Dr Elena Sheldon’s scientific contributions

The paper investigates the Discussion/Conclusion sections of research articles (RA) written by English L1, English L2 and Spanish L1 writers in applied linguistics, seeking to assist scholars in Spain and Latin America to get published in reputable international English-language journals, i.e. those listed in the Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI). It draws on move analysis, contrasting texts written in two languages and by three groups of writers, a first in the literature. The study will advance our understanding of the complexity of these RA sections, and the difficulties faced by scholars whose first language is not English but who are under institutional pressure to publish in English. Results showed variances in the move structures in the Discussion/Conclusion sections written by the three groups. The English L1 group produced more rhetorically complex texts than the Spanish L1 group, while the English L2 group displayed hybridity in their texts as they brought to the fore the rhetorical practices of their L1 culture. The findings are expected to assist scholars to make their intellectual contributions accessible in mainstream international publications, whatever their native language.