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

Abstract

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.