Exploring the Rhetorical Patterns in Turkish and English Expository Paragraphs of Turkish University Students with Different Proficiency Levels in English

Date

2024-9

Author

Köroğlu, Özlem

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This study aims to explore the rhetorical patterns in Turkish (L1) and English (L2) expository paragraphs written by Turkish university students with different proficiency levels in English (i.e., Elementary, Intermediate, and Upper-Intermediate), to investigate commonalities and differences in rhetorical preferences of students with different proficiency levels, and to uncover the possible reasons behind student’ rhetorical preferences. To achieve this aim, 75 English language learners from different proficiency levels (i.e., Elementary (n:25), Intermediate (n: 25), and Upper-intermediate (n: 25)) are included in the study. 25 native speakers of Turkish studying at the Department of Turkish Language Teaching are also involved in the study to better understand the rhetorical patterns used in Turkish expository paragraphs, and the possible influences of L1 on L2. The data of the study is obtained from multiple sources: (i) Turkish and English expository paragraphs, (ii) questionnaires, (iii) stimulated recalls with students, and (iv) semi-structured interviews with instructors. The study is conducted within the framework of Contrastive/Intercultural Rhetoric. The expository paragraphs of the students are analyzed both qualitatively and quantitatively in terms of the overall organization patterns and the macro-level rhetorical patterns in the paragraphs. MAXQDA is used for the data analysis. The findings of the research offer valuable implications for the teaching of L2 Writing, Curriculum Design, Materials Development, and for the teaching of L1 Writing.

Subject Keywords

Contrastive Rhetoric, Intercultural Rhetoric, Second Language Writing, L2 Proficiency, Expository Writing

URI

https://hdl.handle.net/11511/110952

Collections

Graduate School of Social Sciences, Thesis