Contrastive Rhetoric: Pedagogical Implications for the ESL Teacher in Singapore

Abstract

This study investigated the rhetorical styles of English and Chinese expository prose and analyzed sixty compositions written by English-As-A-Second Language (ESL) ninth graders in Singapore. The first part of the study involved the delineation of the rhetorical patterns of English and Chinese expository styles. A Contrastive Rhetoric study was then undertaken of the two styles. The similarities and differences at the composition, paragraph, and sentence levels of English and Chinese exposition have been highlighted. The second part of the study involved the analysis of sixty English compositions written by nine-grade Chinese ESL students in Singapore. Four Singapore teachers and the researcher did the analysis. These compositions were analyzed for rhetorical patterns and charateristics and were then compared and contrasted with English rhetorical patterns. The findings of the study suggested that the sixty students were influenced by Chinese rhetorical styles. The raters' analyses indicated that 39.2% of the sixty compositions exhibited the English three-part pattern of Introduction-Body-Conclusion, and 50.6% exhibited the Chinese four-part pattern of Introduction-Body-Related or Con trasting Subtheme-Conclusion. The raters also indicated that 71.4% of the compositions had examples of digression, repetition, and in- direction and 53.8% had flowery, metaphorical styles. Pedagogically, results of this study imply a need for in-service programs for ESL teachers which address rhetorical theory for teaching composition. One corollary of that would be modification of the Singapore ESL curriculum to include rhetorical theory and its concurrent teaching techniques, which will help to minimize the ef fects of negative language transfer from Chinese to English composi tion writing.