Encountering Swales: Learning to Think with Genre
Through a reflective re-reading of John Swales’ work, this discussion note argues that his approach to genre has always implicitly addressed a central problem: how meaning is inferred rather than explicitly stated. Drawing on ethnographic research into geological writing and dialogue with French ESP...
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| Gepubliceerd in: | URI:https://journals.openedition.org/asp, |
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| Formaat: | Article ou chapitre numérique |
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ASp
2026
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| Online toegang: | Accès Université d'Orléans et IFPM Accès Université d'Orléans et IFPM |
| Samenvatting: | Through a reflective re-reading of John Swales’ work, this discussion note argues that his approach to genre has always implicitly addressed a central problem: how meaning is inferred rather than explicitly stated. Drawing on ethnographic research into geological writing and dialogue with French ESP traditions, it foregrounds the persistent gap between genre as textual form and genre as lived, tacit knowledge. While Swales’ contributions are often associated with formal textual analysis, his work also foregrounds inference, uptake, and social participation. In today’s context of digital genre hybridity and AI-generated texts, these dimensions become critical. The paper proposes indexicality as a framework for analyzing how subtle cues signal credibility, alignment, and belonging within communities of practice. In doing so, it positions genre as the site and enabling condition for inferential and socially consequential processes, rather than solely as a stable textual object. |
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