A Comparative Study Of Metadiscourse In English Notification Letters And Self-recommendation Letters Written By Senior High School Students

Metadiscourse can assist writers in negotiating and interacting with their readers through discourse.Therefore,it widely causes linguists’ attention.Based on Hyland’s interpersonal model of metadiscourse,this thesis compares the application of metadiscourse in English notification letters and self-recommendation letters among Senior Three students.The primary aim is to answer the following three questions:(1)Are there similarities and differences in the use of metadiscourse between notification letters and self-recommendation letters in Senior Three students’ writings?(2)Is there any correlation between the writing scores and metadiscourse in notification letters and self-recommendation letters?(3)Are there differences in the use of metadiscourse between the high score group and the low score group in notification letters and self-recommendation letters?The data were analyzed by SPSS 23.0 and the study has the following findings:(1)There are similarities and differences in the use of metadiscourse in these two types of letters.The similarities can be found in transition markers and frame markers in both types of letters.As for the differences,more metadiscourse is applied in self-recommendation letters than that in notification letters.When it comes to the categories of metadiscourse,there is more interactive metadiscourse but less interactional one in notification letters than that in self-recommendation letters.In the subcategories of metadiscourse,students use more boosters,attitude markers and self-mentions but fewer code glosses,hedges and engagement markers in self-recommendation letters than those in notification letters.(2)Metadiscourse has a positive correlation with the writing scores in both types of letters.But the correlation between the writing scores and subcategories of metadiscourse is different in these two types of letters.In notification letters,attitude markers have a positive correlation with the writing scores.However,in self-recommendation letters,hedges and engagement markers have a positive correlation with the writing scores.Other subcategories of metadiscourse do not correlate with the writing scores.(3)In both types of letters,students in the high score group employ more metadiscourse than those in the low score group.In the categories of metadiscourse,more interactional metadiscourse is used in the high score group than that in the low score group.However,in both types of letters,the application of interactive metadiscourse has no difference in these two groups.This research can provide teachers with some references regarding how to use metadiscourse to improve students’ writing scores.