Page 56 - Igor Ž. Žagar in Ana Mlekuž, ur. ▪︎ Raziskovanje v vzgoji in izobraževanju. Ljubljana: Pedagoški inštitut, 2019. Digitalna knjižnica, Dissertationes 37
P. 56
r aziskovanje v vzgoji in izobr aževanju
wards other researchers’ findings. In this view, voice relates more to the
long-term developmental dimension has a stronger relation to the person,
whereas stance relates more to the linguistic means utilized in a particular
piece of writing.
Clearly, in the development of academic writers, both is necessary: the
development of the linguistic skills regarding genre and academic language
in order to learn to express their stance in a text and the development of
their voice in a (highly specialized) community in order to be able to con-
tribute their position to a discourse. While the former didactically allows
for a focus on linguistic features of a text and thus the utilization of linguis-
tic tools, developing a voice in academia is hardly thinkable without the de-
velopment of expertise and a position towards theories and findings in the
given discipline. In this sense, development of voice addresses the personal
dimension of becoming an academic writer within a community.
Stating the State-of-the-Art
To tie this back to the actual task of writing an academic paper: With re-
gard to the actual topic the writer is expected to use the “proper” linguistic
tools of the genre in order to convey her stance, having developed an aca-
demic voice is a prerequisite for being able to do so, otherwise the text will
appear to be ‘epistemically shallow’ at best.
While positioning oneself is relevant in all parts of an academic text,
to the reader the first positioning of one's work in the discourse takes place
is the state-of-the-art of research. Furthermore, work on this section begins
as early as the first phase of the project, in the orientation phase and often
a more or less rough draft is demanded as part of an exposé. In writing re-
search this piece of text does not receive specific attention, at least not ex-
plicitly. Implicitly is frequently addressed by providing examples for teach-
ing intertextuality, since references are particularly dense. There is a range
of phrase banks or lists of expressions, which are used to support students.
In other words, the linguistic level of text production is being addressed,
but not the problem of positioning oneself.
While knowing the linguistic conventions demanded by academic
genres is crucial, we still like to point out that students’ difficulties in ac-
ademic writing and the problems perceived in writing the state-of-the-art
section may also be rooted in their not-yet developed academic voice or
more bluntly in having to write as an expert while being a novice to aca-
demia and specifically to the topic at hand. At this stage students may sim-
56
wards other researchers’ findings. In this view, voice relates more to the
long-term developmental dimension has a stronger relation to the person,
whereas stance relates more to the linguistic means utilized in a particular
piece of writing.
Clearly, in the development of academic writers, both is necessary: the
development of the linguistic skills regarding genre and academic language
in order to learn to express their stance in a text and the development of
their voice in a (highly specialized) community in order to be able to con-
tribute their position to a discourse. While the former didactically allows
for a focus on linguistic features of a text and thus the utilization of linguis-
tic tools, developing a voice in academia is hardly thinkable without the de-
velopment of expertise and a position towards theories and findings in the
given discipline. In this sense, development of voice addresses the personal
dimension of becoming an academic writer within a community.
Stating the State-of-the-Art
To tie this back to the actual task of writing an academic paper: With re-
gard to the actual topic the writer is expected to use the “proper” linguistic
tools of the genre in order to convey her stance, having developed an aca-
demic voice is a prerequisite for being able to do so, otherwise the text will
appear to be ‘epistemically shallow’ at best.
While positioning oneself is relevant in all parts of an academic text,
to the reader the first positioning of one's work in the discourse takes place
is the state-of-the-art of research. Furthermore, work on this section begins
as early as the first phase of the project, in the orientation phase and often
a more or less rough draft is demanded as part of an exposé. In writing re-
search this piece of text does not receive specific attention, at least not ex-
plicitly. Implicitly is frequently addressed by providing examples for teach-
ing intertextuality, since references are particularly dense. There is a range
of phrase banks or lists of expressions, which are used to support students.
In other words, the linguistic level of text production is being addressed,
but not the problem of positioning oneself.
While knowing the linguistic conventions demanded by academic
genres is crucial, we still like to point out that students’ difficulties in ac-
ademic writing and the problems perceived in writing the state-of-the-art
section may also be rooted in their not-yet developed academic voice or
more bluntly in having to write as an expert while being a novice to aca-
demia and specifically to the topic at hand. At this stage students may sim-
56
