| Metadiscourse is used to express the writer's attitude towards both the text and readers,construing interaction between the writer and readers.In recent years,more and more studies on metadiscourse have been conducted from various approaches.However,few studies on metadiscourse in abstracts of master theses have been conducted,and even fewer have been done from the perspective of the comparative study in terms of using metadiscourse markers in abstracts of linguistics postgraduates' theses.Based on Ken Hyland's(2005: 49)interpersonal modal of metadiscourse,this study intends to find out the occurred frequencies in abstracts of both Chinese and American linguistics postgraduates' theses and to examine whether there exist similarities and differences in the use of metadiscourse markers.It also attempts to work out the major factors for the differences as well as similarities.To achieve these research objectives,this study aims to answer the following three questions:(1)What is the distribution of metadiscourse markers in abstracts written by Chinese and American linguistics postgraduates?(2)What are the similarities and differences in the use of metadiscourse markers on both general and specific level in their abstracts?(3)What are the major causes for these similarities and differences?Two self-constructed corpora are construed: one contains 50 American linguistics postgraduates' English abstracts,which are randomly selected from PQDT(database of splendid American doctoral and postgraduate students' theses)and the other includes 50 Chinese linguistics postgraduates' English abstracts,which are randomly selected from CNKI(database of excellent Chinese doctoral and postgraduate students' theses).Frequencies of metadiscourse markers are counted by Antconc 3.2.1.0 after they are identified and manually annotated.Then the independent samples t-test by SPSS 17.0 is conducted to examine whether there exists significance in the general and specific use of metadiscourse markers.And finally this research centers its discussion upon the major causes for the differences as well as the similarities.This study has the results as follows:(1)Metadiscourse markers have been used frequently by both Chinese and American linguistics postgraduates.American linguistics postgraduates use more interactional metadiscourse markers than interactive metadiscourse markers while Chinese linguistics postgraduates are the opposite.In terms of subcategory metadiscourse markers,transitions,hedges and engagement markers are most frequently used by American linguistics postgraduates while Chinese linguistics postgraduates prefer using transitions,frame markers and engagement markers.And endophoric markers are rarely applied by both of them.(2)Similarities as well as differences are found in abstracts of linguistics majors' master theses regarding the use of metadiscourse markers.Similarities include the use of interactive metadiscourse markers and the following subcategory metadiscourse markers,i.e.endophoric markers,transitions,attitude markers,boosters,self mention markers and engagement markers.Differences include the use of general metadiscourse markers,interactional metadiscourse markers and the following subcategory metadiscourse markers,i.e.code glosses,evidentials,frame markers and hedges.(3)Finally the major causes for the similarities and differences include genre convention,culture difference and learner factors.The same genre of academic abstracts may explain the similarities in the use of metadiscourse markers,whereas the differences in the use of metadiscourse markers are caused by the different culture influences and Chinese learners themselves.This thesis consists of five chapters.Chapter One is Introduction,which mainly includes the research background,research significance,research objectives and moreover,the organization of the thesis.Chapter Two is Literature Review,which firstly centers upon the review of the related theories to the present study,and then makes a survey of the previous empirical studies at home and abroad.Chapter Three is the research design of this study,which includes the research questions,the theoretical framework and the research procedure.Chapter Four is the essential part of this research,which deals principally with the data analysis and discussion.It not only presents the data from the two corpora,but also provides the discussion of the possible causes for the differences as well as the similarities.Chapter Five is Conclusion,which firstly offers the summary of the major findings of this research,then states the research significance and finally points out the limitations of this research along with the suggestions for future studies. |
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