

As discussed in section 1, the purpose of this study was to generate data useful for producing
language-learning objectives for the learners in context, that is, AL post-graduate students
aiming to engage in writing journal article abstracts. The results of this current study have
created valuable data contributing towards this purpose, leading to a range of suggestions
indicating language-learning objectives to be included in the syllabus which shall be discussed
briefly in the following.

1. At the end of the course, learners will be aware of the prototypical 4-move structure of
ALRA abstracts.

Most abstracts analysed within this study’s corpus followed a 4-move structure,
implementing move 2 (Purpose), 3 (Method), 4 (Product) and 5 (Conclusion). These findings
were additionally supported by previously conducted studies looking at abstracts from a
variety of AL journals (Pho, 2008; Santos, 1996; Tseng, 2011), making evident that presently,
this seems to be the structural norm within ALRA abstracts. Making the learners in context
aware of these seemingly obligatory, expected moves including their communicative
function may enable them to engage in successful abstract writing for the purpose of
constructing a RA within the field of Applied Linguistics (Hyland, 2000; Swales, 1990).

2. At the end of the course, learners will be familiarised with optional moves within ALRA
abstracts.

Move 1 (Introduction) has been identified as an optional move to be integrated in ALRA

abstracts, with 20% of abstracts having implemented this move. However, considering that
previous studies, of which some have been conducted fairly recently (Al-Khasawneh, 2017;
Can, Karabacak & Qin, 2016; Chalak & Norouzi, 2013), have identified this move in
approximately 40% of their abstracts, it becomes evident that this move deserves any
writer’s attention, for receptive purposes, being able to identify the move when reading
ALRA abstracts, and for productive purposes, being able to include this move in one’s
abstract in case required from the publishing journal, or, when wishing to implement the
move due to personal and professional reasons.

3. At the end of the course, learners will be aware of generic tense choices within ALRA
abstract moves.

This study has identified preferred tense choices within ALRA abstract moves, namely the
present tense being preferred in moves 1, 2 and 5, and the past tense being predominant in
moves 3 and 4. Considering that previous findings have generated very closely related
results (Chalak & Norouzi, 2013; Tseng, 2011), these findings seem to be representative for
a variety of AL journals. Therefore, it may be useful to pass on these typical tense choices to
support learners in choosing appropriate tenses within moves in order to deliver their
communicative functions appropriately and effectively (Swales and Feak, 2012).

4. At the end of the course, learners will be aware of possible differences amongst AL
journals regarding move structure and tense choices.

The findings of this study have shown variations amongst abstracts taken from different
journals regarding move structure and verb tenses. LL abstracts seem to have implemented
move 1 and 5 considerably less compared to TQ and SLW. Furthermore, LL abstracts
showed variations in writers tense choices within move 2 and 4 compared to TQ and SLW,
possibly indicating the journal’s guidelines expressing different conventional expectations
within RA abstracts, which writers may need to follow in order to get their RA published.
Considering other studies having found similar differences amongst journals (Al-Khasawneh,
2017; Pho, 2008; Tseng, 2011), learners should certainly be made aware of some of these
possible differences, in order to prepare them for submitting future articles to different AL
journals, while being generally aware of the fact that each journal may differ in their
expectations of macro and micro-linguistic features within abstracts (Hyland, 2000). This
might support learners to keep an open mind and a readiness to be flexible when engaging
in ALRA abstract writing.

5. At the end of the course, learners will be able to identify moves and tense choices in
ALRA abstracts.

Considering the findings of this study and comparing them to previously conducted studies
within this area, it becomes evident that conventions within abstracts vary between
journals, year of publication and, possibly, writers’ preferences. It is therefore crucial for the
learners in context to be able to follow these trends and differences (Johns, 2008), in order
to sustain professionalism and effectiveness when writing ALRA abstracts. In order to
 achieve this, learners should be made familiar with the process of genre analysis and how to
apply this process in identifying features such as moves and tense choices within genres,
such as abstracts (Bhatia, 2002; Johns, 2008; Swales & Feak, 2012). These meta-cognitive
skills may enable learners to analyse their own texts in order to keep up with possible
changes and variations occurring within their discourse communities conventional
communicative events (Cheng, 2011).

7. Conclusion

This study has identified prototypical moves and tense choices within empirical ALRA abstracts,
with the purpose of informing the syllabus design for a class of post-graduate AL students
planning to engage in RA writing within their academic discipline, who have shown difficulty in
applying these analysed features successfully in their writing. It has been recommended to
include various aspects in the syllabus (discussed in the previous section) in order to empower
these learners to become more successful participants of their discourse community.

It should be noted, that there are certain limitations accompanying this study, such as the focus
on two particular aspects of abstracts (moves and tenses), leaving room for plentiful other
aspects to be explored further, which might be helpful for the learners in context to additionally
progress in crafting these communicative events. Furthermore, the study has focused on
empirical RAs only, leaving out theoretical accounts which some learners might want to engage
in after completing their course. Although, analysing 20 abstracts may be viewed as a
representable number generating generalisable results (Al-Khasawneh, 2017; Chalak & Norouzi,
2013), it may be useful to investigate more abstracts from different journals in the future.
Considering that move 1 only appeared four times throughout the entire corpus, which may not
be seen as a sufficient amount to create meaningful results, drawing on more data through
further analysis and further comparisons with other studies may be a useful undertaking.

In addition to this study informing language learning objectives for the discussed pedagogical
context, other researchers may also use these findings and compare them to previously
conducted studies as well as future studies, adding towards the overall knowledge of move and
tense choices within ALRA abstracts. This may create ever clearer guidelines and frameworks
for novice researchers planning to engage in writing informative and effective abstracts in the
field of AL.
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Appendix 1: Move frequency table

Journals / Moves 1: Introduction 2: Purpose 3: Method 4: Product 5: Conclusion

--------------------- --------------------- --------------------- --------------------- --------------------- ---------------------
LL (n = 6) 0 = 0% 6 = 100% 6 = 100% 6 = 100% 3 = 50%
TQ (n = 7) 2 = 29% 7 = 100% 7 = 100% 6 = 86% 6 = 86%
SLW (n = 7) 2 = 29% 7 = 100% 7 = 100% 7 = 100% 5 = 71%
--------------------- --------------------- --------------------- --------------------- --------------------- ---------------------
TOTAL (n = 20) 4 = 20% 20 = 100% 20 = 100% 19 = 95% 14 = 70%

Appendix 2: Tense frequency table

Journals Moves 1: Introduction 2: Purpose 3: Method 4: Product 5: Conclusion

+ Tense:

LL
Present 0 = 0% 1 = 17% 0 = 0% 0 = 0% 3 = 100%
Past 0 = 0% 5 = 83% 6 = 100% 6 = 100% 0 = 0%
Present + Past 0 = 0% 0 = 0% 0 = 0% 0 = 0% 0 = 0%

TQ
Present 2 = 100% 6 = 86% 1 = 14% 3 = 50% 6 = 100%
Past 0 = 0% 1 = 14% 5 = 71% 2 = 33% 0 = 0%
Present + Past 0 = 0% 0 = 0% 1 = 14% 1 = 17% 0 = 0%

SLW
Present 2 = 100% 5 = 71% 1 = 17% 1 = 14% 5 = 100%
Past 0 = 0% 2 = 29% 4 = 67% 3 = 43% 0 = 0%
Present + Past 0 = 0% 0 = 0% 1 = 17% 3 = 43% 0 = 0%

TOTAL
Present 4 = 100% 12 = 60% 2 = 11% 4 = 21% 14 = 100%
Past 0 = 0% 8 = 40% 15 = 79% 11 = 58% 0 = 0%
Present + Past 0 = 0% 0 = 0% 2 = 11% 4 = 21% 0 = 0%
Appendix 3: Tense analysis table

Abstracts/Moves 1: Introduction 2: Purpose 3: Method 4: Product 5: Conclusion

1 – LL Present Past Past Present
2 – LL Past Past Past
3 – LL Past Past Past
4 – LL Past Past Past
5 – LL Past Past Past Present
6 – LL Past Past Past Present
7 – TQ Present Past Present + Past Present
8 -TQ Present Past Past
9 – TQ Past Past Present Present
10 – TQ Present Present Present
11 – TQ Present Present Past Present Present
12 – TQ Present Present Present + Past Present Present
13 – TQ Present Past Past Present
14 – SLW Present Past Present + Past Present
15 – SLW Present Past Past
16 – SLW Present Present + Past Present + Past Present
17 – SLW Present Present + Past Present
18 – SLW Present Present Present Present Present
19 – SLW Present Past Past Past
20 - SLW Past Past Past Present

Appendix 4: Move analysis – colour code

Move 1: Introduction - Establishes context of the paper and motivates the research or discussion.

Move 2: Purpose - Indicates purpose, thesis or hypothesis, outlines the intention behind the paper.

Move 3: Method - Provides information on design, procedures, assumptions, approach, data, etc.

Move 4: Product - States main findings or results, the argument, or what was accomplished.

Move 5: Conclusion - Interprets or extends results beyond scope of paper, draws inferences, points to applications
or wider implications.
Appendix 5: Move analysis – 1st attempt (NOT the final results applied in the study)

Abstract 1: ‘Language Learning’ - Sardegna, Lee & Kusey (2018, p. 83)

This article proposes a structural model of English language learners’ self-efficacy beliefs, attitudes toward learning
pronunciation skills, and choice of pronunciation learning strategies. Participants’ responses (N = 704) to two self-
reported questionnaires— Strategies for Pronunciation Improvement (SPI) inventory and Learner Attitudes for
Pronunciation (LAP) inventory—were analyzed using structural equation modelling (SEM) to determine the direct
and indirect relationships among the latent variables. The results showed that perceived practical and linguistic
values related to pronunciation learning led students to be concerned about their pronunciation and thus increased
their intentional behavior to improve their pronunciation skills. Also, the greater the intentional behavior, the more
likely students were to select strategies to advance their pronunciation skills. Furthermore, a multigroup SEM
analysis revealed that self-efficacy about pronunciation skills significantly influenced girls’ emotions, whereas self-
efficacy had a negligible effect on boys’ emotions. Pedagogical implications of these findings and possible avenues
for future research are discussed.

Abstract 2: ‘Language Learning’ - Ammar & Hassan (2018, p. 46)

This quasi-experimental study examined the potential benefits of zero-error dictation, a teaching technique based on
dialogue-driven dictation, and the extent to which target linguistic features and proficiency levels mediated its
effects on second language (L2) learners’ accurate use of French grammatical morphology. Seventy-nine learners of
L2 French in four Grade 5 and 6 classes in the Montreal area were assigned to two conditions: traditional dictation
(comparison) group and zero-error dictation (experimental) group. The instructional intervention, which consisted of
five sessions spread over a 5- week period, targeted four different morphological features. Learners’ knowledge of
the target features was tested immediately before the experimental intervention started and immediately after it
ended. Findings indicated that the experimental treatment group outperformed the comparison group and that
learners’ gain scores varied across the target structures and learner proficiency levels.

Abstract 3: ‘Language Learning’ - Kang, Thomson & Moran (2018, p. 115)

This study compared five research-based intelligibility measures as they were applied to six varieties of English. The
objective was to determine which approach to measuring intelligibility would be most reliable for predicting listener
comprehension, as measured through a listening comprehension test similar to the Test of English as a Foreign
Language. The speakers included 18 English users representing six distinct varieties. These speakers’ speech was
evaluated by 60 listeners, users of the same English varieties who completed the listening comprehension test as
well as five intelligibility tasks, all recorded by the speakers. The five measures of intelligibility included responses
to true/false statements, scalar ratings of speech, perception of nonsense sentences, perception of filtered sentences,
and transcription of speech; these measures were compared in terms of their relationship to listening comprehension
scores using linear mixed-effects models. Results showed that the measure of intelligibility based on listeners’
responses to nonsense sentences was the strongest predictor of the listening comprehension scores.
Appendix 6: Move analysis – 2nd attempt (Final results applied in the study)

Abstract 16: ‘Journal of Second Language Writing’ - Han & Hiver (2018, p. 44)

In this study we examine processes of motivational change for middle school language learners (N = 174) within the
classroom ecology of genre-based writing. Through longitudinal cluster analysis, we investigate change in language
learners’ writing-specific motivational profiles, supported by a time-series analysis of reflective journals and
interviews with these participants. We first identified several distinct initial motivational profiles for the middle
school L2 learners who were part of the study and then traced key patterns of change for each. Our data indicate that
over the course of genre-based L2 writing instruction, the students with respective profiles were able to develop a
stronger capacity for writing self-regulation and to sustain and consolidate their writing self-efficacy. One unique
finding was that the final profile of many learners was characterized by elevated levels of writing anxiety. However,
because this was combined with moderate-to-strong levels of writing self-regulation and writing self-efficacy it
suggests that anxiety can co-exist in constructive configurations, such as alongside adequate levels of self-regulation
and self-efficacy that can offset this. We discuss the contribution of our findings in relation to understanding how L2
learners experience motivational changes in instructional settings of L2 writing.

Abstract 17: ‘Journal of Second Language Writing’ - Jiang (2018, p. 60)

Situated in an English as a foreign language (EFL) context, this study navigates the processes of investment change
in learners’ writing when a digital multimodal composing (DMC) program was implemented in a university-based
EFL curriculum in China. Using data gathered from observation, interview, and student-authored multimodal texts,
this study presents three patterns of change with three focal cases. In the first pattern, the student repositioned
himself from a resistant writer to an active composer, while in the second, the student evolved from an exam-
oriented writer and textbook-decoder to a multimodal designer during DMC. Yet the third case displayed a pattern
of little change in his investment in English writing. These results suggest that while DMC expanded the range of
identity positions for EFL learners, students differed in responding to these positions, leading to varied impacts on
their investment. The findings also reveal that these individualized responses were directed by students’
commitment to various positions in their self-valued identities and mediated by larger ideological structures
associated with the high-stakes testing regimes. The paper concludes with implications for second language writing
regarding ways to promote and sustain learner investment through DMC in digitalized instructional landscapes.

Abstract 18: ‘Journal of Second Language Writing’ - Pessoa, Mitchell & Miller (2017, p. 42)

University students across disciplines are often expected to write argumentative texts. However, many students,
particularly L2 writers, struggle writing arguments and teachers may not be prepared to effectively scaffold
argument writing. Despite its importance, argumentative writing is still an underresearched area in second language
writing. In this paper, we use a Systemic Functional Linguistics conceptualization of argumentation to examine
emergent arguments, texts that meet some of the expectations for argumentative writing but not others. We adapt
Humphrey et al. (2010) 3 × 3 professional learning toolkit to analyze student writing from a first-year university
history class. The 3 × 3 allows us to highlight these texts’ mixed effectiveness in meeting genre expectations, based
on how they control the resources of each of SFL’s three metafunctions (ideational, interpersonal, and textual) at the
levels of whole-text, paragraph, and sentence/clause. Our analysis of three emergent arguments shows how each
exhibits challenges controlling the resources of a particular metafunction. Our application of the 3 × 3 provides a
theoretical conceptualization of argumentative writing that can help teachers uncover subtle ways that student
writing does and does not meet genre expectations.

Abstract 19: ‘Journal of Second Language Writing – Smith, Pacheco & Almeida (2017, p. 6)

With the growing linguistic diversity in today's classrooms, recent scholarship has begun to explore how
multilingual students can use the full range of their linguistic repertoires when composing. At the same time,
conceptions of writing have expanded to include multiple modes (e.g., text, images, sound, and movement).
Addressing these tandem needs, this study examined how three bilingual eighth grade students composed across
multiple languages and modalities – a process we call multimodal codemeshing – when creating a digital project.
This comparative case study integrated translanguaging and social semiotics theoretical frameworks to understand
students' multimodal codemeshing processes. Data sources included screen capture and video observations, student
design interviews, and multimodal products. Findings revealed that students initiated their multimodal codemeshing
processes through exploring the composing tool, collaborating with peers, and visually brainstorming. The process
involved simultaneous iterative motion on multiple levels, including across modes, phases of the process, and
sections of their projects. Students exhibited a range of textually-driven and visually-driven processes for creating
content and followed unique compositional paths. Furthermore, students used their heritage languages for different
purposes during the composing process. Along with becoming more fluent with digital tools and modes, students
described increased comfort in using and sharing their heritage languages.

Abstract 20: ‘Journal of Second Language Writing’ – Waller & Papi (2017, p. 54)

Drawing on Dweck's (2000) theory of motivation, the current study investigated the relationships between language
learners’ implicit theories of writing intelligence, their writing motivation, and their orientation toward written
corrective feedback (WCF). A questionnaire was developed based on previous studies and administered to 142
English as a Second Language (ESL) writers at a large university in the United States. The questionnaire included
items measuring learners’ implicit theories of general and writing intelligence, their orientation toward WCF, their
writing motivation, and their background information. Multiple regression results showed that the incremental
theory of writing intelligence (the belief that writing intelligence is dynamic and can grow through effort and
experience) significantly and positively predicted the students’ feedback seeking orientation, whereas the entity
theory of writing intelligence (the belief that writing intelligence is fixed and unchangeable) was a significant
predictor of their feedback avoiding orientation. Moreover, the incremental theory of writing intelligence, but not
the entity theory of writing intelligence, was a statistically significant predictor of second language (L2) writing
motivation. Writing motivation, in turn, was most strongly correlated with the participants’ feedback seeking
orientation, accounting for 41% of its variance. Pedagogical implications and future research directions are
discussed.
Appendix 7: Reference list of analysed abstracts

Ammar, A., & Hassan, R. M. (2018). Talking it through: Collaborative dialogue and second language learning.
Language Learning, 68(1), 46–82.

Aubrey, S. (2017). Measuring flow in the EFL classroom: Learners’ perceptions of inter- and intra-cultural task-
based interactions. TESOL Quarterly, 51(3), 661-692.

Dulay, K. M., Tong, X., & McBride, C. (2017). The role of foreign domestic helpers in Hong Kong Chinese children’s
English and Chinese skills: A longitudinal study. Language Learning, 67(2), 321–347.

Han, J., & Hiver, P. (2018). Genre-based L2 writing instruction and writing-specific psychological factors: The
dynamics of change. Journal of Second Language Writing, 40, 44–59.

Hwang, J. K., Lawrence, J. F., Collins, P., & Snow, C. (2017). Vocabulary and reading performances of redesignated
fluent English proficient students. TESOL Quarterly, 51(4), 757-786.

Jiang, L. (2018). Digital multimodal composing and investment change in learners' writing in English as a foreign
language. Journal of Second Language Writing, 40, 60–72.

Kang, O., Thomson, R. I., & Moran, M. (2018). Empirical approaches to measuring the intelligibility of different
varieties of English in predicting listener comprehension.68(1), 115–146.

Kelly, L. B. (2018). Preservice teachers’ developing conceptions of teaching English learners. TESOL Quarterly, 52(1),
110-136.

Kim, Y., Jung, Y., & Tracy-Ventura, N. (2017). Implementation of a localized task-based course in an EFL context: A
study of students’ evolving perceptions. TESOL Quarterly, 51(3), 632-660.

Kunitz, S., & Marian, K. S. (2017). Tracking immanent language learning behavior over time in task based classroom
work. TESOL Quarterly, 51(3), 507-535.

Lee, G., & Wallace, A. (2018). Flipped learning in the English as a foreign language classroom: Outcomes and
perceptions. TESOL Quarterly, 52(1), 62-84.

Liu, Y., & Du, Q. (2018). Intercultural rhetoric through a learner lens: American students’ perceptions of evidence
use in Chinese yìlùnwén writing. Journal of Second Language Writing, 40, 1-11.
Mochizuki, N. (2017). Contingent needs analysis for task implementation: An activity systems analysis of group
writing conferences. TESOL Quarterly, 51(3), 607-631.

Negretti, R., & McGrath, L. (2018). Scaffolding genre knowledge and metacognition: Insights from an L2 doctoral
research writing course. Journal of Second Language Writing, 40, 12–31.

Pessoa, S., Mitchell, T. D., & Miller, R. T. (2017). Emergent arguments: A functional approach to analyzing student
challenges with the argument genre. Journal of Second Language Writing, 38, 42–55.

Sardegna, V. G., Lee, J., & Kusey, C. (2018). Self-efficacy, attitudes, and choice of strategies for English
pronunciation learning. Language Learning, 68(1), 83–114.

Smith, B. E., Pacheco, M. B., & Almeida, C. R. (2017). Multimodal codemeshing: Bilingual adolescents’ processes
composing across modes and languages. Journal of Second Language Writing, 36, 6-22.

Suzuki, Y. (2017). The optimal distribution of practice for the acquisition of L2 morphology: A conceptual
replication and extension. Language Learning, 67(3), 512–545.

Vasylets, O., Gilabert, R., & Manchon, R. M. (2017). The effects of mode and task complexity on second language
production. Language Learning, 67(2), 394–430.

Waller, L., & Papi, M. (2017). Motivation and feedback: How implicit theories of intelligence predict L2 writers’
motivation and feedback orientation. Journal of Second Language Writing, 35, 54–65.
 MA TESOL - Analysing Language
Assessment 2 Grading Criteria

Name: -- Score: 73
Clarity of organisation
Integration of other Quality of linguistic analysis Syllabus Specification
Aspect  and expression In-text citation & bibliography
research and reporting 15%
Grade Scale 15% 10%
20% 40%
Evidence of a very wide Consistently excellent
Detailed specification of
range of relevant reading Consistently accurate application organisation, signposting,
80%-100% language features that could
which is integrated critically of chosen linguistic model, with and written expression
Outstanding and applied consistently to clear justifications of analytical
be immediately implemented
throughout contribute to
Distinction in a language learning In-text referencing is fully consistent
support the focused decisions academic style of a very high
syllabus and accurate. Bibliography is
arguments in the report standard
appropriately set out, containing all
Very clear organisation,
All main arguments in the Accurate application of chosen Specification of language and only quoted or cited texts
signposting, and coherent
70% -79% report are closely supported linguistic model, with clear features that could be usefully
written expression contribute
Distinction by evidence of very wide- justifications of some analytical implemented in a language
to the overall high standard
ranging and relevant reading decisions learning syllabus
of academic style.
Mostly accurate application of Specification of some In-text referencing is almost entirely
Most points made in the chosen linguistic model, but with language features that could Clear organisation, consistent and accurate.
60-69% report supported by evidence some individual errors. More contribute to a language signposting, and coherent Bibliography is appropriately set out
Merit of an ample amount of discussion would help reader learning syllabus, but details written expression produce a and contains the majority of accurate
reading understand some analytical or omissions entail more work very good academic style references or contains all references
decisions needed but a few have minor errors
Evidence of satisfactory In-text referencing is occasionally
Language analysis with chosen Language features are
amount of reading around the Generally clear organisation inconsistent or inaccurate.
50-59% linguistic model contains more provided for a syllabus, but
topic(s) but there could be and coherent written Bibliography omits a small number
Pass accuracies than errors. Discussion unclear how these would be
more relevant application at expression of quoted or cited texts &/or in
of analytical decisions lacks detail used in language learning
times places is not appropriately set out
Evidence of fairly limited
Language analysis with chosen
reading and only some In-text referencing requires attention.
linguistic model contains more Insufficient or unsuitable
40-49% application; more consistent Clarity and coherence lost at Bibliography is rather haphazard
errors than accuracies. Analytical language features are
Refer and relevant application of times both in layout and in number of cited
decisions are not discussed with specified
reading is needed to support texts included
any clarity
arguments
In-text referencing is not consistent
Poor organisation and
Evidence of little or no Language analysis shows Language features are not and has many inaccuracies.
0-39 % written expression, and
reading and no, or very misunderstanding of linguistic specified or are unusable for Bibliography is inappropriately set
Refer limited coherence produce
limited application model &/or categories teaching purposes out and/or omits a large number of
inadequate academic style
cited texts
 MA TESOL - Analysing Language
Assessment 2 Grading Criteria

Feedback:
Overall, this is a very good assignment. Your discussion regularly uses suitable, current sources to support its arguments. While most positions
are clearly justified, the suitably-acknowledged weaknesses in the final section could also be raised during the discussion. For instance the
limited analysis of main verb tense, while suitably justified for its importance, is not fully justified as the only example of micro-structural
features. The assignment is well-organised and is highly accurate. Citations are included in an accurate bibliography.

Points for development:

One area for development (thinking especially about the dissertation) would be to present data in suitable visual formats, including charts and
graphs, to help the reader make sense of the (relative) differences between the results.