Graduate learners’ approaches to genre-analysis tasks: Variations across and within four disciplines

Genre-based approaches are widely used in academic writing courses for graduate students. Yet, despite numerous studies of academic discourses and genres, there is still little research focusing on the learner in ESP genre-based instruction, and further consideration of individual learners’ responses to genre pedagogy is needed. This article reports on a study conducted at a multi-disciplinary humanities faculty. It examines graduate learners’ approaches to “examine-and-report-back” genre-analysis tasks by comparing 32 students from four disciplines: archaeology, history, literature, and media studies. The data are subjected to qualitative analysis inspired by the constant comparative method. The overview of features in students’ genre-analysis tasks across the four disciplines is illustrated with excerpts from student writing. Graduate learners’ approaches to genre-analysis fall into two categories: descriptive and analytical. It is shown that graduate learners’ approaches to genre-analysis tasks vary depending on individual students’ capacity to analyse academic texts in relation to their purpose, audience, and disciplinary practices. Another possible factor impacting this variation includes the extent of learners’ understanding of disciplinary knowledge-making practices. Finally, students’ own aims and learning histories affect the way they approach genre-analysis tasks.

► Focus on the graduate learner in ESP genre-based instruction. ► The study conducted at a multi-disciplinary humanities faculty. ► Genre-analysis tasks by 32 students of four disciplines are compared. ► Approaches to genre analysis fall into two categories: descriptive and analytical. ► Genre-analysis competence depends on genre and epistemological awareness.