Rhetorical Dissonance in Bilingual Argumentation
(Does Arabic Rhetorical Logic Hinder or Enhance English Critical Writing?)
Keywords:
bilingual rhetoric, Arabic-English argumentation, contrastive rhetoric, critical writing, rhetorical dissonance, second language writing
Abstract
Critical writing in English is often characterized by explicit argumentation, linear progression, and direct authorial stance, while Arabic rhetorical traditions emphasize associative logic, implicit connections, and reader-responsible meaning construction. This study explores whether this rhetorical dissonance poses a barrier for Arabic-speaking EFL learners when developing critical writing skills in English or whether their bilingual rhetorical awareness can serve as an asset for argumentation. Using a mixed-methods approach, the study analyzes Arabic and English essays from bilingual university students, employing textual analysis to identify structural differences, think-aloud protocols to capture cognitive decision-making, and interviews with bilingual academics to explore how they navigate rhetorical tension in professional writing. Findings will shed light on whether Arabic rhetorical strategies interfere with English academic writing conventions or provide a unique argumentative framework that enriches bilingual writing competence. By challenging monolingual critical writing models, this study proposes a bilingual rhetorical approach that acknowledges the dynamic interaction between Arabic and English argumentative structures, offering insights for second language writing instruction.
References
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38. Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes. Harvard University Press.
39. Zhang, D., & Lu, X. (2020). The comparative effects of receptive and productive vocabulary knowledge on Chinese EFL learners' writing quality. Language Testing, 37(3), 389-411. https://doi.org/10.1177/0265532219880192
2. Abdul-Raof, H. (2018). Theological approaches to Qur’anic exegesis: A practical comparative-contrastive analysis. Routledge.
3. Alharthi, T. (2021). The role of repetition in vocabulary acquisition among Saudi EFL learners: Evidence from Quranic recitation. Language Learning & Technology, 25(3), 85-102. https://doi.org/10.125/llt.2021.0085
4. Al-Issa, A. (2022). Rhetorical challenges in academic writing for Arab EFL learners: Insights from contrastive rhetoric. English for Specific Purposes, 66, 39-50. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.esp.2021.11.004
5. Baddeley, A. (1997). Human memory: Theory and practice (Revised ed.). Psychology Press.
6. Bazerman, C. (1988). Shaping written knowledge: The genre and activity of the experimental article in science. University of Wisconsin Press.
7. Blake, W. (1794). The Tyger. In Songs of Experience.
8. Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77-101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa
9. Canagarajah, A. S. (2013). Translingual practice: Global Englishes and cosmopolitan relations. Routledge.
10. Chen, Y., & Wu, J. (2024). Argument structure and critical thinking in EFL writing: The influence of first-language rhetorical traditions. Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 61, 101208. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeap.2023.101208
11. Coxhead, A., & Byrd, P. (2020). Academic vocabulary and writing development in L2 learners: A corpus-based perspective. TESOL Quarterly, 54(4), 999-1021. https://doi.org/10.1002/tesq.567
12. Ellis, N. C. (2005). At the interface: Dynamic interactions of explicit and implicit language knowledge. Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 27(2), 305-352. https://doi.org/10.1017/S027226310505014X
13. El-Aswad, A. (2019). Arabic-English academic writing: A contrastive rhetorical analysis of structural and argumentative patterns. Journal of Language and Intercultural Communication, 19(2), 125-141. https://doi.org/10.1080/14708477.2018.1490916
14. Frost, R. (1923). Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening.
15. García, O., & Li Wei, L. (2014). Translanguaging: Language, bilingualism and education. Palgrave Macmillan.
16. Grabe, W., & Stoller, F. (2019). Teaching and researching reading (3rd ed.). Routledge.
17. Hamp-Lyons, L. (2019). English for Academic Purposes: 50 years on. Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 41, 100767. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeap.2019.100767
18. Hirvela, A. (2022). Connecting reading and writing in second language instruction: Toward pedagogical synergy. Journal of Second Language Writing, 58, 100933. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jslw.2022.100933
19. Hyland, K. (2006). English for Academic Purposes: An advanced resource book. Routledge.
20. Hyland, K. (2018). Genre and second language writing. University of Michigan Press.
21. Ibrahim, H., & Younes, M. (2023). Literary texts as cultural mirrors in bilingual EAP writing: A case study from Saudi Arabia. English Teaching & Learning, 47(1), 79-98. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42321-022-00105-3
22. Kaplan, R. B. (1966). Cultural thought patterns in inter-cultural education. Language Learning, 16(1-2), 1-20. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-1770.1966.tb00804.x
23. Kubota, R. (1998). An investigation of L1-L2 transfer in writing among Japanese university students: Implications for contrastive rhetoric. Journal of Second Language Writing, 7(1), 69-100. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1060-3743(98)90006-6
24. Larsen-Freeman, D. (2017). Complexity theory and its relevance for second language acquisition. The Modern Language Journal, 101(S1), 23-37. https://doi.org/10.1111/modl.12303
25. Lea, M. R., & Street, B. V. (1998). Student writing in higher education: An academic literacies approach. Studies in Higher Education, 23(2), 157-172. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079812331380364
26. Lillis, T. M., & Tuck, J. (2016). Academic literacies: A critical lens on writing and reading in the academy. In K. Hyland & P. Shaw (Eds.), The Routledge handbook of English for Academic Purposes (pp. 30-43). Routledge.
27. Maton, K. (2014). Knowledge and knowers: Towards a realist sociology of education. Routledge.
28. Nation, I. S. P. (2013). Learning vocabulary in another language (2nd ed.). Cambridge University Press.
29. Neuwirth, A. (2010). The Qur’an and late antiquity: A contextualist approach. Oxford University Press.
30. Paran, A. (2020). The place of literature in EAP. Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 47, 100907. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeap.2020.100907
31. Pennycook, A. (2001). Critical applied linguistics: A critical introduction. Routledge.
32. Poe, E. A. (1845). The Raven.
33. Rosenblatt, L. M. (1994). The reader, the text, the poem: The transactional theory of the literary work. Southern Illinois University Press.
34. Rumelhart, D. E. (1980). Schemata: The building blocks of cognition. In R. Spiro, B. Bruce, & W. Brewer (Eds.), Theoretical issues in reading comprehension (pp. 33-58). Erlbaum.
35. Schmitt, N. (2020). Vocabulary in language teaching (2nd ed.). Cambridge University Press.
36. Swales, J. M. (1990). Genre analysis: English in academic and research settings. Cambridge University Press.
37. Sweller, J. (1988). Cognitive load during problem solving: Effects on learning. Cognitive Science, 12(2), 257-285. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15516709cog1202_4
38. Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes. Harvard University Press.
39. Zhang, D., & Lu, X. (2020). The comparative effects of receptive and productive vocabulary knowledge on Chinese EFL learners' writing quality. Language Testing, 37(3), 389-411. https://doi.org/10.1177/0265532219880192
Published
2025-05-23
How to Cite
Dr. Mohammed Hassan Alshaikhi. (2025). Rhetorical Dissonance in Bilingual Argumentation: (Does Arabic Rhetorical Logic Hinder or Enhance English Critical Writing?). Journal of Arts, Literature, Humanities and Social Sciences, (120), 375-387. https://doi.org/10.33193/JALHSS.120.2025.1433
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Copyright (c) 2025 Dr. Mohammed Hassan Alshaikhi
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