Impersonalization in English Scientific Discourse: Calculus of Means and ESP Applicability

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15829255

Abstract

This article examines the key distinctions between English for specific purposes (ESP) and General English (GE), focusing particularly on the concept of impersonalization. It seeks to illustrate that impersonalization in written scientific and academic contexts can be expressed through a variety of linguistic mechanisms, such as agentless passive constructions, impersonal general pronouns, it-clauses, and personification. This research utilizes a corpus-based methodology to examine the linguistic tools deployed to convey impersonalization within English academic discourse. Additionally, it seeks to analyze the occurrence of impersonalization in English research articles spanning multiple fields, such as dentistry, civil engineering, and mechanical engineering. The study aims to address the following questions: What are the linguistic structures used to indicate impersonalization? Are there notable differences in the ways various disciplines express nominalization? A collection of 30 primary empirical research articles from dentistry, civil engineering, and mechanical engineering was examined using both qualitative and quantitative analyses through the corpus linguistic method.