The First-Person Subjective Pronoun Use Across Genders in L2 Argumentative Essays

Studies of English language learners have paid limited attention to the intersection between gender and authorial presence. This study examined how first-person subject pronouns function as markers of authorial presence in the argumentative writing of Korean EFL students, with particular attention to gender-based patterns. A total of 40 university students (20 male, 20 female) were asked to write argumentative essays in English. While the argumentative genre may have neutralized many gender-related differences, one statistically significant finding emerged: female learners used we more frequently than males in experience-providing sentences. Closer analysis revealed that female students tended to use we to express emotional connection, relational engagement, and shared experience, while male students used it in more instrumental and task-oriented ways. These patterns suggest that gendered discourse practices persist even in constrained academic genres, and can be interpreted through Ivanič’s (1998) concept of the autobiographical self. The findings highlight how gendered identity informs the enactment of authorial stance in L2 academic writing.