Work

Moral outrage or mere possibility? An exploration of epistemic versus deontic stance in reading-to-write argumentation

Year: 2022

Type: article

Abstract: Based on an analysis of 41 placement essays, this study explores the contrasting discourse requirements of two seemingly comparable essay topics, highlighting the construction of stance. While one prompt demanded primarily that students make judgments of necessity and obligation (deontic stance), the other prompt required students to engage primarily with questions of possibility and probability (epistemic stance). The contrasting rhetorical and linguistic demands of the two essay topics shed light on observed differences in student scores, pointing to possible insights for writing task design.

Source: Journal of Second Language Writing

DOI: 10.1016/j.jslw.2022.100912

Author: Amy Lombardi

Institution: University of California, Davis

Language: English

Topic: Discourse Analysis in Language Studies

Subfield: Literature and Literary Theory

Field: Arts and Humanities

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Quality education

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,330