A Corpus-Based Contrastive Analysis of Stance Strategies in Native and Nonnative Speakers’ English Academic Writings: Introduction and Discussion Sections in Focus

Abstract

The present study was an attempt to illustrate the interaction between writers and readers. Conveying of the writers' voice, stance, and interaction with reader was put forward within this paradigm. Being a good academic writer is highly related to the use of these strategies. Adopting a position and persuading readers of claims are very important. This study was aimed at showing the differences between Iranian and American M.A. EFL writers in using stance strategies (hedges, boosters, attitude markers, and self-mentions) in Introduction and Discussion sections of academic papers. The corpora for this study were 40 articles (20 for American native and 20 for Iranian nonnative writers) from different journals such as Journal of Research Studies in Education, English language Teaching, System, TESOL Quarterly, and ELT. The significance and frequency of items were calculated using SPSS software version 22. Such statistical tools as frequency, percentage, and Chi-square were utilized to analyze the collected data. The findings showed that there was no statistically significant difference between native and nonnative writers in using stance strategies although native writers tended to use hedges, attitude markers, and self-mentions comparatively more than nonnatives, whereas nonnative writers used a greater number of boosters.

A Comparative Corpus-based Analysis of Boosters in NESs and NNESs’ Academic Articles

“…The results of this study partly support Shirzadi et al (2017)'s study who conducted a corpusbased contrastive analysis of stance strategies in native and nonnative speakers' English academic writings. That is, the findings of the present research also indicated that nonnative writers made more use of boosters than native writers in their academic papers.…”

“…Several research have been conducted on hedges and boosters in the related literature (Akbas, 2012(Akbas, , 2014Can & Yuvayapan, 2018;Chen, 2012;Coates, 1987;Holmes, 1990;Holtgraves & Lasky, 1999;Kim & Suh, 2014;Shirzadi, Akhgar, Rooholamin, & Shafiee, 2017;Vassileva, 2001;Yağız & Demir, 2015). For instance, Vassileva (2001) conducted a crosslinguistic and comparative study regarding commitment and detachment in English and Bulgarian academic texts.…”

Contrastive Analysis on Metadiscourse Markers Used in Blotter Entries

“…The study of Shirzadi et al, (2017) also investigated the differences between Iranian and American M.A. EFL writers in using stance strategies (hedges, boosters, attitude markers, and self-mentions) in Introduction and Discussion sections of academic papers.…”

Cooperative strategies and listening comprehension: The cases of Jigsaw and Missing information techniques

“…Tasks are challenging and interesting and engage learners in the learning process. Tasks have been extensively used throughout the EFL/ESL researches as effective tools to evoke language development, engagement, meaning negotiation, input processing, and form focus, all of which are thought to improve foreign language learning (Nunan, 2004;Shirzadi, Akhgar, Rooholamin, & Shafiee, 2017). Prabhu (1987) defines a task as "an activity that requires learners to arrive at an outcome from given information through some process of thought, and which allows teachers to monitor and regulate that process" (p. 134).…”