An Introduction to Applied Linguistics

• When and Where: the reader can use this strategy before beginning to read, 
and at the beginnings and ends of paragraphs and sections. In fact, the reader 
can use this strategy throughout the reading. Explicit use of this strategy may 
work best with academic texts and other information texts. Implicit use of this 
strategy may be sufficient when reading for pleasure, with texts intended to be 
enjoyed and not remembered in detail.
• Evaluation: the reader should ask herself whether this strategy is working for 
her, to help enhance her understanding of the text’s meaning, and whether it is 
worth the effort being exerted.

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280 An Introduction to Applied Linguistics
Chapter 14, 
Writing
Suggested Answers
Describe the rhetorical situation for this writing task. Who is the author? Who are the 
readers? What genre is being used? What pieces of information does the author need to 
provide? 
The rhetorical situation is to respond to the call for papers for a well-established 
international conference on second language writing. The task is to write a proposal 
for a 20-minute paper presentation. The call for papers states that the organizers 
‘welcome proposals from around the world’, which means submissions from outside the 
USA are encouraged. The author is a second language writing researcher working in 
Taiwan, and the readers are anonymous proposal reviewers who are knowledgeable 
members in the field. The proposal would need to provide information about 
the purpose and focus of the presentation, rationale for the particular topic, a 
description of how new knowledge will be attained (that is, method, including 
setting, data collection and analysis), a brief summary of the findings (if the study 
has been completed), and a brief discussion of the implications or contributions to 
the field. 
How well established does this writer sound? A novice researcher? An experienced 
researcher? A well-established authority? What are some of the textual features that 
gave you a sense of the author’s level of expertise? 
The author seems to be an insider in the field with some research experience, 
though she or he is probably a relative newcomer. The proposal identifies an 
important issue in the field that has been underexplored, and includes all of 
the essential components for a conference proposal. The presentation of the 
information seems somewhat unconventional; some of the key information (for 
example, purpose and focus, data collection method) is buried in other details that 
are presented in the narrative mode. It may be an indication that the person is 
not fully versed in the genre of conference proposals. For example, the entire first 
paragraph provides the background information without any explicit reference 
to the presentation or the study, and the purpose of the study is not mentioned 
explicitly until the beginning of the second paragraph. The second paragraph 
focuses on what the study will likely accomplish (expected outcomes) but not 
enough on how (method). In fact, the method (that is, interviews) is introduced 
in a sub-clause (‘by interviewing each teacher’), as if it is background information. 
How well does the author relate local issues to the international audience? 
The author relates local issues of writing teacher education by casting the issues in 
general terms (‘When it comes to teaching writing, few upper level faculty shoulder such 
responsibilities...’) and by stating the possible implications (‘...this study identifies 
issues that may impact the value of current writing curriculum in higher education’; 
‘The findings of this study not only enhance our understanding of the essence of writing