Written Communication Apr 2014

Linguistic Markers of Stance in Early and Advanced Academic Writing

Laura L. Aull ; Zak Lancaster Wake Forest University

Abstract

This article uses corpus methods to examine linguistic expressions of stance in over 4,000 argumentative essays written by incoming first-year university students in comparison with the writing of upper-level undergraduate students and published academics. The findings reveal linguistic stance markers shared across the first-year essays despite differences in students’ educational context, with greatest distinctions emerging between first-year writers and all of the more advance writers. The specific features of stance that point to a developmental trajectory are approximative hedges/boosters, code glosses, and adversative/contrast connectors. The findings suggest methodological and conceptual implications: They highlight the value of descriptive, corpus-based studies of incoming first-year writing compared to advanced academic writing, and they underscore the construction of academic stance—particularly via certain stance features—as a process of delimiting one’s stance in a way that accounts for the views of others.

Journal
Written Communication
Published
2014-04-01
DOI
10.1177/0741088314527055
Open Access
Closed
Topics
first-year composition graduate education

Citation Context

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  5. Aull (2019)
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  6. Hyland et al. (2016)
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Cites in this index (4)

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  2. Gere et al. (2013)
    Local Assessment: Using Genre Analysis to Validate Directed Self-Placement
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    “Mutt Genres” and the Goal of FYC: Can We Help Students Write the Genres of the…
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