Genre analysis (GA) is an approach, with associated techniques, by which one analyses a text, based on parameters that help define the text as belonging to a certain genre. Early work in the language learning community included studies by
Maher (1986) and Bhatia (1987), each of whom focused on genre in specific
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professional writing areas; however, it was not until Swales published his 1990 study, Genre Analysis, that this approach was applied to multiple areas of discourse and became more fully embraced.
Swales (1990) defined genre as a class of communicative events which have some shared set of communicative purposes which are identified by members of the specific professional or academic community in which the genre occurs. This
definition
Maher (1986) and Bhatia (1987), each of whom focused on genre in specific
8
professional writing areas; however, it was not until Swales published his 1990 study, Genre Analysis, that this approach was applied to multiple areas of discourse and became more fully embraced.
Swales (1990) defined genre as a class of communicative events which have some shared set of communicative purposes which are identified by members of the specific professional or academic community in which the genre occurs. This
definition