A text analysis and gatekeepers’ perspectives of a promotional genre: Understanding the rhetoric of Fulbright grant statements

Abstract

This study investigates the rhetorical strategies of successful applicants to the Fulbright English Teaching Assistant (ETA) grants program. Using a move-step analysis, I analyzed 50 personal statements and 50 statements of grant purpose written by applicants between 2012 and 2016. Also incorporated are six Fulbright faculty-raters’ views of these statements through think-alouds and semi-structured interviews. Findings suggest successful ETA applicants utilize four moves in their personal statements: (1) competence claims, (2) motivation for pursuing ETAgrant, (3) motivation for applying to target country, and (4) framing childhood and family history. In applicants' statements of grant purpose, most writers again utilize three moves from the personal statements (1–3). Faculty-raters’ perspectives are discussed in relation to the moves-steps the raters find influential, and also, raters’ perspectives concerning the ideal rhetoric of/relationship between personal statements and statements of grant purpose. Implications are discussed for future grant applicants and related genres such as graduate school applications.