Academic writing as social practice: a critical discourse analysis of student writing in higher education in Tanzania
Year: 2006
Type: dissertation
Abstract: English as a Second language (ESL) in Higher Education (HE) has excited much interest in the ESL writing research and discussion in Tanzania.The interest is motivated by frequent criticisms from examiners regarding students' literacy performance in the ESL writing in the post primary and HE where the language of instruction is English as is configured in the Tanzanian language policy.In the thesis, I use an interdisciplinary approach constructed from the key notions of Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA), New Literacy Studies (NLS) and Genre Theory, first, to examine linguistic, discursive and social practices influencing student writing practices in HE.Secondly, to determine the adequacy of the academic Communication Skills (CS) course at aiding students' acquisition of the requisite literacy practices in academic writing.Third, I explore the extent to which academic second language writing is integrated into other university courses.I consider academic writing not as discreet, independent and neutral knowledge but rather as inherently ideological and whose literacy, events, and practices are socially constituted, as configured in the literacy critical theories followed in this salaam, for their well deserving advice at the beginning of this study.Last, but by no means least, I wish to thank my family in a very special way for sacrificing everything my presence would have offered them just to enable me to complete my thesis.Had it not been for their patience and perseverance this thesis would not have come into being at the time it did.
Author: Hashim Issa Mohamed
Language: English
Subfield: Linguistics and Language
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
SDG: Quality education
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2275983085