Authorial Voice in Academic Writing: A Contrastive Perspective

Abstract

本研究通過包含3個學科(文學、教育學、化學)和兩種語言(中文、英文)的學術文章語料庫,對學術文章中'寫作者聲音'的出現形式及頻率進行了語言間和學科間的對比,發現語言層面上的差異比學科間的差異顯著。這一結論與西方現有的研究結論相悖,即學科規范比語言規范更能約束寫作者在撰寫學術文章時的遣詞酌句,說明由于中西方語言的巨大差異,使得學科的規范力不及語言的規范力。 This paper contrasts the manifestation of authorial identity in English and Chinese research articles across three fields. The study seeks to find patterns governing the use of self-mention devices among native English writers and Chinese writers, and to explain such patterns in terms of self-perception. The paper suggests that English authors have a stronger tendency to use pronominal forms than depersonalized forms. It is also found that in using first-person pronouns, English authors of single-authored papers have a salient preference for the singular rather than the plural, thus forming a sharp contrast with Chinese authors. In term of pattern choice for self-mention, the findings suggest that language regulation is more influential than discipline regulation, which is not in concordance with findings by western scholars.