The Use of Metadiscourse in Turkish EFL Learners’ L1 and L2 Argumentative Essays

Introduction. The use of metadiscourse facilitates writer-reader interaction and text coherence. While the incorporation of these rhetorical features in student argumentative essays has been frequently stu­died, comparative investigations of metadiscourse markers in L1 and L2 student essays have not received necessary attention. This study aims to reveal whether and how native Turkish university students employ metadiscoursal items in their L1 Turkish and L2 English argumentative essays written at a pre-intermedia­te level. Materials and Methods. Drawing on Interpersonal Model of Metadiscourse, a comparative analysis was conducted on a corpus of 200 essays, comprising 100 in Turkish and 100 in English. A corpus-driven approach was employed to detect metadiscourse elements. Following identification of metadiscourse marker use, quantitative examination using SPSS tests was conducted to discern significant disparities between Turkish and English essays, complemented by qualitative analysis to elucidate how students employ metadiscourse markers to advance argumentative objectives. Results. Both intra- and inter-linguistic analyses revealed the presence of all metadiscourse categories within the corpora, each serving specific functions. Notably, self-mentions emerged as the most frequently used category across all metadiscourse categories in both Turkish and English essays. The findings indicate that EFL learners employ metadiscourse markers as rhetorical tools to create argumentative, reader-friendly, and cohesive texts, thereby enriching our understanding of students’ expressive abilities in argumentative discourse. Discussion and Conclusion. This study’s findings hold significant implications for language teaching, particularly in EFL contexts. By highlighting the effectiveness of metadiscourse markers as rhetorical tools, it suggests that explicit instruction in these markers can significantly enhance students’ writing proficiency and argumentative success. Language educators can incorporate activities focusing on identifying, analyzing, and strategically using various metadiscourse categories to empower learners to produce more sophisticated written communication.