A corpus-driven study of gratitude in English acknowledgements by Arabic-speaking MA students: constructing L2 academic writer identity

This study focuses on the domain of acknowledgment composition in English by Master’s level students who are Arabic speakers and learning English as a foreign language at the University of Jordan. Its aim is to offer insights into the patterns of expression that predominate in their gratitude expres...

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Main Authors: Abdel Rahman Mitib Altakhaineh, Afakh Said Younes, Ashraf Allawama
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Taylor & Francis Group 2024-12-01
Series:Cogent Arts & Humanities
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/23311983.2024.2346361
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author Abdel Rahman Mitib Altakhaineh
Afakh Said Younes
Ashraf Allawama
author_facet Abdel Rahman Mitib Altakhaineh
Afakh Said Younes
Ashraf Allawama
author_sort Abdel Rahman Mitib Altakhaineh
collection DOAJ
description This study focuses on the domain of acknowledgment composition in English by Master’s level students who are Arabic speakers and learning English as a foreign language at the University of Jordan. Its aim is to offer insights into the patterns of expression that predominate in their gratitude expression. By adopting Hyland’s framework, the study explores how often specific rhetorical strategies are used in acknowledgment sections. A corpus of 50 English acknowledgments, collected from existing texts from the years 2015 to 2023, was compiled. The results showed the prominence of the thanking move in these acknowledgments, affirming its universal significance in academic writing. The results also revealed that cultural and linguistic factors play a significant role in shaping the expression of gratitude. That is, based on the post-structuralist approach to identity, the analysis reveals how Arabic-speaking MA students reconcile their identity as L2 academic writers by incorporating culturally-specific expressions of gratitude in their acknowledgments and adjusting academic conventions to match their linguistic and cultural norms. During this process, students establish and express their cultural identity while managing the intricacies of academic writing in English. The study paves the way for further research on variations in acknowledgment practices across different cultures, intercultural comparisons, and how such investigations can facilitate English language learning among foreign language learners.
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spelling doaj-art-394e70e891f54f5bae7df80ab8b554082025-08-20T02:37:49ZengTaylor & Francis GroupCogent Arts & Humanities2331-19832024-12-0111110.1080/23311983.2024.2346361A corpus-driven study of gratitude in English acknowledgements by Arabic-speaking MA students: constructing L2 academic writer identityAbdel Rahman Mitib Altakhaineh0Afakh Said Younes1Ashraf Allawama2The University of Jordan, Amman, JordanThe University of Jordan, Amman, JordanThe University of Jordan, Amman, JordanThis study focuses on the domain of acknowledgment composition in English by Master’s level students who are Arabic speakers and learning English as a foreign language at the University of Jordan. Its aim is to offer insights into the patterns of expression that predominate in their gratitude expression. By adopting Hyland’s framework, the study explores how often specific rhetorical strategies are used in acknowledgment sections. A corpus of 50 English acknowledgments, collected from existing texts from the years 2015 to 2023, was compiled. The results showed the prominence of the thanking move in these acknowledgments, affirming its universal significance in academic writing. The results also revealed that cultural and linguistic factors play a significant role in shaping the expression of gratitude. That is, based on the post-structuralist approach to identity, the analysis reveals how Arabic-speaking MA students reconcile their identity as L2 academic writers by incorporating culturally-specific expressions of gratitude in their acknowledgments and adjusting academic conventions to match their linguistic and cultural norms. During this process, students establish and express their cultural identity while managing the intricacies of academic writing in English. The study paves the way for further research on variations in acknowledgment practices across different cultures, intercultural comparisons, and how such investigations can facilitate English language learning among foreign language learners.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/23311983.2024.2346361Acknowledgementsacademic writingMA studentsL2 academic writer identityJeroen van de Weijer, College of International Studies, Shenzhen University, Guangdong, ChinaApplied Linguistics
spellingShingle Abdel Rahman Mitib Altakhaineh
Afakh Said Younes
Ashraf Allawama
A corpus-driven study of gratitude in English acknowledgements by Arabic-speaking MA students: constructing L2 academic writer identity
Cogent Arts & Humanities
Acknowledgements
academic writing
MA students
L2 academic writer identity
Jeroen van de Weijer, College of International Studies, Shenzhen University, Guangdong, China
Applied Linguistics
title A corpus-driven study of gratitude in English acknowledgements by Arabic-speaking MA students: constructing L2 academic writer identity
title_full A corpus-driven study of gratitude in English acknowledgements by Arabic-speaking MA students: constructing L2 academic writer identity
title_fullStr A corpus-driven study of gratitude in English acknowledgements by Arabic-speaking MA students: constructing L2 academic writer identity
title_full_unstemmed A corpus-driven study of gratitude in English acknowledgements by Arabic-speaking MA students: constructing L2 academic writer identity
title_short A corpus-driven study of gratitude in English acknowledgements by Arabic-speaking MA students: constructing L2 academic writer identity
title_sort corpus driven study of gratitude in english acknowledgements by arabic speaking ma students constructing l2 academic writer identity
topic Acknowledgements
academic writing
MA students
L2 academic writer identity
Jeroen van de Weijer, College of International Studies, Shenzhen University, Guangdong, China
Applied Linguistics
url https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/23311983.2024.2346361
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