If-Conditionals in Economics Research Articles: From Keywords to Language Teaching/Learning in the L2 Writing-for-Publication Class?

Abstract

Using the tools of corpus linguistics, this study identifies the basic means of knowledge construction in research articles in economics. The results suggest that discourse-signals realize conditional prediction and empirical hypothesis within the macro-speech acts of hypothesis, analysis/interpretation/generalization and prediction, with if being the most key of all connectors and cohesive devices. If-conditionals are described based on categories such as factual and theoretical conditionals, case-specifying and rhetorical conditionals. Given the vast array of forms and functions, the complexity of conditionals can be considered relatively high from the point of view of explicit knowledge. Turning to implications and applications of the research for an elective L2 writing-for-publication program intended for Ph.D. students and researchers in economics, however, it is clear that scholars in economics can use their domain expertise and L1 genre awareness in the L2 classroom. In this context, some recommendations are given for developing consciousness-raising tasks, activities and materials about if-conditionals. Materials are intended to promote semantic processing, noticing and/or reflecting based on nontechnical vocabulary and working explanations that are comprehensible to the learner and adequate to his/her background knowledge, needs and goals. They comprise grammaticality judgments, in-class comparison of well-formed examples for rule identification, explicit corrective (peer) feedback and discussion of multiple-choice items and gap-fills.