Informal elements in English academic writing: threats or opportunities for advanced non-native speakers?

This chapter circumscribes linguistic analysis of certain 'informal elements' in academic writing, such as using imperatives. Then it turns to the non-native speaker (NNS) reactions to these usages. The chapter involves the stylistic investigations not only textual analysis, but also surveys of writing manuals, as well as face-to-face text-based interviews with research article authors and e-mail interviews with their journal editors. It consists of NNS graduate students, visiting scholars and an associate professor taking either a Research Paper or Dissertation Writing class at the University of Michigan in 1997. The chapter discusses the Informant reactions to the stylistic features, were elicited through a combination of recorded class discussion, e-mail follow-up interviews, and questionnaires. The chapter also discusses the fact that most of these NNS informants expressed considerable sensitivity to English-language grammatical and rhetorical choices once again points to the social constructionist nature of academic writing.