A Study of Discourse Appropriation at the Postgraduate Level in China: A Memetic Perspective

Discourse appropriation as a language meme refers to the textual borrowing strategy in paper writing. It can be positive and negative depending on different contexts; however, this concept has not gained much attention in the Chinese writing field. To fill up the gap, the author reviewed studies of discourse appropriation at home and abroad with the expectation of enhancing Chinese researchers’ understanding about it and provoking more insightful thoughts in future research. Research findings indicate that even though L2 students in China claim to be well aware of discourse appropriation in their EAP writing, they still depend heavily on this textual strategy. As a countermeasure, they are expected to expend more effort on the study of academic conventions. Meanwhile, it is suggested that patchwriting as a positive form of appropriation should be viewed as an effective way for L2 learners to facilitate the assimilation of difficult knowledge and professional instructions in a discourse community. Key terms: memetics, discourse appropriation; academic writing; discourse community