The connections between genre analysis and ESP: Insights from a student’s genre-analysis tasks

1. The 2ndInternational Conference of the Chinese Association of ESP and the 5th International Conference on ESP in Asia Fudan University, Shanghai, China, September 27-29, 2013 The connections between genre analysis and ESP: Insights from a student’s genre-analysis tasks An Cheng Department of English Oklahoma State University an.cheng@okstate.edu

3. “‘genre-analysis’…is arguably the most influential approach to the analysis of language use in ESP to date” (Basturkmen, 2010, p. 44) • “informed by…genre theory.., ESP specialists proceed with discourse-sample analysis, by considering….” (Belcher, 2009, p. 4) • “Genre analysis with its particular focus on the distinguishing features of different texts is especially useful in looking at both written and spoken texts in all areas of ESP” (Dudley-Evans & St John, 1998, p. 87) Needs-responsive ESP teaching materials • Question: Apart from serving as a tool for analyzing the target discourse, other ways genre analysis can interact with ESP teaching and Learning?

4. Guiding question: Apart from serving as a tool for analyzing the target discourse, other possible ways in which genre analysis can interact with ESP teaching and Learning?

6. 12 doctoral students 16 students Most not well advanced in degree study 10 countries and regions 12 disciplines

7. Each collected five JAs from recent volumes of refereed journals— a ‘reference collection’ (Swales & Feak, 2009)

10. Teaching materials based on the ESP genre-based framework (communicative purposes moves recurring language features Each collected five JAs from recent volumes of refereed journals— a ‘reference collection’ (Swales & Feak, 2009) Eight out-of-class genre-analysis tasks to discover useful features, to develop genre awareness, and to foster self-directed learning

13. Data sources and analysis • Data • 128 genre-analysis tasks by 16 students; 8 tasks per student • The constant-comparative method; grounded analysis (Strauss & Corbin, 1998) • Additional data sources • students’ literacy narratives • students’ interviews with discipline insiders and reports • students’ RA writing samples • students’ comments on their own writing samples • end-of-semester reflections in their portfolios • teaching journal

14. findings • Three examples from the genre-analysis tasks by Patricia (pseudonym) • Patricia • Third-semesterdoctoral student in Animal Science from South America • Still taking required courses in her area; not yet involved in research

15. Patricia divides paragraph into four sections and comments on each section

16. In the first three sentences the author is giving general information about the topic of the study. Thus, it is going to be the topic sentence for this paragraph and also for the article. The author is creating centrality showing why it is important study the bacteria and its prevalence in cattle. • “has become a…”: useful to create centrality in this area • “have focused on”: using past tense the author is showing the objective of previous studies Patricia divides paragraph into four sections and comments on each section

17. Creating controversy. Before the author focused in the increment of prevalence, now he/she is trying to give a hypothetic reason or cause to explain this increment. I think he/she in creating a gap of study. Patricia divides paragraph into four sections and comments on each section

18. In Task 2: Patricia’s original comment Creating controversy. Before the author focused in the increment of prevalence, now he/she is trying to give a hypothetic reason or cause to explain this increment. I think he/she in creating a gap of study. In Task 3: Patricia’s additional comment: I think the author is trying to show that the studies on prevalence did not consider that the new methods always get more accuracy. Thus, the increment of this prevalence could not be due to the increment in number of pathogens in the cattle. Although, it could be because of the methods of isolation, which have improved. Therefore the studies could be reporting a false increment on prevalence. Hence, I think he is trying to open a new gap of study. Patricia divides paragraph into four sections and comments on each section

19. Says “E coli o157 – Bad! Bad! Bad! That’s why people have studied it” • Do: creating centrality (both agreed!) Escherichia coli O157 has become a public health concern because this organism can be a foodborne pathogen, creating possibly life-threatening complications (4, 20). Cattle have been identified as a reservoir for E. coli O157 (11, 23). Epidemiological studies have focused on gaining an understanding of the distribution, prevalence, and potential risk factors associated with E. coli O157 among feedlot cattle and their environments. Patricia divides paragraph into four sections and comments on each section

20. Recent reports have indicated a higher prevalence of E. coli O157 among finishing beef cattle than described in earlier studies, in which the prevalence was estimated to be relatively low at 2.3 to 6.1% (12). Elder et al. (9) reported a prevalence of E. coli O157 of 28% among fecal samples collected from feedlot cattle during summer months. In other epidemiological studies, 15.7 and 23% of feedlot cattle were shedding E. coli O157 in their feces when the prevalence was averaged over time (6, 21) Say: Recent studies have found higher prevalence of …blah, something, something, blah Do: to review the literature Patricia divides paragraph into four sections and comments on each section

21. (Patricia)The author is criticizing these reviewed studies for not being sophisticated. (Me)The author is just making an observation for reasons other than criticizing previous studies. The increase in reported prevalence may be a result of improvements in methodologies used to isolate the pathogen from feces and the environment. Patricia divides paragraph into four sections and comments on each section

22. …./////In multiple studies, researchers have concluded that E. coli O157 is widely distributed among feedlot cattle and in their environment (9, 10, 13, 21); in one study the organism was present in 100% of 73 cattle feedlots (22).The increase in reported prevalence may be a result of improvements in methodologies used to isolate the pathogen from feces and the environment. • Because of the high prevalence, decreasing E. coli O157 in feedlot cattle is an important part of food safety efforts throughout the beef supply chain. The development of economically feasible intervention strategies that are effective against foodborne pathogens is a priority for the beef industry.Proposed intervention strategies have included…….. • Our previous data (2) indicated that supplementation with direct-fed microbials (DFM), specifically two different strains of Lactobacillus acidophilus, substantially decreased the presence of E. coli O157 in the feces and on the hides of finishing beef cattle. One particular strain (NP 51, formally known as NPC 747) decreased the likelihood of fecal shedding of E. coli O157 by approximately 50% during the course of the feeding period. Those cattle receiving the DFM-supplemented diets also had improved feed efficiency when animal body weight was calculated from hot carcass weight and the overall average dressing percentage. ///// The objective of the present study was to describe the prevalence of E. coli O157 among groups of finishing beef cattle fed a standard diet and those supplemented with DFM: L. acidophilus and Propionibacteriumfreudenreichii. Combination treatments were used to determine whether additional inhibition of E. coli O157 or improved performance were obtained. / …..The effect of the DFM on animal performance also was evaluated and has been reported elsewhere (8).

23. …./////In multiple studies, researchers have concluded that E. coli O157 is widely distributed among feedlot cattle and in their environment (9, 10, 13, 21); in one study the organism was present in 100% of 73 cattle feedlots (22).The increase in reported prevalence may be a result of improvements in methodologies used to isolate the pathogen from feces and the environment. • Because of the high prevalence, decreasing E. coli O157 in feedlot cattle is an important part of food safety efforts throughout the beef supply chain. The development of economically feasible intervention strategies that are effective against foodborne pathogens is a priority for the beef industry.Proposed intervention strategies have included…….. • Our previous data (2) indicated that supplementation with direct-fed microbials (DFM), specifically two different strains of Lactobacillus acidophilus, substantially decreased the presence of E. coli O157 in the feces and on the hides of finishing beef cattle. One particular strain (NP 51, formally known as NPC 747) decreased the likelihood of fecal shedding of E. coli O157 by approximately 50% during the course of the feeding period. Those cattle receiving the DFM-supplemented diets also had improved feed efficiency when animal body weight was calculated from hot carcass weight and the overall average dressing percentage. ///// The objective of the present study was to describe the prevalence of E. coli O157 among groups of finishing beef cattle fed a standard diet and those supplemented with DFM: L. acidophilus and Propionibacteriumfreudenreichii. Combination treatments were used to determine whether additional inhibition of E. coli O157 or improved performance were obtained. / …..The effect of the DFM on animal performance also was evaluated and has been reported elsewhere (8). Be that as it may. Let’s move on and reduce e coli o157 • ………The increase in reported prevalence may be a result of improvements in methodologies used to isolate the pathogen from feces and the environment. • Because of the high prevalence, decreasing E. coli O157 in feedlot cattle is an important part of food safety efforts throughout the beef supply chain. The development of economically feasible intervention strategies that are effective against foodborne pathogens is a priority for the beef industry.

24. Proposed intervention strategies have included…….. • Our previous data (2) indicated that supplementation with direct-fed microbials (DFM), ….…., substantially decreased the presence of E. coli O157 in the feces and on the hides of finishing beef cattle. …….. The objective of the present study was to describe the prevalence of E. coli O157 among groups of finishing beef cattle fed a standard diet and those supplemented with DFM….. The effect of the DFM on animal performance also was evaluated and has been reported elsewhere (8). • …./////In multiple studies, researchers have concluded that E. coli O157 is widely distributed among feedlot cattle and in their environment (9, 10, 13, 21); in one study the organism was present in 100% of 73 cattle feedlots (22).The increase in reported prevalence may be a result of improvements in methodologies used to isolate the pathogen from feces and the environment. • Because of the high prevalence, decreasing E. coli O157 in feedlot cattle is an important part of food safety efforts throughout the beef supply chain. The development of economically feasible intervention strategies that are effective against foodborne pathogens is a priority for the beef industry.Proposed intervention strategies have included…….. • Our previous data (2) indicated that supplementation with direct-fed microbials (DFM), specifically two different strains of Lactobacillus acidophilus, substantially decreased the presence of E. coli O157 in the feces and on the hides of finishing beef cattle. One particular strain (NP 51, formally known as NPC 747) decreased the likelihood of fecal shedding of E. coli O157 by approximately 50% during the course of the feeding period. Those cattle receiving the DFM-supplemented diets also had improved feed efficiency when animal body weight was calculated from hot carcass weight and the overall average dressing percentage. ///// The objective of the present study was to describe the prevalence of E. coli O157 among groups of finishing beef cattle fed a standard diet and those supplemented with DFM: L. acidophilus and Propionibacteriumfreudenreichii. Combination treatments were used to determine whether additional inhibition of E. coli O157 or improved performance were obtained. / …..The effect of the DFM on animal performance also was evaluated and has been reported elsewhere (8). We are part of the effort to reduce e coli 0157. In fact, this study is part of our continuing efforts to do so.

25. Here the author is summarizing previous results on the same topic. I think this part is being used to “open a gap of study”. This study is a continuation of the previous study. The author is adding one extra bacteria to measure the same characteristics as he did before.

26. Problems in Patricia’s genre analysis • Projected the authors as “opening the research gap” when “the research gap” does not seem to exist • Did so after being alerted to the problem here. • Language cue “Recent reports have indicated a higher prevalence of E. coli O157 among finishing beef cattle than described in earlier studies” What can this problem tell us about genre analysis and ESP?

27. Genre analysis as part of pre-instructional needs analysis: “genre analysis’ is the most influential approach to the analysis of language use in ESP to date” (2010, p. 44) • Genre analysis can also be an important tool “during instruction.”

28. Genre analysis can also be an important tool “during instruction.” Systematic Accessible Macro- and micro features rhetorical context/communicative purpose Close reading Careful attention to communicative purposes and recurring language features

29. Genre analysis as a tool for learning and teaching ESP

30. Genre analysis as a teacher development tool

32. Thank you an.cheng@okstate.edu