Voice
in Japanese Written Discourse: Implications for Second Language Writing
Journal of Second Language Writing10.1-2 (2001)
While the study of written
discourse that informs the field of L2 writing has generated many insights
into its generalizable features, individual variations have largely
been neglected. This article explores the possibilities for the study
of divergent aspects of discursive practices by focusing on the notion
of voice and considers the implications for L2 writing research and
instruction. I begin by examining recent critiques of the notion of
voice that emphasize its strong association with the ideology of individualism
and argue that the notion of voice is not exclusively tied to individualism.
To demonstrate that the practice of constructing voice is not entirely
foreign to so-called "collectivist cultures," I present evidence
of voice in Japanese electronic discourse, focusing on how voice is
constructed through the use of language-specific features. Based on
this analysis, I argue that the difficulties that Japanese students
face in constructing voice in English written discourse are due not
to its incompatibility with their cultural orientation but to the different
ways in which voice is constructed in Japanese and English as well
as the lack of familiarity with the strategies available in English.
Matsuda, P. K. (2001). Voice
in Japanese written discourse: Implications for second language writing. Journal
of Second Language Writing, 10(1-2), 35-53.