Metadiscourse and ESP

reading comprehension
Lacamoira, Jessica
Sabat, Mara Agustina

Outline

1. Types of interaction in reading

2. Types of metadiscourse
3. Explanatory classroom research

Types of interaction

Reading is an integrative process.

Interaction

Between reader and content

Top-down / Botom up processings

Between reader and writer

Metadiscourse

Types of metadiscourse
TEXTUAL METADISCOURSE
Frame markers
Code glosses

E.g.: It will be well to begin

E.g.: i.e., the growth of population

Logical connectives

E.g.: But man himself

Endophoric markers

E.g.: The following two chapters will be

Evidentials

E.g.: According to

Types of metadiscourse
INTERPERSONAL METADISCOURSE
Boosters

Hedges
Person markers
Attitude markers
Relational markers

E.g.: We must take account of the fact...

E.g.: This illustration may serve to
E.g.: The first difficulty to be cleared in our...
E.g.: Obviously, apparently, etc.
E.g.: Consider, note that, you can see, etc.

Why is the awareness of metadiscourse important L2 instructional contexts?

Explanatory classroom research

Research question:
Are these L2 readers able to understand a text containing
more metadiscourse better that one with less?

Setting:
Faculty of Economics, University of Florence (Italy)

Participants:
Students from an ESP reading course (from 3rd year on)

Materials
Principles of Economics
Alfred Marshall

Elements of Economics of Industry

Principles of Economics

Elements of Economics of Industry

Published in 1890

Published in 1892

Main treatise

Abridged version

Complex theoretical concepts

Simplified concepts
Minor points eliminated

More metadiscourse

Less metadiscourse

Which extract is more comprehensible?

Hypothesis

Principles
of
Economics
is
more
comprehensible to L2 readers due to the
presence of more metadiscourse.

Administration
Group 1: Principles of Economics
Group 2: Elements of Economics of Industry
1) Reading
2) Reading comprehension test

3) Questionnaire

Instruments: Reading comprehension test

Instruments: Questionnaire

Results
The

Principles

group

scored

higher

in

global

understanding.
Both groups considered the texts difficult.
Both groups were confident in their ability to understand
the texts.
Both groups were unaware of metadiscourse.

Conclusion
Implications of this study...
On a general level:
Positive influence of metadiscourse on comprehension.
Importance of metadiscouse in L2 reading research.
Refinement of experimental work on specific aspects of
metadiscourse.

Conclusion
On a practical level:
Determination of instructional actions in teaching

contexts.
Integration of specific instruction of metadiscourse in
ESP reading courses.
Better criteria for the selection of materials for ESP
reading instruction.