Article: Metadiscourse in academic writing: A reappraisal

File Download Links for fulltext
(May Require Subscription)
Supplementary
  • Basic View
  • Metadata View
  • XML View
TitleMetadiscourse in academic writing: A reappraisal
AuthorsHyland, K1 3
Tse, P2 3
Issue Date2004
PublisherOxford University Press. The Journal's web site is located at http://applij.oxfordjournals.org/
CitationApplied Linguistics, 2004, v. 25 n. 2, p. 156-177+288 [How to Cite?]
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/applin/25.2.156
AbstractMetadiscourse is self-reflective linguistic material referring to the evolving text and to the writer and imagined reader of that text. It is based on a view of writing as social engagement and in academic contexts reveals the ways that writers project themselves into their discourse to signal their attitude towards both the propositional content and the audience of the text. Despite considerable interest in metadiscourse by teachers and applied linguists, however, it has failed to achieve its explanatory potential due to a lack of theoretical rigour and empirical confusion. Based on an analysis of 240 L2 postgraduate dissertations totalling 4 million words, we offer a reassessment of metadiscourse, propose what we hope is a more robust model, and use this to explore how these students used metadiscourse. Essentially our argument is that metadiscourse offers a way of understanding the interpersonal resources writers use to present propositional material and therefore a means of uncovering something of the rhetorical and social distinctiveness of disciplinary communities.
ISSN0142-6001
2011 Impact Factor: 1.885
2011 SCImago Journal Rankings: 0.039
DOIhttp://dx.doi.org/10.1093/applin/25.2.156
ISI Accession Number IDWOS:000221829400002
ReferencesReferences in Scopus
DC Field
Value
dc.contributor.authorHyland, K
dc.contributor.authorTse, P
dc.date.accessioned2010-12-23T08:47:31Z
dc.date.available2010-12-23T08:47:31Z
dc.date.issued2004
dc.description.abstractMetadiscourse is self-reflective linguistic material referring to the evolving text and to the writer and imagined reader of that text. It is based on a view of writing as social engagement and in academic contexts reveals the ways that writers project themselves into their discourse to signal their attitude towards both the propositional content and the audience of the text. Despite considerable interest in metadiscourse by teachers and applied linguists, however, it has failed to achieve its explanatory potential due to a lack of theoretical rigour and empirical confusion. Based on an analysis of 240 L2 postgraduate dissertations totalling 4 million words, we offer a reassessment of metadiscourse, propose what we hope is a more robust model, and use this to explore how these students used metadiscourse. Essentially our argument is that metadiscourse offers a way of understanding the interpersonal resources writers use to present propositional material and therefore a means of uncovering something of the rhetorical and social distinctiveness of disciplinary communities.
dc.description.naturelink_to_subscribed_fulltext
dc.identifier.citationApplied Linguistics, 2004, v. 25 n. 2, p. 156-177+288 [How to Cite?]
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/applin/25.2.156
dc.identifier.citeulike10924494
dc.identifier.doihttp://dx.doi.org/10.1093/applin/25.2.156
dc.identifier.epage177+288
dc.identifier.isiWOS:000221829400002
dc.identifier.issn0142-6001
2011 Impact Factor: 1.885
2011 SCImago Journal Rankings: 0.039
dc.identifier.issue2
dc.identifier.scopuseid_2-s2.0-4043134585
dc.identifier.spage156
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10722/130138
dc.identifier.volume25
dc.languageeng
dc.publisherOxford University Press. The Journal's web site is located at http://applij.oxfordjournals.org/
dc.publisher.placeUnited Kingdom
dc.relation.ispartofApplied Linguistics
dc.relation.referencesReferences in Scopus
dc.titleMetadiscourse in academic writing: A reappraisal
dc.typeArticle
Author Affiliations
  1. University of London
  2. Chinese University of Hong Kong
  3. University of London, Institute of Education