STUDENTS AS CONTRASTIVE RHETORICIANS: EXAMINING ESL STUDENT PERCEPTIONS OF L1 AND L2 RHETORICAL CONVENTIONS

Abstract

This paper explores four NNSs (2 Chinese speakers and 2 Arabic speakers) writing to varying audiences both in English and their L1, in order to explore the effects of language medium and audience awareness on student writing. Results suggest that students are acutely aware of how rhetorical conventions vary across languages, and are influenced by how they perceive those conventions. Student interviews suggest that the language in which they are writing strongly influences organizational patterns and lexical choices, as well as levels of directness and politeness. This study has implications for the teaching of L2 composition, including using inquiry about student perceptions of L1 and L2 rhetorical conventions to lead them to an awareness of how audience and language medium interact when writing across cultures.