Analysing options in pedagogical business case reports: Genre, process and language

Nathan, P.B.

Abstract

Analysis of options has been identified as comprising an important element in the writing of pedagogical business case reports (Easton, 1993; Forman and Rymer, 1999a; Mauffette-Leenders, Erskine, and Leenders, 1997; Nathan, 2013). Based on a corpus of 23 options analysis texts extracted from business case reports (17,931 words) written by NS and NNS postgraduates at a UK university business school, this paper uses Swalesian genre move analysis as a framework for proposing a rhetorical structure for the options analysis move. The move structure proposed incorporates an initial introductory ‘orientation to the analysis’ move, followed by a cycle of rhetorical moves focussing on each option under consideration in turn. Moves in the cycle are (1) identifying the option; (2) providing a rationale/motivation for option consideration; (3) establishing the feasibility of the option; and (4) providing evaluational information about the option. A range of sub-moves are identified within each move, with further cycling at deeper levels found within move 3 and its functional equivalents. Frequency counts evidence differences in NS and NNS deployment of moves and sub-moves. Linguistic analysis using the Wordsmith Tools program indicates functional and rhetorical differences in NS-NNS deployment of modal verbs.

Citation

Nathan, P. (2016). Analysing options in pedagogical business case reports: Genre, process and language. English for Specific Purposes, 44, 1-15. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.esp.2016.04.006

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jun 9, 2016
• Online Publication Date: May 21, 2016
• Publication Date: 2016-10
• Deposit Date: Jul 11, 2016
• Publicly Available Date: Nov 23, 2021
• Journal: English for Specific Purposes
• Print ISSN: 0889-4906
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 44
• Pages: 1-15
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.esp.2016.04.006
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1401008