Article published in:
Learner Corpora in Language Testing and Assessment
Edited by Marcus Callies and Sandra Götz
[Studies in Corpus Linguistics 70] 2015
► pp. 59–84

Data commentary in science writing

Using a small, specialized corpus for formative self-assessment practices

| Lund University
| Chalmers University of Technology
Data commentary, the verbal comment on visual material, is a complex area in science writing; yet, few studies in academic writing focus on it. This chapter presents an approach to the teaching and learning of data commentary in ESP writing within the science disciplines involving direct application of a small, specialized corpus of data commentaries drawn from published research articles and master’s theses, all annotated for rhetorical moves. We exemplify how formative self-assessment practices of data commentaries can be developed from corpus-informed computer-assisted learning activities combining top-down discourse analysis with bottom-up corpus analysis, and outline a methodology for self-assessment practices. Our approach illustrates how a specialized corpus and purposefully crafted learning activities can assist students in continuous self-assessment practices. Such facilitation is of crucial value today as pedagogical and curricular developments in science education increasingly emphasize students’ awareness of communicative practices.
Published online: 09 April 2015
https://doi.org/10.1075/scl.70.03nor
Cited by

Cited by 2 other publications

Flowerdew, Lynne
2020. The Academic Literacies approach to scholarly writing: a view through the lens of the ESP/Genre approach. Studies in Higher Education 45:3 ► pp. 579 ff. Crossref logo
Jin, Bixi
2018. Rhetorical Differences in Research Article Discussion Sections of High- and Low-Impact Articles in the Field of Chemical Engineering. IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication 61:1 ► pp. 65 ff. Crossref logo

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