Knowledge Deficit
The academic articles, which are reviewed in this work, embrace a variety of relevant data that certifies the findings of the studies. Still, knowledge deficit may be viewed in separate cases. For instance, in the article Metacognitive Strategies in Second Language Academic Reading: A Qualitative Investigation by Li Shuyun and Hugh Munby, the author describes the academic backgrounds of the students, whose knowledge of foreign languages was tested. However, they do not pay attention to the individual cognitive abilities of the subjects, which is relevant so that to understand their learning potentials (Giltrow 21).
Moreover, the foundation of the L2 reading learning, which lies in the focus of the investigation, is not explicitly explained (Li and Munby 200). The second article in question, which is Ugly Criminals by Mocan and Tekin, the data analysis of the relation between criminality and beauty is provided. Still, the psychological background of crime-vulnerability is not discussed, which hinders the general understanding of self-identification (Mocan and Tekin 17).
Citation
The article about FL acquisition provides a strong connection to the authors, which are cited in the analysis. For instance, an abundance of reporting words such as to state, to ask, to report are used. The tendency is reflected in the second article as well. The prevailing identifications of references are to report and to state.
Apposition
The use of apposition provides additional clarifications of the verbal expressions. In the article 1, the authors embrace a variety of post-appositions. For instance: “Similar inventiveness is evident in the two remaining strategies, each of which is specific to one participant” (Li and Munby 208). The article 2 demonstrates a wide use of apposition through such expressions as “which suggests”, “which means,” etc. (Mocan and Tekin 18).
Modality
The indirect references to the authors’ opinions are presented in the form of epistemic modality (Vazquez and Giner 172). Usually, modal expressions may be found in the conclusive parts of the research articles (Vold 61). In the article about language learning, the authors provide some personal conclusion: “The most obvious implication of this study for ESL instruction derives from…” (Li and Munby 213). However, the authors do not refer to any unjustified conclusions. Therefore, the evaluation of the findings is based on the data provisions. In contrast to it, the suggestions that are made in the article about the connection between beauty and criminality prove that the investigators are quite subjective in their opinions. For instance, it is stated that self-arrogance concerns innocent people and the property of shyness refers to crimes (Mocan and Tekin 18). Since no reliable justification of the claim is given, the nature of assessment is not objective.
Meta-Discourse
The discussion of meta-discourse in the academic writing evolves as an evaluation of the basic research arguments (Hyland and Tse 157). In the article under the name Ugly Criminals, the authors verify the suggestions, which are provided throughout the work. Specifically, they refer to the social backgrounds of ugliness and its reflection in the minds of global citizens. However, they leave some space for the rebuttal of the theory, which states that unattractiveness evokes criminality. The article, which is written by Li and Munby, provides little opportunities for meta-analysis since the authors do not dwell on the representation of social or psychological implications of language acquisition. Their work is highly theorized, and the argument is not susceptible to contemplation since it is based on practical data.
Works Cited
Giltrow, Janet. Academic Writing: Writing and Reading Across the Disciplines, Peterborough: Broadview Press, 2002. Print.
Hyland, Ken and Polly Tse. “Metadiscourse in Academic Writing: A Reappraisal.” Applied Linguistics 25.2 (2004): 156-170.
Li, Shuyun and Hugh Munby. “Metacognitive Strategies in Second Language Academic Reading: A Qualitative Investigation.” English for Specific Purposes 15.3 (1996): 199-216. Print.
Mocan, Naci and Erdal Tekin. “Ugly Criminals.” The Review of Economics and Statistics 92.1 (2010): 15-30. Print.
Vazquez, Ignacio and Diana Giner. “Beyond Mood and Modality: Epistemic Modality Markers as Hedges in Research Articles: A Cross-Disciplinary Study.” Revista Alicantina de Estudios Ingleses 21.1 (2008): 171-190. Print.
Vold, Eva. “Epistemic Modality Markers in Research Articles: A Cross-Linguistic and Cross-Disciplinary Study.” International Journal of Applied Linguistics 16.1 (2006): 61-87. Print.