Knowledge and application : abstract writing of ESL research scholars.

• Main Author: Chan, Soon Keng.
• Other Authors: Foo Shou Boon, Schubert
• Format: Theses and Dissertations
• Language: English
• Published: 2010
• Subjects: DRNTU::Library and information science
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/20735
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

Information proliferation has necessitated more expedient sharing methods, and experts are positive that abstracting is the probable solution. So far, research proliferates in assessing attributes, investigating effects of disciplinary differences, and reporting problems in authored abstracts. However, not enough attention has been on the abstracting process and its related variables. In the field of EAP (English for Academic Purposes), teaching and research on the abstract genre are focused mainly on the genre-based approach. Not many studies have focused on assessing learners’ knowledge per se, and even fewer studies have correlated knowledge and application. In addition, the current mobility of graduate non-native speakers of English to English speaking countries makes it important for more attention to be paid to their needs in research writing, such as in writing successful abstracts. Host countries must provide them with the support required to operate acceptably in their new academic environment. Based on this, the researcher purports to pay attention to the teaching of abstracts and abstracting in this study. The research aims to investigate the abstract and abstracting knowledge of a sample of novice ESL research students and analyse their abstracts with the aim of examining the relationship between their knowledge and application. The concurrent aim is also to discuss the relevance and impact of the current practice of teaching the knowledge of abstracts through the genre-based approach, and to draw implications for pedagogical improvement.