Rhetoric Construction of Chinese Expository Essays

Implications for EFL Composition Instruction

Bibliographic Data

ID3718264
AuthorsDonghong Liu (0000-0003-0028-232X, Central China Normal University), Jing Huang (0000-0002-6205-0025, Hong Kong Baptist University, corresponding author)
Year2021
Volume11
Issue1
Publication date2021-01-01
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueSAGE Open (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2158-2440 • E-ISSN: 2158-2440
PublisherSAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1177/2158244020988518
OpenAlexW3125929016
LanguageEN
Citations received6
References cited24

Recent scholarship on Chinese students' English expository essays tends to blur or mitigate the differences between English and Chinese writings. This alleged convergence of English and Chinese rhetorical norms gives rise to a view that rhetorical aspects in second language writing instruction and research in China should be de-emphasized. Drawing on data from full-score Chinese compositions of College Entrance Examination, this study examines how Chinese expository paragraphs are developed. Results show great disparities between English and Chinese expository writing at paragraph level such as non-English rhetorical mode, reliance on authorities, rhetorical paragraph, and figurative language in topic sentence. We argue that Chinese rhetorical strategies are likely to be transferred to English writing if English rhetoric is not taught and reinforced in college

Art · China · Linguistics · Literal and figurative language · Literature · Paragraph · Political science · Rhetoric · Rhetorical modes · Rhetorical question · Scholarship · Sentence · Sociology · Computer Science · Discourse Analysis in Language Studies · EFL/ESL Teaching and Learning · History · Language, Metaphor, and Cognition · Philosophy

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