Abstract It is now widely recognized that promotionalism permeates scholarly discourse. Yet a systematic account of rhetorical and linguistic means, which researchers across disciplines deploy to achieve this effect, is still to be developed. The present thesis attempts to contribute to the investigation of strategies and exponents of the promotional (meta)discourse in the humanities. In particular, it compares and contrasts research articles in language and literary studies published in North American academic journals during 2001-2006. This inquiry demonstrates that in both disciplines scholars utilize two rhetorical strategies to publicize their work: first, positive evaluation of one’s own study and of those investigations in which the current study is grounded and second, negative evaluation of dissenting views. A combination of both strategies is used to widen the gap between one’s contribution and (erroneous) alternative treatments. Among lexicogrammatical and discourse devices employed in both disciplines are evaluative lexis reinforced by derivational and inflectional morphology, coordination, comment clauses, personal pronouns, lexical cohesion, and discourse chunks sequencing. Distribution of promotional elements across article sections and moves in the two disciplines, however, differs. On the whole, the thesis reconfirms the advantage of specificity in teaching academic literacies advocated by many applied linguists and provides actual patterns that can be incorporated into writing curriculum.

Abstract It is now widely recognized that promotionalism permeates scholarly discourse. Yet a systematic account of rhetorical and linguistic means, which researchers across disciplines deploy to achieve this effect, is still to be developed. The present thesis attempts to contribute to the investigation of strategies and exponents of the promotional (meta)discourse in the humanities. In particular, it compares and contrasts research articles in language and literary studies published in North American academic journals during 2001-2006. This inquiry demonstrates that in both disciplines scholars utilize two rhetorical strategies to publicize their work: first, positive evaluation of one’s own study and of those investigations in which the current study is grounded and second, negative evaluation of dissenting views. A combination of both strategies is used to widen the gap between one’s contribution and (erroneous) alternative treatments. Among lexicogrammatical and discourse devices employed in both disciplines are evaluative lexis reinforced by derivational and inflectional morphology, coordination, comment clauses, personal pronouns, lexical cohesion, and discourse chunks sequencing. Distribution of promotional elements across article sections and moves in the two disciplines, however, differs. On the whole, the thesis reconfirms the advantage of specificity in teaching academic literacies advocated by many applied linguists and provides actual patterns that can be incorporated into writing curriculum.

This study examines attitudes towards anglicisms in Russian expressed in print media articles. Accelerated linguistic borrowing from English, a particularly visible aspect of the momentous language changes after the breakdown of the Soviet Union, has engendered a range of reactions. Print media articles spanning two decades and several central outlets are analysed to show how arguments for or against use of anglicisms are constructed, what language ideologies these arguments serve, and whether mediated language attitudes changed during the post-Soviet era. A summary of the history of Russian linguistic borrowing and language attitudes from the Middle Ages to the present day shows that periods of national consolidation provoked demands for the restriction of borrowing. Then, a survey of theories on language ideologies demonstrates that they function through the construction of commonsense argumentation in metadiscourse (talk about talk). This argumentation draws on accepted common knowledge in the Russian linguistic culture. Using critical discourse analytic tools, namely analysis of metaphor scenarios and of argumentation, I examine argumentative strategies in the mediated language debates. Particularly, the critical analysis reveals what strategies render dominant standpoints on anglicisms self-evident and logical to the audience. The results show that the media reaction to anglicisms dramatises language change in discourses of threat, justified by assumed commonsense rational knowledge. Whilst there are few reactions in the 1990s, debates on language intensified in the 2000s after Putin’s policies of state reinforcement came into effect, peaking around times of official language policy measures. Anglicisms and their users are subordinated, cast out as the Other, not belonging to the in-group of sensible speakers. This threat is defused via ridicule and claiming of the moral high ground. This commonsense argumentation ultimately supports notions of Russian as a static, sacred component of Russian nation building, and of speakers as passive. Close textual analysis shows that even articles claiming to support language change and the use of anglicisms use argumentation strategies of negativisation. Overall, a consensus on the character and role of the Russian language exists between all perspectives, emphasising the importance of rules and assigning speakers a passive role throughout.

Discourse connectives signal discourse coherence by making discourse relations explicit and by playing a role in the organization and structure of information in discourse. Therefore, their use in L2 writing is an important field of study that is likely to have implications for discourse competence both at the sentence-level discourse and at the level of larger discourse structure. The aim of the present study is to account for the use of three contrastive discourse connectives, but, however and although at both the microstructural and the macrostructural levels of discourse in the argumentative essays written by Turkish learners of English and native speakers of American English. The patterns of use by L2 learners are compared with those of native speakers. The analysis is based on 120 essays from two corpora: Turkish subcorpus of the International Corpus of Learner English (TICLE) and American subcorpus of Louvain Corpus of Native English Essays (ALOCNESS). The study reveals that the argumentative essays of Turkish learners of English and American students do not differ significantly regarding the three connectives neither structurally nor semantically. However, at the macrostructural level of discourse, differences concerning the pattern of argumentation and the role that the connectives play in the claim-counterargument-refutation pattern of organization were observed. Further analysis on other lexical items used in argumentation shows that in ALOCNESS, there is more reliance on other means, such as the lexical items expressing modality and those signaling the argumentative nature of the text.

MATSUOKA, Sayuri Grigório. A Metadiscursividade De Processos Referenciais. 2007. 104f. – Dissertação (Mestrado) – Universidade Federal do Ceará, Departamento de Letras Vernáculas, Programa de Pós-graduação em Linguística, Fortaleza (CE), 2007. / Submitted by Márcia Araújo (marcia_m_bezerra@yahoo.com.br) on 2014-08-20T13:30:02Z No. of bitstreams: 1 2007_dis_sgmatsuoka.pdf: 584009 bytes, checksum: b36c47501f57d5f5fb59c63af961be7e (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Márcia Araújo(marcia_m_bezerra@yahoo.com.br) on 2014-08-20T17:13:06Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 2007_dis_sgmatsuoka.pdf: 584009 bytes, checksum: b36c47501f57d5f5fb59c63af961be7e (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2014-08-20T17:13:06Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 2007_dis_sgmatsuoka.pdf: 584009 bytes, checksum: b36c47501f57d5f5fb59c63af961be7e (MD5) Previous issue date: 2007 / The proposal of this work is to identify and to describe the metadiscourse functions exercised by referential expressions. Identified these expressions still aimed at to present an analysis proposal for the evaluative content of these tends in view the influence of the writer positioning observation for the text sense construction. We considered the referential expressions object-of-speech just as the referring is conceived in the theory of the referenciation, as define it Apothéloz and Reichler-Beguelin (1995); Mondada and Dubois (2003); Marcuschi and Koch (1998). The second theory, regarding the metadiscourse, takes as principal theoretical presupposition the rhetorical notion elaborated by Hyland (1998). The elaboration of the methodology of the research felt by the classification of Cavalcante (2004 b and c) for the referential expressions; the classification of Hyland(1998, 2005) for the metadiscurso. As base for the analysis of the content axiológico of the referencial expressions with metadiscourse function, we used some categories of the Critical Discourse Analysis. / A proposta deste trabalho é identificar e descrever as funções metadiscursivas exercidas por expressões referenciais. Identificadas estas expressões objetivamos ainda apresentar uma proposta de análise para o conteúdo avaliativo destas tendo em vista a influência da observação do posicionamento do autor/co-enunciador para a construção de sentido do texto. Consideramos as expressões referenciais como objetos-de-discurso tal como os referente são concebidos na teoria da referenciação, conforme a definem Apothéloz e Reichler-Beguelin (1995); Mondada e Dubois (2003); Marcuschi e Koch (1998). O segundo constructo teórico, referente ao metadiscurso, toma como principal pressuposto teórico a noção retórica elaborada por Hyland (1998). A elaboração da metodologia da pesquisa se deu mediante a classificação de Cavalcante (2004 b e c) para as expressões referenciais; a classificação de Hyland(1998, 2005) para o metadiscurso. Como base para a análise do conteúdo axiológico das expressões referenciais com função metadiscursiva, utilizamos algumas categorias da Análise Crítica do Discurso.

CoordenaÃÃo de AperfeiÃoamento de Pessoal de NÃvel Superior / A proposta deste trabalho à identificar e descrever as funÃÃes metadiscursivas exercidas por expressÃes referenciais. Identificadas estas expressÃes objetivamos ainda apresentar uma proposta de anÃlise para o conteÃdo avaliativo destas tendo em vista a influÃncia da observaÃÃo do posicionamento do autor/co-enunciador para a construÃÃo de sentido do texto. Consideramos as expressÃes referenciais como objetos-de-discurso tal como os referente sÃo concebidos na teoria da referenciaÃÃo, conforme a definem ApothÃloz e Reichler-Beguelin (1995); Mondada e Dubois (2003); Marcuschi e Koch (1998). O segundo constructo teÃrico, referente ao metadiscurso, toma como principal pressuposto teÃrico a noÃÃo retÃrica elaborada por Hyland (1998). A elaboraÃÃo da metodologia da pesquisa se deu mediante a classificaÃÃo de Cavalcante (2004 b e c) para as expressÃes referenciais; a classificaÃÃo de Hyland(1998, 2005) para o metadiscurso. Como base para a anÃlise do conteÃdo axiolÃgico das expressÃes referenciais com funÃÃo metadiscursiva, utilizamos algumas categorias da AnÃlise CrÃtica do Discurso / The proposal of this work is to identify and to describe the metadiscourse functions exercised by referential expressions. Identified these expressions still aimed at to present an analysis proposal for the evaluative content of these tends in view the influence of the writer positioning observation for the text sense construction. We considered the referential expressions object-of-speech just as the referring is conceived in the theory of the referenciation, as define it ApothÃloz and Reichler-Beguelin (1995); Mondada and Dubois (2003); Marcuschi and Koch (1998). The second theory, regarding the metadiscourse, takes as principal theoretical presupposition the rhetorical notion elaborated by Hyland (1998). The elaboration of the methodology of the research felt by the classification of Cavalcante (2004 b and c) for the referential expressions; the classification of Hyland(1998, 2005) for the metadiscurso. As base for the analysis of the content axiolÃgico of the referencial expressions with metadiscourse function, we used some categories of the Critical Discourse Analysis.

Recent social theories related to academic literacies suggest that academic writing is not a mere text production but also an identity performance; hence, the notion of ‘authorial identity’ which involves two dimensions: the identity as academic authors (personal dimension) and the identity in writing (textual dimension). This thesis presents a study into the development of authorial identity among senior academic scholars on the trajectory of professorship through interviews and textual analysis of their published papers sampled across their early and later career. Three full professors from a UK university participated in this study, which was conducted in three phases. In the first phase, the professor participants’ accounts of their personal dimension of authorial identity through interviews signal common themes regarding the influence of the recent academic climate on their personal experience of growth in relation to their endeavour to improve the quality of their academic scholarship. In the second phase, the metadiscourse-based textual analysis of their sampled academic papers indicates several features of their identity performance in writing over time, which form the basis for the professor participants’ reflection on their textual dimension of authorial identity in the third phase in order to explore how their papers are embedded in and related to the social contexts of academic publication, especially the peer review process and the research assessment framework. The research findings from this study not only shed light on the developmental pathway in academic writing from the same academic scholars over time but also provide an illuminating account of how they have developed themselves as well as their writing on the trajectory of professorship. Further, the findings from all three research phases are discussed together in relation to relevant social theories to offer a theoretical contribution to the research area of academic literacies, writing, identity and scholarship.

本文旨在探討透過後設論述觀念的教授，對高中生英文閱讀表現有否顯著效益，同時加以深入分析後設論述觀念，對於不同英語能力程度的學生在其閱讀表現有否不同的效益。 壹、研究方法 (一) 本行動研究以八十位桃園縣立某高中二年級兩班社會組學生為本實驗教學之對象。將兩班學生分成實驗組和控制組，同時在實驗組班級中，依據其在英語分級測驗的成績分配出高分組和低分組。 (二) 兩組受試者先進行閱讀理解的前測，並填寫一份有關其已知語言學習策略之問卷，實驗組學生接受十二週後設論述觀念的閱讀教學，而控制組學生只接受一般高中英文課程教學。 (三) 此外，實驗組學生並填寫有關於後設論述觀念的前後問卷，兩組受試者前後測成績皆以獨立及相依樣本t 檢定統計方法來分析學生的成績。 問卷的結果以百分比形式及統計卡方方法表列；百分比同質性檢定用來分析高分組和低分組學生們對於後設論述觀念教授的不同反應。 統計顯著水準.05 用於所有分析中以決定顯著差異是否存在。 (四) 最後，實驗組受試者須填寫一份有關於他們對後設論述觀念教授的觀感以及策略應用之問卷。 貳、研究結果 (一) 實驗組和控制組間其閱讀表現並有顯著差異。 實驗組學生因有後設論述觀念教授而在閱讀表現上有顯著提升。 (二) 實驗組的高分組與低分組在前後測閱讀表現有顯著差異。 高分組及低分組學生皆因有後設論述觀念教授而在閱讀表現上有顯著提升。尤其對高分組學生閱讀表現助益更大 (三) 問卷結果顯示，大部分實驗組學生對於後設論述觀念教授在閱讀表現上的效益抱持肯定態度。高分組及低分組學生皆持正面態度。 (四) 問卷結果顯示，大部分實驗組學生認為對於後設論述基模中的文本後設論述觀念的學習，較優於人際間後設論述觀念的學習。 (五) 問卷結果顯示，大部分實驗組學生認為，應用文本後設論述中的連接轉折詞及順序詞 對於提升他們英文閱讀能力幫助極大。　 參、研究限制 (一) 本研究在實際高中英文閱讀教學情境中進行，僅以研究者所任教之兩個班級為對象，目的在於透過後設論述觀念教授高中生英文閱讀之研究，探討此教學方法應用於台灣高中學生在英語閱讀學習之成效及可能遭遇的學習瓶頸。因此，若欲據以推論其它不同學校與不同程度學生之教學應用，尚需進ㄧ步探究。 (二) 國外文獻多數討論後設論述觀念與英文作文教學應用，有關於和英語閱讀學習成效的文獻則極為稀少。本研究根據研究結果，提出後設論述觀念教授與第二外語英語閱讀教學意涵上的探討，提供台灣英語教師教學策略的的思考和想法。 / This study explores whether if there are significant effects of metadiscourse schema on senior high EFL students’English reading comprehension. The study further investigates if there are significant effects of metadiscourse schema on reading comprehension for students with different language proficiency levels. It also reports the students’responses to metadiscourse schema on: the textual and interpersonal aspects. The subjects are eighty second-graders from Y.F. Senior High School in Taoyuan County. They are equally divided into the experimental and control groups based on the statistical s-shape distribution. The experimental group is further categorized into high-and low-proficiency subgroups based on the score of the placement test. Subjects in the experimental group take the instruction of metadiscourse schema for reading comprehension in twelve weeks. All subjects take the pre-and post-test for reading comprehension and fill in Questionnaire I. 　　The independent and dependent-sample t-test is used to analyze the subjects’ scores in the tests. The results of Questionnaire II are tabulated in terms of frequency and percentage. The results of Questionnaire II between high-and low-proficiency groups are analyzed by the test of homogeneity of proportions. Besides, the results of Questionnaire III also be discussed and analyzed. The .05 level of significance is used in all analysis as the criterion level for determining a significant difference. The major findings in this study are summarized as follows: 1.There is a significant difference in the reading performance between the experimental and control groups. When metadiscourse schema is instructed to the experimental group, the EG subjects have the significant improvement in reading performance. 2.There are significant differences for the high-and low-proficiency groups in the experimental group between Questionnaire II before and after the metadiscourse instruction. HPG gain more benefit from the instruction of metadiscourse schema than LPG. 3.The results of Questionnaire III on the students’ responses to metadiscourse schema show that most subjects’ perception of the effects of metadiscourse schema on the reading performance is positive. 4.EG subjects gain more benefit from the instruction of the textual metadiscourse than the interpersonal metadiscourse. 5.The results of Questionnaires II on the instruction of metadiscourse schema indicate that logical connectives and frame markers in the textual metadiscourse are the features most frequently used by senior high EFL students Based on the above-mentioned findings, pedagogical implications are provided and further research suggested.

This study aims to investigate the effects that translation from English to Swedish has had on the textual metalanguage in an academic text and to what extent the accountability has been altered by comparing the data to the findings of Malmström (2007). The study takes both a quantitative and qualitative approach and compares the methods of translation to those by Vinay and Darbelnet (1995). The study finds that 73% of all textual metadiscourse items were translated using Vinay and Darbelnet’s literal translation method and that the overall effect on accountability was low. The analysis uses Herriman’s (2010) study as the principal source on Swedish standards for metadiscourse usage and a comparison of the translation choices made. However, due to the limited number of sources mapping out and describing the average usage of metadiscourse in Swedish, the study has not been able to draw any overarching conclusions regarding the naturalness of the translation choices that were made.

Students’ argumentative writing is substandard in the sense that the necessary relations, amongst other things, are not indicated in their texts. These texts also often lack an author’s voice. In a module such as academic literacy, it is important to pay attention to the means in which these particular problems can be solved. Part of the aims of a course in academic literacy is to equip students with the necessary academic literacy abilities (which include reading and writing ability) and in doing so, teach them to function properly in a tertiary discourse community. In this study, only the written component of academic literacy will be considered. Following the above mentioned problems, the focus will be specifically on items of metadiscourse, which may form part of a possible solution to improve students’ writing. Hyland (2004) distinguishes between two main categories of metadiscourse, namely the interactive and the interactional categories (which each consists of five subcategories). The aim of these categories is to guide the reader through the text in a specific way, and also to actively involve the reader with the textual content and the reading process. If these aspects of metadiscourse are applied effectively, the text may be more cohesive and coherent and a stronger reader-writer-relationship may be established. A corpus-linguistic approach has been followed in the investigation of the frequency of the occurrence of the subcategories of metadiscourse, as well as the functional suitability thereof. The data analysis is based on Hyland’s (2004) analytical framework of metadiscourse categories, which has been adapted according to the data that has been processed with WordSmith Tools (version 6.0). In this study, the focus group is Afrikaans L1 first-year students at the North-West University’s Vaal Triangle Campus in the year 2010. All 109 participants in the study were registered for AGLA111 (Introduction to Academic Literacy) and AGLA121 (Academic Literacy). The texts that were gathered from AGLA111 are represented in corpus 1 whereas the texts gathered from AGLA121 are represented in corpus 2. The data that was provided by these two corpora was measured against an honours corpus (consisting of 39 texts), which served as the norm for this study. The data interpretation can be divided into four categories, namely phenomena that show a statistically significant change in the correct direction, phenomena that were correct from the start and did not show any change between corpus 1 and corpus 2, phenomena that did not show any change between corpus 1 and corpus 2 but that differed from the honours corpus, as well as phenomena that show incorrect development. Recommendations, which have been based on the literature review and text analysis, are made with regard to specific aspects relating to metadiscourse and the teaching of academic literacy modules (on which this study is founded). These recommendations primarily focus on how students’ attention can be focused on the requirements proposed for writing an argumentative text. / MA (Afrikaans en Nederlands), North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2014