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Native and nonnative English abstracts in contrast: a multidimensional move analysis

Research output: Contribution to Journal/MagazineJournal articlepeer-review

Published
<mark>Journal publication date</mark>2013
<mark>Journal</mark>Belgian Journal of Linguistics
Issue number1
Volume27
Number of pages24
Pages (from-to)111-134
Publication StatusPublished
<mark>Original language</mark>English

Abstract

This article takes a composite approach that combines move analysis and multidimensional analysis to a contrastive study of textual variations in discourse moves between native (NS) and nonnative (NNS) English abstracts, focusing on the biology discipline. Based on move analysis of NS and NNS research article abstracts in the biology discipline, this study provides an in-depth interpretation and a systematic comparison of the communicative functions of various moves in NS and NNS abstracts on the basis of a seven-dimension multidimensional analysis model established in Cao and Xiao (2013). The results show that NS and NNS abstracts differ significantly at both dimension and move levels, which are discussed with reference to possible reasons and suggestions for English abstract writing in China.