A Study On Textual Metadiscourse In Academic Speech From The Perspective Of Metapragmatics

Metadiscourse is reflexive linguistic expressions in discourse which has the significance of negotiation and interaction.It organizes and regulates primary propositions and reflects the interaction among communicators.Previous studies mainly explore metadiscourse in written discourse from functional and cognitive perspective.Few scholars investigate metadiscourse from the perspective of metapragmatics in spoken discourse,especially in academic spoken discourse.Researches on metapragmatics reveal communicators’ metapragmatic awareness about themselves and others in particular contexts to regulate contents,ways of communication and interpersonal relationship.Metadiscourse reflects communicators’ metapragmatic awareness.This study combines Chen’s classification（2020）and Hyland’s classification（2005）of metadiscourse and conducts a quantitative and qualitative analysis of textual metadiscourse in seminars.It investigates form and frequency of textual metadiscourse and aims to explore metapragmatic awareness reflected by and motivations of using textual metadiscourse from the perspective of metapragmatics.This study attempts to answer three questions:（1）What are the forms and frequencies of textual metadiscourse in seminars?（2）What metapragmatic awareness does the use of the textual metadiscourse reflect in seminars?（3）What are the motivations of using textual metadiscourse in seminars?The results of the study are as follows: first,textual metadiscourse in seminars is mainly classified into four categories.They are transition markers which include addition markers,contrast markers,consequence markers and other markers;frame markers which include sequencers,stage labels and goal announcers;participation markers which include directives and questions and endophoric markers which include anaphoric markers and cataphoric markers.Results show that in seminars,the frequencies of four categories are different.Transition markers are used most frequently followed by frame markers,participation markers and endophoric markers.Second,the metapragmatic awareness reflected by using textual metadiscourse includes metapragmatic awareness of coherence which consists of introducing,shifting,ending and continuing a topic,metapragmatic awareness of participation which consists of joining the discourse and inviting others to join the discourse and metapragmatic awareness of reference which consists of mentioning previous discourse and foreshowing the following discourse.Third,motivations of employing textual metadiscourse include achieving persuasion,supporting listeners’ face needs and being economic.Theoretically,this study expands the scope of studies on metadiscourse and supplements previous studies’ deficiency that too much focus is put on written discourse.Practically,this study has enlightening significance for improving the ability of speakers to construct discourse and the ability of listeners to understand discourse by using metadiscourse.