Abstract:
Traditional assumptions about the nature of academic writing and its acquisition by undergraduate students are now being challenged by teaching practitioners and researchers alike. At the same time, the written production of NESB (non‐English speaking background) students suggests that simplistic categorisations into first‐ and second‐language writers have limited relevance to writing proficiency or instruction. This thesis takes a cohort of Business undergraduates, from a range of language backgrounds, who are studying in a New Zealand university and examines the role of academic writing in their study experiences through a mixed‐method approach. Firstly, a series of linguistic analyses of their Semester One examination essay writing identifies the extent of use of established features of academic writing (Biber, 2006). Next, case studies of seven members of the cohort chart their progress through their degree programme, and explore the students’ writing development and changing views of writing through interviews and group discussions. The findings show that students brought a range of writing skills and attitudes to their university study and that, while lexical and rhetorical aspects of academic writing were established early, more complex syntactic forms were less readily acquired or understood. Findings also show that student experiences, staff expectations and changing discourse demands influenced students’ valuing of academic writing skills. The results of the study highlight the need for subject specialist teachers to explicitly ‘demystify’ (Lillis, 2000) discourse practices and expectations around student writing early in the study programme. However, the results also indicate that the incorporation of specialist writing instruction into disciplinary programmes is necessary for students’ development of linguistic aspects of academic writing and a wider understanding of its function within the academic community.
