Move analysis in statement of purpose written by undergraduate students: a comparative study between American and Japanese students

The objectives of this study were to analyze the move structure patterns and investigate the similarities and differences between SOP written by American and Japanese undergraduate students. A total of 35 SOP were coded using the move and step categorizations adapted from Samraj and Monk (2008), and Chiu (2016). The data analysis was divided into (1) move frequency, (2) move sequence, (3) move cycling, and (4) move length. The findings revealed that the three moves with the highest frequency were “Reasons for applying” (100% in both groups), “Introduction” (81.25% in SOP written by the American students, 100% in SOP written by the Japanese students), and “Future career/plan” (62.50% in SOP written by the American students, 89.47% in SOP written by the Japanese students). The findings suggest that students seem to dedicate more of their SOP to expressing their intentions and expectations regarding the program. The major difference between the SOP written by the American and Japanese students was the number of move sequences. The findings of the present study revealed the conventions of SOP for undergraduate programs in multiple disciplines, providing a resource for authentic moves and the possible sequences when composing an SOP. Regarding the pedagogical implications, writing teachers can use the findings as a resource to help students produce English texts for specific purposes.