A Proposal for Critical-Pragmatic Pedagogical Approaches to English for Research Publication Purposes

Abstract

Abstract:Despite the increasing demands on many multilingual scholars outside the centre(s) of scientific knowledge production to publish their research in international scholarly journals, the support for such academic writing for publication is uneven at best. Existing English for research publication purposes (ERPP) instruction typically aims to aid multilingual scholars in achieving genre-based expectations and/or navigating the submission and review process, but it often does not address the politics of English-language knowledge production. In this paper, informed by an empirical case study and a theory building perspective, we address the need for a sustained program of courses/workshops for multilingual scholars in the (semi-) periphery and propose a means of operationalizing a critical-pragmatic approach to such course/workshop content. Our empirically-driven model is informed by the results of a recent case study investigation into an intensive ERPP intervention designed to address multilingual Spanish-speaking L1 scholars' challenges with writing research articles for publication in indexed (Web of Science) international scientific journals. Our model lays the groundwork for a more critical approach to ERPP pedagogy, one that attempts to attend more fully to the needs of multilingual scholars within an asymmetrical market of global knowledge production.Keywords: English for research publication purposes; English as an additional language; academic writing; second language writing; English language teaching; English as a second language; English as a foreign language; scientific writing; science publishing

2. Introducing research rigour in the social sciences: Transcultural strategies for teaching ERPP writing, research design, and resistance to epistemic erasure

“…In this respect, it seems I don't share the view of many ERPP scholars, who have touched on the centrality of study design issues for publication writing but have rarely seen them as significant for writing teachers. Several authors refer to Kwan's (2010) study of ERPP courses, in which she states that for a piece of research to be published successfully it must demonstrate 'command of disciplinary academic rigour' (p. 58; see Flowerdew, 2013;Corcoran & Englander, 2016;Hyland 2016b) -yet none of them, including Kwan herself, elaborates on this. She places this competence in an umbrella framework of 'Strategic research conception', which is largely taken to refer to 'the zeitgeist of a research community' (p. 58).…”

“…This process is not new for me; I have shaped my EAP teaching in this critical-pragmatic way for many years (see Cadman, 2002Cadman, , 2005. I now see such an approach to be especially crucial in ERPP today, as recently advocated by Corcoran and Englander (2016), for resisting 'the centripetal pull towards normative writing practices' (p. 4). In doing this myself, my interest has primarily been on ways in which I, as an employed teacher, can best create teacher-learner relationships on a footing that is as authentically open, sincere and 'connecting' as possible.…”

“…The call for teachers to resist this enforced assimilation process in the context of English for Academic Purposes (EAP) has continued regularly since Pennycook (1997) brought Dewey's concept of 'critical pragmatism' to EAP, and it has recently been taken up by Corcoran and Englander (2016) in ERPP. For Pennycook, a successful and ethical pedagogy … seeks to do more than just tolerate difference, but moves towards a more direct engagement with the confrontation between the cultural, educational and linguistic practices of the students and the practices of the academy.…”

Introduction to the Special Issue: Researching, Teaching, and Supporting Research Publication—Issues for Users of English as an Additional Language

“…I have chosen the last of these for what follows. We have two papers from the perspectives of those supporting EAL authors at the level of individual manuscript (an author's editor [4] and a translation specialist [5], two that analyse aspects of the written texts themselves, titles [6] and abstracts [7], to gain insights of value across the community, and two that focus on how novice research authors learn their craft [8,9]. However, across these groupings additional themes are highlighted.…”

“…To what extent do, or should, EAL authors uncritically adopt the ways of writing and constructing knowledge approved by the English-language, Western academy [4,7,8]? What processes and players are key in helping EAL authors gain acceptance for their research articles and how can their contributions be strengthened [4,5,8,9]? How can close analysis of the written text open windows onto successful practices [4,6,7]?…”