Stance Markers in Results and Discussion Chapters: A Comparative Study of MA Theses in Applied Linguistics by Chinese and American Students

Abstract

This study investigates stance markers in the results and discussion chapters of Applied Linguistic Master’s theses written by Chinese and American students. Based on Hyland’s[1] stance system, the results and discussion chapters were compared to examine the characteristics of students’ employment of stance markers. This study suggests that American students place greater emphasis on their position toward results by balancing degrees of commitment and attitude toward claims while Chinese students stress the objectivity and the significance of the research itself. The paper concludes with some pedagogical implications for L2 writing instruction.