The Use of Metadiscourse Markers in L2 Turkish Opinion Texts by Native Albanian Students

Metadiscourse is widely recognized as a fundemental rhetorical device in discourse construction, playing a key role in organizing and shaping persuasive texts, especially in the context of second language (L2) learning and teaching. In recent years, notable progress has been made in studies on metadiscourse in teaching Turkish as a second language. However, research on metadiscourse use in various L2 contexts—particularly in academic and opinion based writing—remains limited. This study investigates the use of metadiscourse in opinion texts written by Albanian students learning Turkish as a second language, employing Hyland’s (2005) Interpersonal Model of Metadiscourse as the analytical framework. Employing AntConc 4.2.0 for corpus analysis and Log-likelihood statistics, the study reveals that native Albanian students frequently use metadiscourse in their L2 texts to structure arguments and engage readers, with a notable inclination towards interactional elements. Transitions and self-mentions are the most commonly used metadiscourse categories, indicating students' efforts to maintain a logical flow and personal engagement in their texts. However, the relatively lower use of evidentials and endophoric markers suggests a need for greater emphasis on these elements to enhance the quality of academic writing. The results are expected to help syllabus designers and educators develop specialized pedagogical strategies to improve students' academic writing and communication skills in Turkish. In line with this, several recommendations are presented