DOI: 10.5176/2345-7163_1.1.1
Authors: Ferdinand L. Rellorosa
Abstract:
That graduate application essay plays a vital role in any graduate admission process in most universities in the Philippines and that little is known about its nature—both structure and function, this descriptive-exploratory study zeroed in on unearthing the underlying cognitive structure of personal statements written in Philippine English by Filipino graduate students of a graduate school in the Philippines, its possible recognition as a legitimate genre of inquiry and instruction. Using the hand tagged method in genre analysis under the movestep framework pioneered by Swales (1990), cognitive structuring model of Hopkins and Dudley-Evans (1998), and Bhatia’s (1993) model of genre analysis, the study identified five recurring moves, namely stating purpose/s and explaining reason/s for pursuing graduate studies, indicating research interest, enumerating personal attributes, stating career expectations and explaining social contribution. The study likewise revealed that Filipino graduate students tend to discuss their reason for pursuing a graduate degree more than to enumerate their qualities in establishing themselves as an ideal candidate for the program. These results proved to be valuable in considering personal statement a legitimate academic genre worthy of inclusion in any undergraduate academic writing course.
Keywords: cognitive structuring, genre analysis personal statement, Philippine English
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