چکیده:
Despite the crucial role of introductory sections in argumentative academic writing, the effects of genre- based approaches to writing introductory paragraphs have not been much explored yet. The present study aimed to investigate whether the provision of genre knowledge through modeling and non-modeling could enhance learners’ ability in writing introductory paragraphs of argumentative essays. Adopting an intact group sampling within a quasi-experimental design, 75 graduate and post-graduate students with intermedi- ate level of language proficiency were selected from three universities and randomly divided into three groups: modeling, non-modeling, and a control group. Modeling and non-modeling groups received genre- based treatment while the control group had a non-genre based treatment as placebo. The statistical proce- dures of dependent-samples t-tests, a one-way ANOVA, and correlational analyses significantly confirmed the positive effects of both modeling and non-modeling genre-based instruction on the writing ability of the learners. No significant difference, however, was found between the two genre-based groups.
خلاصه ماشینی:
Keywords: Argumentative essay writing, English as foreign language writing, Genre analysis, Model- ing essay, Non-modeling essay INTRODUCTION Numerous ESL writing studies have so far sup- ported the view that good academic writing in English is partly, if not greatly, dependent on learners’ genre knowledge and the skills to apply this knowledge in actual writing practice (Hy- land, 2007, 2008, 2013; Kay & Dudley-Evans, 1998; Mustafa, 1995; Martin, 1989, 1993; *Corresponding Author’s Email: mym1300@gmail.
Thee vidence for the genre-based approach has been so conclusive that many educators tend to inte- grate their process-oriented approach to writing with explication of the generic features of the assigned tasks in English as second/foreign lan- guage (ESL/EFL) classes (Badger & White, 2000; Walsh, 2004).
Thus, regarding consciousness for learning a necessity within NH framework (Schmidt, 1990; Schmitt, 2002; Truscott, 1998) and viewing writing a cultural accomplishment learned and enhanced through consciousness, a discourse-rhetoric genre-based approach through modeling could justifiably help learners change potentially incomprehensible input into pedagog- ically comprehensible intake in a second- language writing class.
Research-wise, the approach has proved helpful in enhancing different sec- tions of academic articles writing in both first and second language contexts because of its con- scious-raising role (Eisenhart, Lewin, Fine, & Young, 2004; Flowerdew, 2001).
To this end two null hypotheses were formulated as follows: H01: Genre-based approach to teaching writing through modeling does not influence writing argu- ment-led introductions of Iranian EFL learners H02: Non-modeling genre-based teaching of writ- ing does not influence writing introductions of argument-led essays of Iranian EFL learners METHODS Participants Initially, 100 graduate and post-graduate students, studying in disciplines other than English educa- tion, who attended crash courses for IELTS and TOEFL tests in three universities in Tehran, Iran were randomly selected as the sample population.