J 2019

Intercultural variation in academic discourse: Theme zones and the build-up of coherence in research articles

HŮLKOVÁ, Irena, Olga DONTCHEVA-NAVRÁTILOVÁ, Renata JANČAŘÍKOVÁ and Josef SCHMIED

Basic information

Original name

Intercultural variation in academic discourse: Theme zones and the build-up of coherence in research articles

Authors

HŮLKOVÁ, Irena (203 Czech Republic, guarantor, belonging to the institution), Olga DONTCHEVA-NAVRÁTILOVÁ (100 Bulgaria, belonging to the institution), Renata JANČAŘÍKOVÁ (203 Czech Republic, belonging to the institution) and Josef SCHMIED (276 Germany)

Edition

Topics in Linguistics, Nitra, Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra, Faculty of Arts, 2019, 1337-7590

Other information

Language

English

Type of outcome

Článek v odborném periodiku

Field of Study

60203 Linguistics

Country of publisher

Slovakia

Confidentiality degree

není předmětem státního či obchodního tajemství

References:

RIV identification code

RIV/00216224:14410/19:00112142

Organization unit

Faculty of Education

DOI

UT WoS

000504026400003

Keywords in English

Theme zone; thematization; thematic progression; topical/textual/interpersonal Theme; intercultural variation; research article; coherence

Tags

International impact, Reviewed
Změněno: 2/2/2021 18:44, Mgr. Irena Hůlková, Ph.D.

Abstract

V originále

This paper explores the form and function of the initial part of a sentence, the "Theme zone" (Hannay, 1994; Fetzer, 2008), in the genre of research articles, with a threefold purpose. First, it deals with a comparative analysis of Theme zone patterns (i.e. employment of simple and multiple Themes - the latter being several different configurations of topical, interpersonal and textual Themes) in a corpus of research articles written by English authors and Czech EAL writers. The aim is to determine to what extent these writers differ in thematization and trace possible reasons for the differences. Second, the study offers an intercultural comparison of the realizations of topical, interpersonal and textual Themes, and finally, it looks into thematic progression in two excerpts from the corpus and how the Theme zone contributes to the construal of textual, interpersonal and topical coherence. In all three parts, intercultural variation can be observed, be it Czech authors' preference for the [textual Theme] [topical Theme] configuration, their more frequent use of exclusive we and abstract rhetors in topical Themes and higher employment of textual Themes in the Theme zone, or their inclination to build coherence on a local rather than a more global level.

Links

LTC18015, research and development project
Name: Výzkum a výuka akademického psaní z mezikulturního hlediska
Investor: Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the CR, Researching and teaching academic writing from a cross-cultural perspective, INTER-COST