| English as a second language argumentative writing has always been the emphasis in the study of second language acquisition.Previous studies mainly pay attention to the overall structures and quality of argumentative writing.Little research has been done on some specific argumentative methods and argumentative sufficiency in argumentative writing.In view of this,the present study focusing on exemplification analyzes the characteristics of exemplification patterns and exemplification sufficiency both in Chinese and American college students’ argumentative essays,as well as the similarities and differences between the two groups from the perspectives of exemplificatory markers,the types of exemplification and the sufficiency of argumentation.In this study,60 argumentative essays written by Chinese and American college students are selected as the linguistic material and the Toulmin model is adopted as the theoretical framework to examine exemplifying structures in these essays.It is expected that the findings of the present study can provide for second language learners some effective writing suggestions,which can make their argumentation more sufficient and persuasive.At the same time,it is expected to offer some enlightenment for second language teachers in guiding students to master more comprehensive rhetorical strategies in argumentative writing.The study found:1)there are 5 types of exemplification patterns in Chinesestudents’ essays and 9 types in American students’ essays.Although American students employ more types of exemplification patterns than Chinese students,exemplification patterns are more stably used in Chinese students’ essays.What’s more,the top 4 types of patterns preferred both by Chinese and American students are just the same;2)compared with implicit exemplification,both Chinese and American students prefer explicit exemplification and compared with brief exemplification,both Chinese and American students prefer extended exemplification;3)in explicit exemplification,exemplificatory markers are more flexibly positioned in American students’ essays;in implicit exemplification,the same patterns are used both in Chinese and American students’essays,and students in both groups tend to employ patterns with "warrant",which indicates the concept of "writer-responsibility";in brief exemplification,all the brief exemplification in Chinese students’ essays are explicit and most of them are without"warrant",and in American students’ essays,most brief exemplification are explicit and most exemplification are without "warrant";in extended exemplification,the frequencies of exemplification with "warrant" are more than half of the total exemplification in both Chinese and American students’ essays,which indicates the consideration of the element of "reader" and concept of "writer-responsibility";4)in terms of the sufficiency of argumentation,the argumentation of exemplifying in both groups is not sufficiently achieved.In the essays of the two groups,"warrant",as the bridge of the logic link between "data" and "claim",is not used sufficiently either.Finally,the research findings are analyzed and discussed,and the significance and possible implications of the present study are illustrated for second language learners and teachers in English argumentative writing. |
