A Nested Model of Academic Writing Approaches: Chinese International Graduate Students’ Views of English Academic Writing

Zheng Zhang

doi:10.20360/g27g6r

Abstract

Adopting Lea and Street’s (1998) three models of academic writing (i.e., the study skills, academic socialization, and academic literacies), this qualitative study explored 10 Chinese international graduate (CIG) students’ perceptions of differing literacy practices in a different academic milieu and in various disciplines at a Canadian university. The findings reveal how different epistemologies in different cultures and disciplines have impacted these CIG students’ English academic writing. This paper acknowledges the limitations of the exclusive use of skills study and academic socialisation orientations in writing support for international students. It recommends a nested model of writing support, which is more inclusive and transformative in nature.

Highlights

Adopting Lea and Street‟s (1998) three models of academic writing, this qualitative study explored 10 Chinese international graduate (CIG) students‟ perceptions of differing literacy practices in a different academic milieu and in various disciplines at a Canadian university
There were numerous times when I could not help wondering: How many CIG students come to Canada cherishing the ideal of pursuing academic freedom in Canada as Shi did? How many of them would be engaged in Language and Literacy Volume 13, Issue 1, Spring 2011 acculturating themselves to the mainstream like Jun and me? What if Jun was right in that we CIG students have had no choice because the only “legitimate” way to approach academic writing is the North American mainstream way? As members of a minority group in Canadian academia, what kind of academic autonomy are we CIG students pursuing? To negotiate or to be acculturated?: that is the question
Considering the fact that there are very few studies focusing on Chinese international graduate students‟ development of multiple literacies associated with various disciplines and culturally different epistemologies, the current exploratory study focuses on CIG students‟ voices and perspectives of how differing epistemologies in various cultures and disciplines might have impacted CIG students‟ perceptions of academic writing

Summary

Introduction

Adopting Lea and Street‟s (1998) three models of academic writing (i.e., the study skills, academic socialization, and academic literacies), this qualitative study explored 10 Chinese international graduate (CIG) students‟ perceptions of differing literacy practices in a different academic milieu and in various disciplines at a Canadian university. This paper acknowledges the limitations of the exclusive use of study skills and academic socialisation orientations in writing support for international students. Jun‟s frankness resonated with me, as a Chinese international graduate (CIG) student myself It is probably because we shared an “insatiable” desire to be upwardly mobile and were willing to board the bandwagon of the mainstream culture. What if Jun was right in that we CIG students have had no choice because the only “legitimate” way to approach academic writing is the North American mainstream way? The growing population of Chinese graduate students in Canada calls for studies on CIG students‟ overseas experiences and pedagogies that would optimize their learning experience in Canadian tertiary education which is characterized by increasing cultural and linguistic diversity

Methods

Results

Conclusion