Prototyping Genre-Based AWE for L2 Research Writing: The Intelligent Academic Discourse Evaluator

Abstract

This chapter introduces a conceptual design model and demonstrates how this model was applied to a prototype genre-based AWE program — the Intelligent Academic Discourse Evaluator (IADE). I explain how the intended purpose of IADE dictated by the needs of targeted learners and teachers can be realized through a synthesis of the theoretical and operational principles covered in Chapter 3. This complex rationale is a judgmental analysis, which is an important segment of the evaluation argument (Chapelle, 2001) about IADE. The judgmental analysis will further be warranted by empirical analyses in Part II of this volume. I also include here a brief description of two empirical prerequisites — the preparation of training data from a specialized corpus and the development of the analysis engine for feedback generation.