1. CONTRASTIVE RHETORIC
INTRODUCTION

2. Definitions
„Contrastive rhetoric is an area of research in second language acquisition that identifies problems in composition encountered by second language writers and, by referring to the rhetorical strategies of the first language, attempts to explain them.”
(Ulla Connor, 1996:5)

3. „Contrastive rhetoric has its origins in notions of language structure, learning and use which are not strongly autonomous, and its goal is to describe ways in which written texts operate in larger cultural contexts.”
(Grabe & Kaplan, 1996:5)

4. Robert Kaplan’s work 1966: Culture-based thought patterns in writing
English Semitic Oriental Romance Russian

5. Influences of the Kaplanean idea
L1 in the way of logical thinking and linear discourse construction
Ethnocentric bias
„whether the Japanese are capable of using logical arguments to the degree that other people are”
(Hazen, 1986:232)
Instructional focus: eliminating L1 traditions, inculcating new L2 patterns

6. Early research concerns: focus on differences
Reader/writer-friendly styles
(Hinds, 1987)
Rhetorical organisation, discourse structure (Clyne, 1987; Connor, 1987)
Cohesion and coherence (Connor, 1984)
Method: discourse analysis

7. Criticism of the Kaplanean idea
Comparing novice L2 writing with professional L1 writing
No control of topic, genre and length
Stereotypes, no concern for variation within a culture
Too broad categories
Ethnocentric

8. New trends Similarities (Connor, 1987, Wolfe, 2008)
Development (Stalker & Stalker, 1989)
New languages (Finnish, Polish, Czech)
Intellectual styles, roots of differences(Ramanathan & Atkinson, 1999)
Fight for linguistic rights (Kubota,1997; Kontra, 1997)

9. New concerns
Initiating into L2 rhetorical practices (Connor & Mayberry’s 1996, Belcher & Connor, 2003)
Exploring roots and harmonising differences (Petric, 2004; Bloch 2008)
Writing as socially constructed activity (Hyland, 2008)

10. New methods Practicioner research (Liu & You, 2008)
Insider (team) research (Yang & Cahill, 2008)
Focus on process vs. product
Ethnographic methods

11. Future directions Looking for a global identity (Li, 2008)
Concern for methodology: comparable corpora
Variety vs. stereotyping