Engagement Features in Russian & English: A Cross-Cultural Analysis of Academic Written Discourse

• Main Author: Irina Khoutyz
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Columbia University Libraries 2015-04-01
• Series: Working Papers in Applied Linguistics and TESOL
• Subjects: Engagement; English language; Writing english language; Russian language; Writing Russian language; Sociolinguistics; Written communication; Education; Foreign speakers; Applied linguistics; Written discourse
• Online Access: https://academiccommons.columbia.edu/doi/10.7916/D8JW8RP2/download

This paper examines discursive features of engagement (Hyland, 2009) demonstrated by native English- and Russian-speaking academics in their research articles. Pronoun choice, formation of directives, references to shared information, and use of rhetorical questions are identified in written academic discourse and analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively. This research connects the use of interactional features in research-based writing and the communicative practices of the authors. It is argued that academic discursive traditions are molded by the sociocultural environment, which either encourages or discourages a writer to engage in dialogue with the reader.