A Discourse Analysis of Metadiscourse in Academic Writing by Postgraduate Students

الملخص

This study explores how advanced second language writers employ metadiscourse by examining a corpus of thirteen master’s theses written by Iraqi MA students. It focuses on three challenging sections: the introduction; the results and discussion; and the conclusions. Adapting Hyland’s model (2005a), the study employs discourse analysis of written texts alongside contrastive analysis to examine how variations across disciplines influence the use of metadiscourse in academic writing by novice MA students. This analysis uncovers specific discourse characteristics that set this genre apart from others and highlights the disciplinary differences within it. By combining genre analysis and metadiscourse analysis into a single framework, the study offers fresh perspectives on the tools available to writers to organize their texts and interact with readers and the content of their written product, thereby contributing to a more theoretical understanding of the writing of MA theses. It also makes findings available for pedagogical applications at the appropriate level. Reliability is ensured by using a t-test. The results show that metadiscourse is an effective academic technique that writers employ to present themselves, their positions, and their readers. The study also indicates that there are significant differences in the use of some metadiscoursal markers within the discipline. Based on the study’s findings, the researcher suggests that particular emphasis be placed on these markers, especially in advanced academic writing, to enhance students’ discourse competence.