An Analysis of Reader Engagement in Linguistic Research Articles
This study investigated the use of reader engagement in 60 RAs from the international linguistic journal Language Learning. Based on the Model of Stance and Engagement and IMRD Structure under Genre Analysis theory, findings suggested that there appear a total of 53.1 reader engagement markers per 10,000 words. Under IMRD Structure, reader engagement markers occur most frequently in Introduction section (76.9 words per 10,000 words), followed by Discussion, Method, and Results. There exists a significant difference of the distribution in reader engagement markers among the four sections (X2=22.747, df=3, p<.001). Under the Model of Stance and Engagement, the frequency of Directives category (102.8 times per 10,000 words) is highest, followed by Appeals to Shared Knowledge, Personal Asides, Reader Mentions, and Questions. The distributions of five engagement markers are significantly different within each section (X2=109.466, df=4, p<.001; X2=268.079, df=3, p<.001; X2=234.765, df=4, p<.001; X2=600.722, df=4, p<.001). A significant difference is found in the overall distribution of five engagement markers among the four sections (X2=102.552, df=4, p<.001). Meanwhile, this study offers suggestions for the teaching of reader engagement in academic writing.
