Metadiscourse Awareness and Reading Comprehension in ESP Context

چکیده مقاله

Current theories of reading state that reading is neither passive and bottom-up nor top-down processes, but rather an active process including both lower and higher level processes working interactively. With metadiscourse awareness and strategies for using it, readers can understand the author’s intentions better (Crismore, 1990). Thus, the present study investigated the effect of explicit metadiscourse (MD) markers instruction on EFL learners’ immediate and delayed reading comprehension improvement by using metadiscoursal taxonomies proposed by Hyland (2005) in ESP classes (Accounting). For this end, 60 homogenous female participants out of the pool of 84 in two intact classes (30 in each class) were selected through Reading and Writing sections of Preliminary English Test (PET) and then the classes were randomly assigned into two groups, namely, experimental and control ones. The participants were of the same English proficiency level (i.e., at intermediate level). A meaningful guarantee for the homogeneity of the participants was obtained through a series of independent samples t-tests. Each group was instructed for 7 sessions, once a week. They received the same instruction in all the language skills and components except for the reading comprehension. The only difference between two groups was in teaching and learning MD markers. The experimental group received explicit instruction of MD markers for 7 sessions. However, the control group received no specific instructions in MD markers. The results of an independent-samples t-test revealed that the experimental groups receiving explicit MD markers instruction performed much better than the control group.

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