Cultural Meaning and Contrastive Rhetoric in English Education

Bibliographic Data

ID2254739
AuthorsYamuna Kachru (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, corresponding author)
Year1997
Volume16
Issue3
Pages337-350
Publication date1997-11-01
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueWorld Englishes (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0883-2919 • E-ISSN: 1467-971X
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/1467-971x.00068
OpenAlexW2067066918
LanguageEN
Citations received12

The focus of this paper is on one aspect of the relationship between language and culture, that of cultural meaning and rhetorical style in writing across traditions of literacy. The paper adopts the approach of 'socially realistic linguistics' (Labov, 1972: xiii) and questions the assumptions of contrastive rhetoric in the context of English education around the world. It proposes a methodology of contrastive rhetorical research, based on Halliday's notion of 'meaning potential' (Halliday, 1978), which takes into account the evidence provided by research on writing in the Inner Circle, language socialization, traditions of literacy, and writing in the multilingual and multicultural context of the Outer Circle (B. Kachru, 1985). Finally, it points out the educational implications of the suggested approach to contrastive rhetoric for enriching the writing experience of all users of English, whether they come from the Inner, Outer, or Expanding Circle of English

Context (archaeology · Epistemology · Linguistics · Literacy · Meaning (existential · Pedagogy · Rhetoric · Rhetorical question · Sociology · Discourse Analysis in Language Studies · EFL/ESL Teaching and Learning · History · Philosophy · Second Language Learning and Teaching

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