Building on a collection of students’ perspectives and narratives, Ma examines how non-native English speaking (NNES) students negotiate English academic writing (EAW) to reveal the general patterns and distinct routes in addressing challenges in higher education.
With the significant expansion of internationalisation and student mobility, the discourse on cross-border education and how NNES students navigate the high-stakes educational journey remain pertinent. This book presents an in-depth qualitative study that investigates how NNES students in an English-medium university negotiate the demands of EAW in postgraduate study. The research foregrounds NNES students’ experiences and provides a comprehensive understanding of how they perceive, experience, and address the challenges of EAW by focusing on a group of mainland Chinese students studying in Hong Kong. Key topics discussed include the impact of English as an academic lingua franca on non-native speakers, the roles of universities in supporting these students, and lessons of individuals addressing academic challenges.
Written for NNES students, researchers and practitioners in higher education, including language professionals and other specialists in language teaching, this compelling text will also interest general readers of academic and linguistic literacy.
1. Introduction 2. Realities and Assumptions of Postgraduates and EAW Development 3. The Conceptual Framework: Perspectives of Writing Development and Agency 4. Using Qualitative Research Methods to Examine Perspectives, Practices, and Agency 5. Perspectives of Producing and Learning English Academic Writing 6. An Unexpected Success Story: The Case of Zhiqiang 7. Strategic Orchestration of Resources: The Case of Meiling 8. Independent Learning Out of No Choice: The Case of Mulan 9. From a Successful Chinese Researcher to a Silent English Writer: The Case of Guojia 10. Concluding Remarks: Understanding Chinese Postgraduates' EAW Journey Through the Lens of Agency
Xiaohao Ma is Associate Professor at the School of Foreign Languages at Tianjin University, China. Her current research interests include student experiences in English-medium education, advanced academic literacy, second language writing, and English for academic purposes.
Reviews for Negotiating Academic Writing in an English-Medium University: Chinese Postgraduates’ Perspectives, Practices, and Agency
“The book enlightens our understanding of how mainland Chinese students wrestle with different academic writing demands. I am most impressed with the rich narratives produced and the way the author relates them to the various tenets of the construct of 'learner agency'.” – Dr. Ken Lau, Associate Executive Director, Centre for Applied English Studies, the University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong “This book is based on a detailed research study which presents revealing insights of relevance to English-medium higher education institutions recruiting non-native English-speaking postgraduate students.” – Dr David Gardner, Adjunct Associate Professor, The University of Hong Kong
