This study investigates the acquisition and use of metadiscourse markers in learners/users of L2 Spanish and the role these markers play in the development of fluency and conversational participation during a five-month stay in Spain as exchange students of business administration. The study has been conducted in three steps. The first part focuses on the theory and categorization of metadiscourse markers, followed by an analysis of the use and development of these markers in learners of L2 Spanish. The second part deals with the categorization and operationalization of aspects of fluency and conversational participation that can be associated with the use of metadiscourse markers; followed by an analysis of these aspects in the performance of the learners. The third part of the study is a summary of the results obtained and a discussion of the relationship between the use of metadiscourse markers and the development of fluency and conversational participation. The data underlying the current study consists of a selection of 17 recorded conversations between learners of L2 Spanish and native speakers of Spanish taken from the AKSAM database. The conversations belong in two activity types: discussions and simulated negotiations. The selected sample has a duration of approx. 10 hours and comprises 87 683 words. The study focuses on nine learners who have been recorded at the beginning and at the end of their five month study-abroad stay. Results show that frequency of use of metadiscourse markers has increased considerably at the end of the stay in the majority of the learners under study. A qualitative development can also be found, through which the metadiscourse markers that characterize the learners’ L1 and/or interlanguage have been substituted by more target-like expressions. Furthermore, both their fluency and level of conversational participation have generally increased. Within this development, however, a notable individual variation can be found. The learners who show the strongest development as regards fluency and conversational participation are also found to exhibit the most salient development of metadiscourse markers. Since disfluency is reduced to a lesser degree in those participants who also exhibit a less developed use of metadiscourse markers, it is argued that the development of metadiscourse markers in the L2 learner runs parallel to the development of discourse skills, but also that acquiring an adequate use of metadiscourse markers helps developing these skills.

Questa tesi riflette l’attuale interesse per il dibattito educativo sul ruolo e sull’uso dell’inglese come lingua veicolare in ambiente accademico. I programmi che utilizzano l’inglese come Medium of Instruction (EMI) sono al centro dell’attenzione di questo studio, che si compone di una parte quantitativa e una parte qualitativa. Attraverso un’analisi aggiornata dei dati raccolti da Costa e Coleman nel 2012, la prima parte descrive i risultati di un questionario spedito a tutte le università italiane; la parte qualitativa descrive l’utilizzo dei marcatori metadiscorsivi impiegati da quattro docenti dell’Università Cattolica di Milano. A tale scopo, è stata adottata una versione semplificata del modello di Ädel (2003), proposto da Nobles (2010), e applicato in questa sede al discorso accademico orale. L’aumento del numero di corsi di EMI in Italia registrato da Costa e Coleman nel 2012 è rimasto stabile. Il confronto tra l’uso di marcatori metadiscorsivi personali e impersonali mostra un maggior utilizzo dei primi, in particolare del pronome personale “we”. Infine, lo studio vuole fornire dati e riflessioni a docenti, istituzioni universitarie e legislatori, utili anche alla progettazione di corsi di formazione per insegnanti. / This thesis reflects the shared current interest in the ongoing educational debate on the role and use of English as a medium of instruction in academic settings. English as a Medium of Instruction (EMI) programs are the main focus of this study which includes a quantitative and a qualitative part. Through an up-to-date analysis of the data on EMI courses in Italy collected by Costa and Coleman in 2012, the first part shows the results of a questionnaire that was sent to all Italian universities; the qualitative part describes the use of metadiscourse markers by four Italian lecturers at the Università Cattolica of Milan. The simplified and restricted classification model of metadiscourse markers proposed by Nobles (2010), adapted from Ädel (2003), was here applied to the academic spoken discourse. The increase in the number of EMI courses in Italy registered by Costa and Coleman in 2012 has remained stable. The comparison of the use of personal and impersonal metadiscourse shows that personal metadiscourse tokens surpass the impersonal counterpart, with the pronoun “we” as the most frequent self-mention marker in the corpus. Finally, the present study can be of great interest both for lecturers and university policymakers or teacher-training designers.

[ES] Esta investigación formó parte del proyecto concedido por el Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad, del Gobierno de España, con referencia FFI2016-77941-P, liderado por la Dra. María Luisa Carrió-Pastor, investigadora, catedrática y directora del Departamento de Lingüística Aplicada, de la Universitat Politècnica de València, España. Se investigó, analizó, reconoció y comparó las estrategias metadiscursivas presentes en los discursos políticos de Lenín Moreno, de Ecuador y de Pedro Sánchez, de España. El estudio identificó patrones metadiscursivos contenidos en el lenguaje político y examinó los mecanismos discursivos de persuasión que apelaban al ethos, pathos y logos, con los que se quería incidir de modo directo o indirecto en las audiencias. El objeto del estudio era determinar la función que cumplían los marcadores del metadiscurso, a nivel retórico-argumentativo, en los discursos utilizados por los políticos referidos para argumentar sus puntos de vista. Se recopiló manualmente discursos presidenciales que abarcaron los años 2017, 2018, 2019 y 2020. Se generó el CORPUS ECU-ES que agrupó 967.382 palabras. El 51% correspondió a Ecuador y el 49% a España. En el primer caso, se observó un período de 34 meses; y, en el segundo, 21 meses. El CORPUS ECU-ES se dividió en dos sub-corpus: el CORPUS ECU con 495.617 palabras (discursos de Lenín Moreno, de Ecuador); y, el CORPUS ES con 471.765 palabras (discursos de Pedro Sánchez, de España). Se utilizó el programa informático "METOOL", diseñado por el Research Institute for Information and Language Processing, of the University of Wolverhampton, del Reino Unido, y se etiquetó e identificó los patrones metadiscursivos. Se asumió como referencia la taxonomía propuesta por Hyland (2005) quien agrupa a los marcadores del metadiscurso en dos grandes categorías: textuales e interpersonales. Para el análisis de los datos, se adoptó la metodología de investigación cuantitativa-cualitativa. Se parametrizó, reconoció, delimitó, diferenció, comparó y correlacionó los patrones metadiscursivos y las diferentes variables obtenidas en el proceso investigador. El estudio determinó que los marcadores metadiscursivos reforzaron los mecanismos persuasivos a nivel retórico-argumentativo en los discursos políticos. Se estableció la concurrencia de variaciones en los patrones metadiscursivos utilizados por los políticos de Ecuador y España. La investigación reveló el uso de patrones metadiscursivos similares y diferentes, según la taxonomía de (Hyland 2005). El estudio estimó relevante contribuir y ampliar los marcos comprensivos de los estudios del metadiscurso, a partir de aportes investigativos, que consideran otros contextos comunicativos, en los estudios intralingüísticos de estilos diferentes del discurso político dentro de una misma lengua: el español. / [CA] Aquesta investigació va formar part del projecte concedit pel Ministeri d'Economia i Competitivitat, del Govern d'Espanya, amb referència FFI2016-77941-P, liderat per la Dra. María Luisa Carrió Pastor, investigadora, catedràtica i, directora de Departament de Lingüística Aplicada, de la Universitat Politècnica de València, Espanya. Es va investigar, analitzar, reconèixer i comparar les estratègies metadiscursivas presents en discursos polítics de l'Equador i Espanya. L'estudi va identificar patrons metadiscursius continguts en el llenguatge polític; i, va examinar els mecanismes discursius de persuasió que apel·laven a l'ethos, pathos i logos, amb els quals es volia incidir de manera directa o indirecte en les audiències. L'objecte de l'estudi era determinar la funció que complien els marcadors del metadiscurs, a nivell retòric-argumentatiu, en els discursos utilitzats pels polítics en Espanya i Equador per argumentar els seus punts de vista. Es va recopilar manualment discursos presidencials que van abastar els anys 2017, 2018, 2019 i 2020. Es va generar el CORPUS ECU-ES que va agrupar 967.382 paraules. El 51% va correspondre a l'Equador i el 49% a Espanya. En el primer cas, es va observar un període de 34 mesos; i, en el segon, 21 mesos. L'CORPUS ECU-ES es va dividir en dos sub-corpus: el CORPUS ECU amb 495.617 paraules (discursos de Lenín Moreno, de l'Equador); i, el CORPUS ÉS amb 471.765 paraules (discursos de Pedro Sánchez, d'Espanya). Es va utilitzar el programa informàtic "METOOL", dissenyat pel 'Research Institute for Information and Language Processing, of the University of Wolverhampton, del Regne Unit, i es va etiquetar i va identificar els patrons metadiscursius. Es va assumir com a referència la taxonomia proposada per Hyland (2005) qui agrupa els marcadors del metadiscurs en dos grans categories: textuals i interpersonals. Per a l'anàlisi de les dades es va adoptar la metodologia d'investigació quantitativa-qualitativa. Es va parametritzar, reconèixer, delimitar, diferenciar, comparar i correlacionar els patrons metadiscursius i les diferents variables obtingudes en el procés investigador. L'estudi va determinar que els marcadors metadiscursius van reforçar els mecanismes persuasius a nivell retòric-argumentatiu en els discursos polítics. Es va establir la concurrència de variacions en els patrons metadiscursius utilitzats pels polítics de l'Equador i Espanya. La investigació va revelar l'ús de patrons metadiscursius similars i diferents, segons la taxonomia de (Hyland 2005). L'estudi va estimar rellevant contribuir i ampliar els marcs comprensius dels estudis del metadiscurs, a partir d'aportacions investigadores, que consideren altres contextos comunicatius, en els estudis intralingüístics d'estils diferents del discurs polític dins d'una mateixa llengua: el castellà. / [EN] This research was part of the project granted by the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, of the Government of Spain, with reference FFI2016-77941-P, led by Dr. María Luisa Carrió Pastor, researcher, professor, and director of the Department of Applied Linguistics, of the Polytechnic University of Valencia, Spain. The metadiscursive strategies present in political discourses by Lenín Moreno from Ecuador and Pedro Sánchez from Spain were investigated, analyzed, recognized, and compared. The study identified metadiscursive patterns contained in political language and it has examined the discursive mechanisms of persuasion that appealed to ethos, pathos, and logos, with which was intended to influence the audiences directly or indirectly. The object of the study was to determine the function of metadiscourse markers, at the rhetorical-argumentative level, in the speeches used by the politicians referred to argue their points of view. Presidential speeches covering the years 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020 were collected manually. The CORPUS ECU-ES was generated, grouping 967,382 words. 51% corresponded to Ecuador and 49% to Spain. In the first case, a period of 34 months was observed and, in the second, 21 months. The CORPUS ECU-ES was divided into two sub-corpuses: the CORPUS ECU with 495,617 words (speeches by Lenín Moreno, from Ecuador) and, the CORPUS ES with 471,765 words (speeches by Pedro Sánchez, from Spain). The "METOOL" software, designed by the Research Institute for Information and Language Processing, of the University of Wolverhampton, UK, was used and the metadiscursive patterns were tagged and identified. The taxonomy proposed by Hyland (2005) was assumed as a reference, who groups the metadiscourse markers into two large categories: textual and interpersonal. For data analysis, the quantitative-qualitative research methodology was adopted. The metadiscursive patterns and the different variables obtained in the research process were parameterized, recognized, delimited, differentiated, compared, and correlated. The study has determined that the metadiscursive markers reinforced persuasive mechanisms at the rhetorical-argumentative level in political speeches. The concurrence of variations in the metadiscursive patterns used by the politicians of Ecuador and Spain was established. The research revealed the use of similar and different metadiscursive patterns, according to the taxonomy of (Hyland 2005). The study deemed it relevant to contribute and expand the comprehensive frameworks of metadiscourse studies, based on research contributions that consider other communicative contexts, in intralinguistic studies of different styles of political discourse within the same language: Spanish. / Aguinaga Aillón, DJ. (2022). Análisis comparativo de las estrategias metadiscursivas utilizadas en los discursos políticos en Ecuador y España [Tesis doctoral]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/182401