Metadiscourse markers in L2 source-based informative essays: An analysis of texts written by L2 undergraduate students

Improving writing skills is considered essential for L2 students, especially in academic settings, reflecting part of the overall language proficiency (Teng et al., 2022). L2 writing complexity, influenced by internal and external factors, inspires the use of metadiscourse markers as valuable tools for self-reflection and communication (Casanave, 2017; Teng & Zhang, 2018; Hyland, 2004). Prior research has explored metadiscourse markers in L1 writing, contributing to proficiency improvements (Aull, 2019; Hong & Cao, 2014; Yoon, 2021; Lee & Deakin, 2016), within college students’ writing (Bax et al., 2019; Huh & Lee, 2016; Ramoroka, 2017), graduate theses and dissertations (Hussein et al., 2018; Ozdemir & Longo, 2014), and research articles and book reviews (Abdi, 2011; Gillaerts & Van de Velde, 2010). However, there is a limited examination of how these markers function in L2 college students’ source-based type of writing. This study, based on Hyland’s framework (2005), analyzes data from L2 college students’ informative source-based writing. Particularly, I will look at a total of 36 L2 informative, source-based, First-year writing program essays, with 16 essays in the higher-rated category (5258 words) and 20 essays in the lower-rated category (5169 words), collected from L2 students within the First-year Composition programs from two universities in the US. The essays were analyzed by a computerized program to produce comprehensive concordance lists of markers alongside essential information about the prompts and the authors, enabling analyses to explore the diversity distribution and specific functions that metadiscourse markers serve in these essays. The findings reveal that higher-rated essays displayed a broader spectrum of metadiscourse features, fostering connections within essays and enhancing communication with readers. Furthermore, while engagement markers, particularly imperative directive features, were preferred by students from both proficiency groups to establish a direct relationship with readers, various subtypes of hedges and boosters also stand out, especially in a higher-rated group, as productive tools for expressing specific shades of certainty and commitment. Lastly, highly frequent usage of self-mentions in lower-rated essays can signal students’ preference towards expressing ideas from personal perspectives and possible struggles in critically synthesizing source texts into statements. In summary, understanding metadiscourse markers used in L2 writing helps students with tools to enhance writing communication, provide insights for teachers in improving teaching approaches, and inspire further scholarly discourse.