A Genre Analysis of Introductions in TCFL MA Theses by Chinese and Korean Students Using the CARS Model

Abstract

With the increasing number of international students in China, many encounter dual challenges in structural organization and linguistic expression when writing academic papers in Chinese. The introduction, as a critical component of a thesis, not only sets the research framework and contextualizes the topic for the readers but also significantly influences the overall quality of the work. Drawing on the CARS model, this study investigates the genre characteristics of introduction sections in 40 master’s theses in Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language (TCFL) written by Chinese and Korean students. The analysis reveals that Chinese students predominantly adopt a linear structure, progressively elaborating on the necessity and core content of the research through a clear stepwise progression. In contrast, Korean students exhibit a preference for cyclic move structures, often characterized by redundancy, repetition, and weaker logical progression. These findings offer pedagogical implications for enhancing coherence and rhetorical clarity in academic writing among international students studying in China.