Learner Corpus in Computer Science Abstracts as Emic Perspective into Composition Pedagogy Risa Rumentha Simanjuntak, Ienneke Indra Dewi, Muhartoyo, David Bourne
English Department, Faculty of Humanities
Bina Nusantara University
Indonesia 11480
Abstract
Learner language was considered as rich and natural source of real language use. Investigating learner writing would be able to reveal the emic perspective of writing and language learning. This study investigated the final year papers of Computer Science students. Student abstracts were used to further identify how learners present their study in concise yet persuasive manner. Data for this study was a corpus of 90 student abstracts from 6 universities in Indonesia. Results showed students applied strategies in constructing the research abstracts. The strategies included the use of metadiscourse markers, which were transition markers, frame markers, and evidentials. Students used metadiscourse markers to identify sections in their research abstracts, to state their stance, and also to present to differentiate their research from previous studies. It was found that students^ research abstracts in Computer Science applied different evidentials as compared to social sciences. Implications for writing pedagogy and the use of learner corpus as emic perspectives into more comprehensive composition pedagogy were also provided in this study
