Metadiscourse use in argumentative essays written by Russian students at different levels of ESAP study of economics

The present study investigates metadiscourse use in argumentative essays written by Russian students at different levels of the ESAP study of economics. Text analysis approach and formal error analysis are applied to the metadiscourse use – its type, frequency, and accuracy. The study specifies the differences in the usage of metadiscourse markers by writers representing nonprofessional and novice ESAP students of economics, which are mainly due to disciplinary practices, the interference from L1 writing conventions in the knowledge domain of economics and instructions provided by ESAP teachers. It also gives the interpretation of formal errors in the most indicative groups of metadiscourse markers. The study has important practical implications for developing EFL students' metadiscourse competence in the target language academic writing.