Personalizing the Scientific Discourse: Deviation or Contribution?

Articles in Press

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Assistant professor, Department of English Language Teaching, Farhangian University, Tehran, Iran

2 Department of English Language Teaching, Farhangian University, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

Abstract

Academic writing now proves to be a rich site for the construction of both disciplinary and personal identity. The construction of personal identity is unarguably influenced by diverse experiences, including gender. Also, intercultural studies have revealed that differences in writing cultures leave their imprints upon texts produced by writers from different language backgrounds. To examine these influences, the present study analyzed a corpus of 80 applied linguistics research articles authored by native male and female English and Persian writers for their cross linguistic and cross gender variations in the frequency and functions of first person pronouns—specifically I, we, and their other cases. Quantitative analyses showed both male and female English applied linguists drew on far more instances of these pronouns compared to their male and female Persian counterparts. However, no significant gender based differences emerged within each linguistic group. These patterns appear to reflect the disparate writing norms peculiar to Persian and Anglo-American writing cultures. In addition, qualitative analyses identified new functions for the pronouns beyond those previously documented. Pedagogical implications are discussed.

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Journal of English Language Teaching and Learning

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 10 August 2026

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