The Role of Different 'Voices' in Writing

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The Role of Different 'Voices' in Writing

• Effective Learning
• for International Students

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Introduction

• What is voice in the context of essay writing?
• The authors voices
• The essay writers voice

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Why is it so important?

• It guides the reader through the essay helps to
  distinguish between
• What an author says
• What you think the author is saying
• What you think about what the author is saying

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The authors voice

• can be reported
• in your own words (paraphrased)
• as short in-text direct quotations
• longer indented direct quotations (single spaced)
  
• In all cases full references are necessary

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So, the essay writers voice

• Reports
• Analyses
• Evaluates/Criticises
• Organises

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The Reporter

• Example
• Conversation analysis (CA) has been increasingly
  used in the study of code-switching over the last
  5-10 years, especially by Auer (1984,1995,1998)
  and Li Wei (1998).

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The Analyser

• Examples
• Some instances of code-switching are closely
  related to the participants identities and role
  relations.
• It is possible to identify two main approaches in
  methodology top-down and bottom-up

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The Evaluator

• Example
• The last two points remain to be made about the
  methodology of both Li Wei and Auer. First, the
  assumed conversational principle of preference
  for one language, following from the basic
  assumption that conversation is systematically
  organised, is questionable (c.f.Sebba 20038).

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The Organiser

• Examples
• This essay is divided into
• In this essay I shall evaluate
• In section 2 I review
• In this study I shall use the method of
• Here I analyse five excerpts

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Getting the balance right 1

• What would be wrong with an essay if
• the reporter voice was used too much/not enough
• the organiser voice was used too much/not enough

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Getting the balance right 2

• What are the risks to the writer of being over
  critical?
• Examples
• Auer is wrong to claim that.
• Thornbury ought to be reminded that
• Skehan draws on what little evidence there is to
  consolidate his position

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Evaluating/Criticising with Caution

• Use hedging
• Auer seems to suggest that
• This might mean that
• Smith appears to indicate that
• Browns results could be interpreted as

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References

• Based on unpublished material by Joan Allwright
  and Jay Banerjee (IELE Lancaster University)