Abstract

While the use of metadiscourse in L2 writing has received considerable attention in the past, little effort has been made to examine how L2 writers’ use of metadiscourse in academic writing has evolved over time. In addressing this, the present study explored a diachronic evolution of interactional metadiscourse in research articles (RAs) published across a span of 40 years (1980-2021) in English Teaching. Based on 931 articles consisting of 6.4 million words, we examined whether the use of interactional metadiscourse has changed over the past 40 years. Our findings revealed that there was a global decrease in interactional metadiscourse over the past 40 years. While the frequency and diversity of interactional metadiscourse have slightly decreased over time, the proportion of each metadiscourse category remained consistent. The study further suggests that Korean L2 scholars who publish in English Teaching tend to hedge more than they boost or use attitude markers compared to those who publish in global journals.

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call

Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.