Doctoral Research Forum - Abdelhamid Ahmed - Frame Markers in L1 Arabic and L2 English Argumentative Writing: Across Linguistic Corpus-based Study

Frame Markers in L1 Arabic and L2 English Argumentative Writing: Across Linguistic Corpus-based Study

Abdelhamid Ahmed (Qatar University, Doha, Qatar)

Metadiscourse competence is a skill that students need to master to produce a good quality piece of writing. Guided by Hyland’s model of metadiscourse (2005), metadiscourse is divided into two categories: Interactive metadiscourse markers, and interactional ones. Frame markers, the focus of the current study, falls within the interactive metadiscourse category. The current cross-linguistic corpus-based study aims to (1) identify the difference in the quantity of frame markers used by undergraduate students, across three proficiency levels, in their L1 Arabic and L2 English argumentative writing, (2) identify the gender difference in relation to undergraduate students’ use of frame markers in their L1 Arabic and L2 English argumentative writing, (3) explore students’ metalinguistic understanding of frame markers in their L1 Arabic and L2 English argumentative writing. Preliminary results of the current study show that students use more sequencing markers, label stages markers, topic shift markers in their L1 Arabic writing than their L2 English. However, students use more announcing goals markers in their L2 English writing than their L1 Arabic. Male students tend to use sequencing markers and announcing goals markers more than female students in both L1 Arabic and L2 English argumentative writing. Students show their partial metalinguistic awareness of their frame markers use in their L1 Arabic and L2 English argumentative writing. Pedagogical implications will be provided.

Biography

Dr. Abdelhamid Ahmed is an Assistant Professor of Education (Applied Linguistics) at the Core Curriculum Program, Qatar University. He obtained his Ph.D. degree in Education (Applied Linguistics), Graduate School of Education, University of Exeter, UK. He is also an Honorary Senior Research Fellow at Graduate School of Education, University of Exeter, UK. He is experienced in teaching and researching L2 English writing. His areas of research expertise include metadiscourse, corpus linguistics, metalinguistics understanding, L2 English writing, socio-cultural issues, assessing writing, feedback in English writing, and reflective journals. He is the co-editor of the following books: Teaching EFL Writing in the 21st Century Arab World: Realities & Challenges; Assessing EFL Writing in the 21^st Century Arab World: Revealing the Unknown; Feedback in L2 English Writing in the Arab World: Inside the Black Box; and The Handbook of General Education in MENA Higher Education. He delivered presentations at international conferences in seven countries [UK, USA, Canada, Spain, Qatar, United Arab Emirates and Egypt], and published research in different formats [edited books, research articles and book chapters].