Writing practices of the Master’s thesis in Italian as a foreign language Cover Image

Pratiche di stesura della tesi di laurea in italiano LS
Writing practices of the Master’s thesis in Italian as a foreign language

Author(s): Maria Załęska
Subject(s): Foreign languages learning, Higher Education , Methodology and research technology, Rhetoric
Published by: Uniwersytet Adama Mickiewicza
Keywords: Master’s thesis; academic discourse; rhetoric; genre; teaching, writing; Italian as foreign language;

Summary/Abstract: In the Italian academic discourse research, Master’s degree theses used to be studied mainly from the perspective of linguistic competencies of their authors. However, strictly linguistic skills are not the only challenge for undergraduate, who must also convey intellectual content in appropriate discursive and rhetorical forms. The paper explores the patterns of a peculiar form of “collaborative writing”, i.e. the cooperation between the thesis supervisor and the student. Using the example of Master’s theses in linguistics, written in Italian as a foreign language, three basic didactic approaches are discussed in the paper. In the didactics of content the supervisors emphasize knowledge, i.e. linguistic concepts expected to be applied in a Master’s thesis. In the didactics of forms, the supervisors focus on the linguistic code, that is, on grammatical and lexical correctness of the Master’s thesis. In the didactics of forms of content the supervisors use regularities observed in academic discourse, such as genre and rhetorical structures, as valuable teaching resources likely to help students develop metacommunicative awareness.

  • Issue Year: 49/2022
  • Issue No: 2
  • Page Range: 21-33
  • Page Count: 14
  • Language: Italian
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