Volume 6-4 December 2010.

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Title
A Swalesian Genre Approach to the Investigation of the Introduction Sections of English, Persian, and EFL Applied Linguistic Research Articles

 Authors
Zahra Amirian (Ph.D)
University of Isfahan, Iran.

Mansoor Tavakoli (Ph.D)
University of Isfahan, Iran.

Bio Data
Zahra Amirian holds a PhD in TEFL from the University of Isfahan, Iran. She is an assistant professor at the University of Isfahan and has taught English to Persian EFL students for more than 10 years. Her research interests are intercultural rhetoric, and genre analysis.   
                      
Mansoor Tavakoli holds a PhD in TEFL from the University of Isfahan, Iran. He is an assistant professor and has taught English in the University of Isfahan for 15 years. His research interests are language teaching and assessment.                                                                                      

Abstract
This study analyzed the Introduction sections of applied linguistic research articles across English and Persian languages and compared them with the Introduction sections of English RAs written by Persian EFL writers. The purpose of this investigation was to find out the discrepancies in move schemas and the communicative and lexico-grammatical realizations of moves across the three groups of RAs. The major concern of this study was finding the differences in genre conventions between English and EFL RAs since these differences may even lead to EFL writers’ failure in getting their RAs published in English international journals.   

The results revealed some similarities as well as differences in frequency, sequence, and even communicative functions of moves and steps across English, Persian, and EFL RAs. Some differences between English and EFL RAs may arise from EFL writers’ insufficient knowledge or awareness of the genre conventions of RA writing in English. Some other differences may be due to the influence of cultural conventions associated with RA writing in Persian. This study may have implications for EFL writers who wish to get their papers published in English international journals.          

Key words: genre, research articles, Introduction sections, moves, steps, lexico-grammatical features.