Rhetorical Comparison in Academic English Writing: Metadiscourse Usage in Abstracts between Chinese and Malaysian Undergraduates’ Theses

Abstract

This study examines metadiscourse usage in undergraduate thesis abstracts by Chinese (EFL) and Malaysian (ESL) English majors, addressing gaps in existing literature that has understudied EFL-ESL comparisons among novice writers. Drawing on Hyland’s (2005) interpersonal model, a corpus of 100 abstracts (50 from each context) was analyzed using mixed methods, with normalized frequency calculations and log-likelihood tests to compare cross-contextual variations. Results revealed significant contextual differences: Malaysian writers used substantially more interactive metadiscourse, driven by higher frequencies of frame markers, reflecting a focus on explicit textual scaffolding aligned with ESL genre conventions. In contrast, Chinese writers employed more interactional metadiscourse, characterized by exclusive use of self-mentionsand significantly more attitude markers, indicating a rhetorical emphasis on authorial stance. Both groups shared genre-specific patterns, including high usage of transitions and engagement markers, and minimal endophoric markers, underscoring abstracts’ condensed format constraints. These findings validate Hyland’s model in novice writing, clarify how sociolinguistic contexts shape rhetorical choices, and provide actionable insights for EAP pedagogy in EFL and ESL contexts.