Towards a Theory of Text for Contrastive Rhetoric

Contents: The book offers a working theory of text with direct application to research in cross-language written discourse, or Contrastive Rhetoric. Implications for research and teaching ESL writing are offered.

The Author: James E. Martin is an assistant professor of English at the University of Guam (USA). He received his B.A. and M.A. from the University of Hawaii at Manoa and his Ph.D. from Bowling Green State University in Ohio. Trained in both ESL and rhetoric/composition, he has specialized in the intersection of these two disciplines. He has taught widely in Asia and the Pacific basin.

"James Martin's work is a landmark study of the ways our theories of textuality affect the kind and quality of research we can conduct in the fields of linguistics, rhetoric, and literary theory. The field of ESL especially needs the historical perspective and insight Dr. Martin provides. I know of no other contemporary work in rhetorical theory or linguistics that so lucidly assesses the blind alleys and false notions of our field or that suggests so fruitful a path for future research. We are greatly in Dr. Martin's debt." (Bruce L. Edwards, Bowling Green State University)
"Martin's text makes an important contribution to contrastive rhetoric studies, in that his work both widens and deepens the potential theoretical base, testing methods by which cross cultural and cross genre texts can be compared. Using seven measures, two text-centered and five user-centered, he is able to demonstrate both quantitatively and qualitatively, the function of text fashioning as a communicative act, a mediation between writer intention and reader interpretation." (Shirley E. Ostler, Bowling Green State University)
"Martin has taken a successful first step in providing a building block for the CR entreprise. ...the book has the potential of becoming the landmark of a new ear in CR research. It is undoubtedly a valuable reference for all CR practitioners." (Steve Chiang, Language Learning)