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Genre, Discourse, and Second Language Research
This article investigates the effects of genre and topic on the metaphors used by Chinese as a foreign language (CFL) learners’ writing. Using Conceptual Metaphor Theory as the theoretical framework, our study analyzed 900 essays, which include three genres (argumentative essays, narrative essays, and letter writing) and six topics, extracted from the HSK Dynamic Essay Corpus. The results show that both genre and topic influence the use of metaphors by CFL learners, but their effects manifest in different ways. Genre influences the frequency of metaphor due to differences in pragmatic purposes. Specifically, we found that argumentative essays and narrative essays exhibit a notably higher frequency of metaphor use than letter writing. Argumentative essays have a higher frequency than narrative essays. Topic not only affects the frequency of metaphor use but also influences the selection and frequency of classic source domains. Additionally, differences in metaphor frequency across topics are more pronounced in genres with higher metaphor frequency (argumentative essays and narrative essays) and insignificant in a genre with the lowest metaphor frequency (letter writing). Our findings contribute to the further development of conceptual metaphor theory, as well as to the teaching of genre and metaphor in Chinese L2 writing.
Genre, defined as a “staged goal‐oriented social process” (Martin, 2009), has long stood as a key principle in second‐language writing instruction. This article presents the principles underpinning genre theory as it relates to the language curriculum and the five phases of genre‐based L2 writing pedagogy. This pedagogy provides the foundation for a case study in which students in an intermediate, fifth‐semester German class at a small liberal arts college received instruction in the film review genre. Student products written prior to classroom work with film reviews are compared with those written after students had gained an awareness and understanding of the film review genre, revealing the positive effects of genre‐based instruction on student writing. In light of the future impact of generative artificial intelligence (AI) on writing pedagogy, the final section addresses how ChatGPT and similar platforms can potentially enhance genre‐based pedagogies. The article suggests ways in which generative AI can be incorporated into each phase of genre‐based second language writing instruction. As technologies such as ChatGPT become established in language classrooms, it is clear that the writing process must share the stage with written products, both in instruction and assessments.
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