Topdown versus Bottomup Approaches toward Move Analysis in
Top-down versus Bottom-up Approaches toward Move Analysis in ESP Angvarrah Lieungnapar
Move Analysis in ESP O Move is a unit that relates both to the writer’s Move purpose and to the content that s/he wishes to communicate (Dudley and John, 1998: 89). O Step is a lower level text unit than the move that provides a detailed perspective on the options open to the writer in setting out the moves in the text (Dudley and John, 1998: 89).
A CARS Model for Research Article Introductions (Swales, 1990: 141) Move 1 Establishing a territory Step 1 Claiming centrality Step 2 Making topic generalization(s) Step 3 Reviewing items of previous research Move 2 Establishing a niche Step 1 A Counter-claiming Step 1 B Indicating a cap Step 1 C Question-raising Step 1 D Continuing a tradition Move 3 Occupying the niche Step 1 A Outlining purposes Step 1 B Announcing present research Step 2 Announcing principal findings Step 3 Indicating article structure
Move Analysis O Top-Down: communicative purposes O Bottom- up: linguistic features
Goals - To identify existence and sequence of moves by Top-down and Bottom-up - To find out the similarities and differences between moves found from top-down processing and bottom-up approach
Data ‘Journal description’ ‘Aims and Scope’ section in the ‘Aims and Scope’ academic journals focusing on education and applied linguistics Why?
Two Sets of Data No. SET A: TD Journals SET B: BU Lengt h Journals Lengt h World Englishes Brain and Language Journal of Memory and Language Learning 84 94 107 Language Testing System RELC Journal 85 96 107 110 124 Language Teaching Research International Journal of Intercultural Relations Discourse Processes 137 Journal of Multilingual & Multicultural Development The Modern Language Journal English for Specific Purposes Journal of Neurolinguistics Journal of Phonetics 205 222 9 Applied Linguistics 252 10 Journal of English for Academic Purposes 258 Language and Communication Second Language Research Linguistics and Education 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 173 177 144 175 185 254 265
Basis of the Two Analyses Topdown Genre move as purpose Editors identify purposes Identify patterns of purposes Move Identification Group as themes and combine Identify keywords, verb phrase Genre move as content & function Bottomup
Methods in Top-Down Example of the editor’s response: “ This section provides authors and readers guideline as to what types of articles o expect in a journal. ” “It is designed to inform prospective authors—that is, to let them know what we tend to publish. ”
Moves Found from Top-down Processing Move I: Journal Introduction Move S: Scope of the Journal Move P: Specification of Publication
Sequences of Moves from Topdown Article s No. Moves 1. I S PP 2. I S PPP 3. I PP I S 4. I P S P 5. I PP I 6. I S PPPPPPP I 7. I S PP III 8. PPP S 9. SSSS PPPP 10. I P S PPPP Moves: 1. Journal [I]ntroduction 1. 2. [S]cope of the Journal 3. Specification of 3. [P]ublication
Methods in Bottom-up Moves Top Subpurposes themes Botto m phrase s word s
Bottom-up Analysis on Words NO. Word BNC World Loglikelihood Frequency 4 LANGUAGE 45 18658 367. 78 7 JOURNAL 24 2332 265. 38 25 LINGUISTICS 9 787 101. 4 18 ARTICLES 11 2916 99. 63 17 TEACHING 12 8981 84. 03 30 REVIEWED 8 1466 78. 37 20 LEARNING 11 9193 74. 63 50 ESP 5 146 67. 18 31 TESTING 8 3414 64. 93 44 PEER 6 829 62. 15 54 PUBLISHES 5 246 62. 04
Keywords Language Collocations - language testing - language assessment - language acquisition Category field of study theory - language education - language learning and teaching - language and culture - social psychology of language - second language (teaching and learning) - language development - language policy - language ideology field of study theory field of study subject matter field of study Linguistics Teaching ESP Topics Reviewed - peer-reviewed journal - peer reviewed research - All manuscripts are reviewed initially by the Editors theory area of study fields of study related to journal other types of contributions journal identification manuscripts
Bottom-up Analysis on Verb Phrases Verb phrase O is an O has been and will continue to be a O is concerned with O is dedicated to O is intended to O seeks O is to present O prefers O serves as O is open to O is focused on …. Provisional lists of contents from verb phrases 1. Journal description 2. Aims (goal, purposes, target readers and authors) 3. Focus/ attention/ concern/ preference of the journal (fields of study, topic, area of study 4. Specification of submission/ contribution (e. g. manuscripts, review article) 5. Reviewing process
Bottom-up Analysis on Themes Theme Categories 1. Name of journal 1. Attention 2. The journal 3. Review section 4. Aim of journal 5. Contribution 6. Manuscripts 7. Authors 8. Topics of interest 9. Focus 10. Published articles 11. Work 12. Studies 13. Special issues 14. Emphasis 15. Review articles Provisional lists of contents from theme analysis 1. Journal 2. Aim of the journal 3. Focus/ attention 4. Journal components 5. Topics of interest 6. Contributors
Moves Found from Bottom-up Processing Move D: Journal Description Move A: Aims of the journal Move S: Scope of concern Move P: Publishing specification and reviewing procedure Move M: Journal matter and its application
Sequences of Moves from Bottom -up Articl es No. Moves 1. D SSS 2. A S A P M 3. D A SS 4. Ss A 5. A MMM 6. D P SS M 7. D SSS PPPP M 8. A SSSS 9. D SS MM 10. P SSS Moves: 1. Journal [D]escription 1. 2. [A] ims of the Journal 3. [S]cope of Concern 4. [P]ublishing Specification and Reviewing Procedure 5. Journal [M]atter 5.
Comparison of Moves Top-down Bottom-up Journal Introduction Journal description Aim of the journal Scope of concern Specification of publication Publication specification and reviewing procedure Journal matters
Examples Journal Introductio n Scope Of the Journal Specification of Publication World Englishes is committed to the study of varieties of English in their distinctive cultural, sociolinguistic and educational contexts. It is integrative in its scope and includes theoretical and applied studies on language, literature and English teaching, with emphasis on cross-cultural perspectives and identities. The journal provides recent research, critical and evaluative papers, and reviews from Africa, Asia, Europe, Oceania and the Americas. Thematic special issues and colloquia appear regularly. Special sections such as 'Comments / Replies' and 'Forum' promote open discussions and debate. Aims of the journal Scope of concern Journa l matter
Discussion Topdown Move I, S, P Identificatio n Bottom-up D, A, S, P, M Sequence of I S* I* D S* moves P* A (P*) (M) Similar but BU more detailed Similar but I : D & A Φ : M
Discussion: Reasons for Differences 1. Issues of researcher’s bias 2. Differences in basis for setting the framework and analysis TOP-DOWN: Framework and analysis rely on the informants’ understanding of what the overall purposes of the texts are and researchers’ interpretation BOTTOM-UP: Framework and analysis rely on surface linguistic features and researchers’ interpretation
Advantages and Disadvantages TD BU More practical in the beginning More practical later More practical for research Consider all data Outside purposes Text-internal purposes Prioritizes context Prioritizes text
Conclusion O Issues of subjectivity in Top-down can be solved by exploiting Bottom-up techniques O Focus on text VS context as a basis for choosing
Thank you
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