INTRODUCTION
Rationale
Modality, which reflects the speaker's or writer's attitude towards content, has been a focal point in academic discourse for decades The use of modality markers allows authors to express their stance and modify their statements, thereby reducing the risk of face-threatening interactions with readers (Almeida & Pastor, 2017) Proper modality usage enhances the pragmatic dimension of academic writing (Hyland, 1994; Myers, 1989), helps scholars accurately convey their research findings (Yang, 2018), and demonstrates a high level of linguistic and pragmatic proficiency in writing (Chen, 2010).
Modality plays a significant role in academic writing, drawing the attention of many linguists Most cross-cultural and cross-disciplinary studies have primarily focused on specific subcategories of modality, particularly epistemic modality Research has largely centered on modal verbs as key markers of modality in academic texts, with various studies highlighting their importance in this context.
2018 to mention but a few), leaving other modality devices (i.e lexical items, namely lexical verbs, adverbs, adjectives, and nouns) and other modality subtypes (i.e deontic and dynamic) rarely examined
In Vietnam, modality has received increasing attention during two
Over the past two decades, numerous authors, including Lưu Quý Khương and Trần Thị Minh Giang (2012) and Ngũ Thiện Hùng (2003), have explored and summarized the theories surrounding modality and its various subsets in both English and Vietnamese.
Research has extensively examined the use of both English and Vietnamese modality across various spoken and written genres Notable studies include literature (Bùi Thị Đào, 2014; Nguyễn Thị Nhung, 2016; Phạm Thị Nhung, 2016; Trần Thị Kim Chi, 2003), news articles (Nguyễn Thị Thu Hiền, 2008), social science publications (Nguyễn Thị Thu Thủy, 2012a, 2012b), TED talks (Bùi Thị Mỹ Lợi, 2018; Tôn Nữ Mỹ Nhật & Nguyễn Thị Diệu Minh, 2019), and speeches by ambassadors (Trần Hữu Phúc, 2014).
Despite the extensive literature in the field, there remains a significant gap in research focused on research articles (RAs) as crucial tools for disseminating new knowledge, particularly from a comparative perspective Recognizing this deficiency, I aim to analyze Modality in Linguistics Research Articles, specifically comparing international and Vietnamese English-medium journals My focus on Linguistics, my area of study, is intended to apply established theories of modality to RAs This study aspires to address the current gap in the field and contribute both theoretically and practically to the understanding of modality.
Aim and Objectives
The main target of this thesis is to investigate the manipulation of
3 modality in the RAs in the discipline of Linguistics from a comparative perspective
Once the above aim has been anchored, the detailed objectives are to investigate:
The semantic and syntactic features of modality in the RAs in the discipline of Linguistics as a whole;
The distribution of modality in the RAs in the discipline of Linguistics across sections;
The similarities and differences in the use of modality between two groups of authors – the international and the Vietnamese writers – in the investigated RAs.
Research Questions
The main questions this research is endeavoring to answer are:
(1) What are the semantic and syntactic features of modality in the Linguistics RAs as a whole?
(2) To what extent does the distribution of modality in the Linguistics RAs vary across sections?
(3) What are the similarities and differences in the use of modality between two groups of authors, namely the international and the Vietnamese authors – in the investigated RAs?
Scope of the Study
This paper utilizes a tripartite classification of modality, encompassing epistemic, deontic, and dynamic modalities, a framework originally proposed by von Wright in 1951 and later supported by prominent scholars like Collins (2009) and Palmer (2013).
4 various means to denote modality, the current study only investigates items of five syntactic classes, namely modal verbs, lexical verbs, adverbs, adjectives, and nouns
This master's thesis analyzes a modest selection of 30 English-medium research articles (RAs) in the field of Linguistics, focusing specifically on applied Linguistics The study emphasizes international journals, defined as widely circulated, English-written publications recognized within the global academic community For this analysis, one reputable specialty journal was selected for each subset of the corpus: "English for Specific Purposes" for international journals and "VNU Journal of Foreign Studies" for Vietnamese journals.
Significance of the Study
This research aims to enhance the understanding of scholarly written discourse by exploring modality use in research articles (RAs) within the field of Linguistics The findings are intended to serve as a foundational resource for future investigations in this area.
This study provides a comprehensive analysis of modality usage in Linguistics research articles published in prestigious English-medium journals, as detailed in Appendix D By doing so, it aims to assist Vietnamese researchers and learners in their pursuit of publication in reputable international journals, thereby helping them establish themselves as competent members of the global scholarly community.
Organization of the Study
The study is designed in five chapters as follows:
Chapter 1: Introduction offers the rationale for the research, the aim
5 and objectives of the study, as well as the scope, research questions, significance, and organization of the thesis
Chapter 2: Literature Review looks at the theoretical framework the study applied and presents a brief overview of previous studies in the domain
Chapter 3: Research Methodology provides a full description of the methods and procedures adopted to collect, process and analyze the data
Chapter 4: Results and Discussion is devoted to the depiction of the employment of modality in Linguistics RAs by two groups of authors
Chapter 5: Conclusion summarizes the major findings of the thesis and draws implications as well as suggestions for further research
LITERATURE REVIEW
Modality
Since its introduction, the term "modality," derived from the Latin word "modus" meaning "way" or "manner," has been the subject of extensive examination (Efstathiadi, 2010) However, a universally accepted definition remains elusive, leading to significant debate regarding its interpretation within linguistics (Mifka-Profozic, 2017; Palmer, 2013; Stamatović, 2016) Stamatović (2016) emphasizes that modality is one of the few concepts in linguistics that defies a satisfactory formal definition, highlighting its complexity (p.132).
Scholars such as Biber, Johansson, Leech, Conrad, and Finegan (1999) have linked the concept of "modality" to the subjective stance of the speaker or writer It is widely accepted that language serves not only to communicate factual information but also to express the speaker's attitudes, opinions, ideas, and ideologies regarding the events being discussed (Aidinlou & others).
Modality is a linguistic concept that reflects a speaker's or writer's opinion, attitude, or belief regarding the truth of a proposition or the situation it describes Lyons (1977) emphasizes that modality conveys the speaker's perspective on the expressed proposition, a view supported by Palmer (2013), who advocates for a semantically-oriented approach According to Biber et al (1999) and Bybee et al (1994), modality can be understood as the linguistic encoding or grammaticization of subjective attitudes and beliefs Simpson (1993) further elaborates that modality encompasses the speaker's or writer's attitude towards the truth of a proposition and the situation it depicts Quirk et al (1985) summarize modality as the way a clause's meaning is qualified to reflect the speaker's judgment about the likelihood of the proposition being true.
Systemic Functional linguists Halliday and Matthiessen (2004) define modality as the spectrum between positive and negative polarity, representing the space between affirmation and negation Building on this concept, Suhadi (2011) views modality as a reflection of the speaker's personal attitudes towards the content and function of a clause, further expanding the definition by emphasizing the balance of positivity and negativity.
Modality encompasses the spectrum of meaning between affirmation and negation, indicating whether a process is actualized or not It reflects the addresser's perspective, attitude, and judgment regarding the information, goods, or services conveyed through statements, questions, offers, and commands.
On the other hand, Depraetere and Reed (2006), van der Auwera and Plungian, (1998), among others, tie modality to the fundamental concepts of
„possibility‟ and „necessity‟ Modality, according to van der Auwera and
Plungian (1998) describes modality as a semantic domain characterized by the concepts of possibility and necessity, presenting them as two paradigmatic choices Similarly, Depraetere and Reed (2006) emphasize that modality reflects a speaker's assessment of whether a proposition is potentially or necessarily true, or if a situation's realization is feasible or required.
Another pervading approach is that of other researchers such as Collins
Modality is a broad semantic category that encompasses various notions such as possibility, probability, necessity, volition, obligation, and permission, as noted by Downing and Locke (2006) and Nuyts (2006) According to Downing and Locke (2006), it also includes concepts like doubt, wish, regret, and desire, along with temporal notions such as usuality Collins (2009) further defines modality as incorporating semantic notions like necessity, ability, and hypotheticality, all sharing the core value of non-factuality, where situations are not presented as straightforward facts Nuyts (2006) describes modality as an abstract term that includes specific categories reflecting how speakers position themselves in relation to reality.
The concept of modality encompasses a range of specific notions that, while sharing certain characteristics that justify their collective classification, also exhibit significant differences According to Nuyts (2005), modality functions as a supercategory, characterized by a looser structure and operating at a higher level of abstraction compared to more defined categories like time and aspect types.
Despite various scholars offering different interpretations of modality, a definitive definition remains elusive This paper adopts Palmer's (2013) perspective, defining modality as the expression of the speaker's or writer's opinion or attitude regarding the proposition or its circumstances.
Scholarly interpretations of modality vary significantly, leading to a lack of consensus on its classifications As a result, numerous opinions exist regarding the subdivision of modality into subcategories Ultimately, the number of modalities identified can be viewed as different approaches to analyzing the same concept (Perkins, 1983, p.10, as cited in Beijering, 2012, p.13).
Quirk et al (1985) classify modality into two categories: intrinsic and extrinsic Intrinsic modality encompasses concepts such as permission, obligation, and volition, which imply a degree of human control over events In contrast, extrinsic modality includes notions like possibility, necessity, and prediction, which rely on human judgment rather than direct control Essentially, intrinsic modality reflects agent-controlled actions and events, as highlighted by Hykes (2000).
(2.1) I will choose the yellow pencil (Hykes, 2000, p.9)
(2.2) You ought to go to bed earlier (ibid.)
(2.3) This computer can do many things (ibid.)
Extrinsic, on the other hand, is related to the speaker‟s subjective viewpoint on the truthfulness/ likelihood of a proposition (Hykes, 2000, p.9)
(2.4) The weather may turn bad this evening (Hykes, 2000, p.9)
Palmer (2001) distinguishes between propositional and event modality, concepts initially introduced by Jespersen (1924) as “containing an element of will” and “containing no element of will.” Propositional modality reflects the speaker's attitude toward the truth value of a proposition, while event modality relates to potential future events that have yet to be realized.
Propositional modality encompasses both epistemic and evidential modalities, with the key distinction being that epistemic markers reflect speakers' judgments on the factual status of a proposition, while evidential modality conveys the evidence supporting that status (Palmer, 2001) Furthermore, epistemic modality is categorized into three subtypes: speculative, deductive, and assumptive.
(2.5) Kate may be at home now (a possible conclusion) (Palmer, 2001, p.6) (2.6) Kate must be at home now (the only possible conclusion) (ibid.) (2.7) Kate will be at home now (a reasonable conclusion) (ibid.)
Palmer (2001) recognizes formal systems featuring various terms that are mainly evidential; however, he identifies only sensory and reported categories as the two fundamental types of purely evidential modality.
(2.8) I see John getting on the bus (Beijering, 2012, p.19)
(2.9) I have been told that John did not come home last night (ibid.)
Event modality encompasses both deontic and dynamic modality, as outlined by Palmer (2001) Deontic modality includes permissive, obligative, and commissive forms, all of which originate from an external source.
(2.10) John may/can come in now (I give permission) (Palmer, 2001, p.9) (2.11) John must come in now (ibid.)
(2.12) You shall have it tomorrow (Palmer, 2001, p.10)
By contrast, dynamic modality comes from the individual concerned, involving abilitive (as in 2.13) and volitive (as in 2.14)
(2.13) John can speak French (He has the ability) (Palmer, 2001, p.10) (2.14) He can escape (The door's not locked) (ibid.)
Previous Studies
The use of modality in academic writing, particularly in research articles (RAs), has garnered significant attention in recent studies Yang et al (2015) found that medical RA authors often make tentative and objective claims, reflecting a cautious approach Contrastive studies by Orta (2010) and Pastor (2012) reveal that non-native English speakers struggle with EpM markers, complicating their ability to establish an appropriate tone in their writing Additionally, Vázquez and Giner (2008) examined the use of EpM across disciplines such as Marketing, Biology, and Mechanical Engineering, concluding that sociological factors influence authors' modality choices Vold (2006) conducted cross-linguistic research on EpM markers in Linguistics and Medicine across English, French, and Norwegian, discovering that French researchers use fewer EpM expressions compared to their English and Norwegian counterparts, while the discipline affects the types of markers used rather than their frequency.
A significant emphasis on modal verbs is highlighted in the analysis of research articles from a syntactic standpoint Yamazaki (2001) investigates the usage of "must," "may," and "might" within chemical research reports, providing insights into their functional roles in academic writing.
Bonilla (2017) highlights the differing usage of "can(not)" and "could(not)" among native and non-native English speakers in academic and informal contexts, noting that non-native speakers tend to overuse modal verbs in academic writing This trend is further supported by studies from Hykes (2000) and Yang (2018), which also indicate that both students and professionals exhibit a similar inclination to overuse modal verbs in their academic texts.
Almeida and Pastor (2017) investigate the syntactic and semantic aspects of nine key modal verbs in research articles (RAs) authored by native speakers, focusing on the distinctions between Linguistics and Engineering RAs, which represent the humanities and hard sciences, respectively Their findings reveal that modal markers are predominantly found in the Introduction and Conclusion sections of Linguistics RAs, while Engineering RAs exhibit a higher frequency of modal verbs in the Background and Method sections Semantically, the use of epistemic modality (EpM) is most prevalent, particularly in the Introduction, Background, and Method sections of Engineering RAs, and in the Discussion and Conclusion sections of Linguistics RAs.
The Vietnamese scholarly community has shown significant interest in the study of modality, with researchers like Nguyễn Văn Hiệp (2007) providing comprehensive insights into its classification, including approaches such as Epistemic Modality (EpM) and Deontic Modality (DeM), as well as distinctions between root modality and agent-oriented versus speaker-oriented modality Additionally, Võ Đại Quang (2007) addresses theoretical aspects of modality within sentence-utterance contexts, identifying it as one of the four fundamental types of core information in communication.
24 points out the relationship between modality and propositional content and the distinction between semantic modality and pragmatic modality
Research on modality markers in both spoken and written genres has been extensively conducted Ngũ Thiện Hùng (2003) analyzes dialogues from various written sources, including short stories and online newspapers, to explore the lexico-grammatical distinctions in expressing EpM between English and Vietnamese Similarly, Lưu Quý Khương and Trần Thị Minh Giang (2012) focus on the pragmatic features of assertive and non-assertive EpM modal adverbs in English literature Other scholars, such as Nguyễn Thị Nhung (2016), Ngũ Thiện Hùng (2015), and Phạm Thị Nhung (2016), delve into the role of modality in literature, with Nguyễn Thị Nhung emphasizing its implications for high school teaching Ngũ Thiện Hùng (2015) further investigates the use of EpM markers in negative politeness strategies within dialogues from English and Vietnamese narratives, comparing their syntactic, semantic, and pragmatic characteristics Phạm Thị Nhung (2016) studies modality markers in the works of notable Vietnamese authors like Thạch Lam and Vũ Bằng.
Tô Hoài whereas Trần Thị Kim Chi (2003) takes a keen interest in Nam Cao and the modality in speech acts found in his short stories On the other hand,
Nguyễn Thị Thu Hiền (2008) examines the use of modality in English news reports through the lens of Halliday's Functional Grammar In contrast, Nguyễn Thị Thu Thủy (2012a, 2012b) employs Cognitive Grammar as a framework to analyze modality devices in both English and Vietnamese socio-science texts Additionally, Ngũ Thiện Hùng (2011) concentrates on modality within spoken discourse.
This article explores the semantic and pragmatic features of the Vietnamese EpM markers "thảo nào" (no wonder) and "hóa ra" (turn out) in both English and Vietnamese conversations Research conducted by Bùi Thị Mỹ Lợi (2018) and Tôn Nữ Mỹ Nhật alongside Nguyễn Thị Diệu Minh (2019) focuses on the use of DeM and EpM in TED talks related to education Additionally, Trần Hữu Phúc (2014) examines modality markers and politeness strategies in speeches by British and American ambassadors.
An extensive review of existing literature reveals that both international and Vietnamese scholars have extensively explored the domain of modality However, it is evident that much of the international research primarily emphasizes Epistemic Modality (EpM) and modal verbs, often overlooking other subtypes and markers of modality Furthermore, there is a noticeable lack of studies focusing on Research Articles (RAs) within the field of Linguistics This paper aims to address these gaps in the research.
This chapter has extensively examined relevant studies and theoretical aspects of modality, including its classifications and actualization, providing a framework for data analysis It has also presented a significant number of previous research findings from both international and Vietnamese authors The subsequent chapter will detail the identification of the research methodology.
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Research Methods
This study utilized a combination of research methods to analyze modality occurrences Initially, a quantitative approach was employed to gather statistics on the frequency and proportions of various modality subtypes Following this, a descriptive method was used to present an overview of the data collected, illustrating the overall employment of modality within the corpus The qualitative method was then implemented to explore the distribution of modality across different subsets and to identify researchers' preferences for specific modality subcategories Lastly, a contrastive method was applied to examine the similarities and differences in modality usage between international and Vietnamese subsets.
Data Collection
This research aims to compare the use of modality in Linguistics research articles (RAs) authored by international and Vietnamese writers It analyzes a collection of 30 English-medium RAs published between 2017 and 2019 in prestigious journals, specifically focusing on "English for Specific Purposes" and "VNU."
Journal of Foreign Studies respectively (Figure 3.1 and 3.2)
Figure 3.2 The VNU Journal of
The study comprises two subsets of research articles (RAs): an international subset of 15 RAs from the reputable journal English for Specific Purposes, recognized for its global focus in Applied Linguistics and inclusion in the Social Science Citation Index, highlighting its quality and credibility; and a Vietnamese subset of 15 RAs sourced from the VNU Journal of Foreign Studies, an official publication under the VNU Journal of Science, which serves the Vietnamese academic community.
University of Languages and International Studies (ULIS) under Vietnam
The VNU Journal of Foreign Studies, published by the National University (VNU), focuses on areas such as Linguistics, Foreign Language Education, International Studies, and related social sciences and humanities All submitted manuscripts are subjected to a rigorous editorial screening process and undergo anonymous double-blind peer review by independent experts, ensuring the journal's credibility and value as a reliable resource for research.
English for Specific Purposes publishes four volumes annually, while the VNU Journal of Foreign Studies offers four English editions and two Vietnamese editions bimonthly This study focuses on Research Articles (RAs) collected from the former journal, specifically from the latest issues over the past three years, starting from June 2019 It is important to note that the analysis excludes discussions and book reviews found in both journals A detailed breakdown of the number of English-medium RAs published in each volume from 2017 to June 2019 is provided in Table 3.1.
In Table 3.1, it is evident that between 2017 and June 2019, English for
The analysis of research articles (RAs) reveals that the Specific Purposes journal contains 71 RAs, while the VNU Journal of Foreign Studies includes 73 English-medium RAs Notably, all RAs in English for Specific Purposes focus on Applied Linguistics, whereas 13 RAs in the VNU Journal pertain to Pure/Theoretical Linguistics To maintain consistency, these 13 RAs were excluded from the analysis Furthermore, three RAs authored by non-native Vietnamese writers were also discarded, resulting in a refined selection of RAs for further examination in both the international and Vietnamese journals.
29 further analysis is 71 and 57 respectively
Table 3.1 Number of English-medium RAs from 2017 to June 2019
This study aims to explore the use of modality across different sections of research articles (RAs), necessitating a consistent structure among the selected RAs While the traditional IMRD structure—Introduction, Method, Results, and Discussion—proposed by Swales (1990) has been the standard framework for researchers, it is noteworthy that many writers choose alternative organizational methods Recent scholars, including Almeida and Pastor (2017), argue that the IMRD structure does not adequately encompass all potential rhetorical sections in RAs Additionally, findings by Lin and Evans (2012) suggest that the IMRD structure is not fixed, with modern RAs increasingly integrating various sections.
The analysis of research articles (RAs) indicates a prevalent structure in academic writing, typically organized as Introduction, Literature Review, Method, Results and Discussion, and Conclusion This structure often involves merging the Results with the Discussion while maintaining the Literature Review and Conclusion as separate sections Table 3.2 provides a summary of the functions of each section, highlighting the common practices observed across various journals.
To ensure uniformity, any RAs that do not meet the established framework will be excluded, resulting in 53 RAs from the international subset and 38 from the Vietnamese subset Consequently, 15 RAs were randomly selected from each subset, with five RAs chosen per year This yields a total of 30 RAs in the field of Applied Linguistics published between 2017 and June 2019 (refer to Appendix A for details).
31 detailed list of RAs under examination)
Table 3.2 Functions of sections in RAs (adapted from Almeida and Pastor, 2017, p.283)
Introduction Justification of paper, contextualization, research objective, structure to paper Literature review Theoretical tenets, and working definitions
Method Description of method and procedure of analysis, description of sample data
Analysis and discussion of data
Conclusion Recap of main contribution of paper, prospects for further research, implications and limitations of paper
These 30 English-medium RAs which had been chosen based on the abovementioned criteria and steps were compiled and downloaded as portable document files (pdf) from the official website of English for Specific Purposes and VNU Journal of Foreign Studies Next, all the documents were coded Then the files were converted into text documents with the view to extracting and coding each RA sections with a different color Each RA was divided into five separate segments – namely Introduction - Literature review
The article is structured into distinct sections: Method, Results and Discussion, and Conclusion, each serving a specific rhetorical purpose To streamline the content for a comprehensive investigation, redundant details have been eliminated, including information about the authors, journal volume and issue, as well as sections such as the abstract, acknowledgments, references, appendices, endnotes, page numbers, and all figures, tables, charts, and diagrams.
The word count of research articles (RAs) varies across different texts, with international writers typically producing longer articles compared to their Vietnamese counterparts The specific word counts for each subcorpus are detailed in Table 3.3.
Table 3.3 Word count of two subsets
It is important to note that the section labels used in research articles may vary among authors, as shown in Table 3.4 However, the terms Introduction, Literature Review, Method, Results and Discussion, and Conclusion are commonly utilized across both data subsets Therefore, for the sake of clarity, this chapter will consistently refer to these sections using these established terminologies.
Data Analysis
Each RA in the corpus underwent manual verification to identify and categorize modality markers based on their semantic and syntactic features This classification relied on contextual clues obtained through close reading and a comprehensive understanding of the texts.
Table 3.4 Labels for section headings in the corpus
Theoretical framework Theoretical background(s) Literature review and Theoretical background
Methodology Materials and methods Research method Research methodology Analytical framework The study
This study Data collection and analysis Results and discussion Results and Discussions
Results and Discussion of research questions Findings and Discussion(s)
Concluding remarks Conclusion(s) and Implication(s) Conclusion and Suggestions for further studies Conclusions and Future directions
Limitation and Conclusion Semantically, modality markers were divided into:
Indeterminate, which includes ambiguous cases where there is a fusion of meaning between modality subclasses
Syntactically, modality markers were sorted into:
Adverbials (including adverbs and expressions functioning as adverbs);
In this study, the term "modal verb" encompasses central modals, marginal modals, and quasi modals for simplicity According to Gustová (2011), semi-auxiliaries or lexico-modals, which are a subtype of quasi modals, are closer to main verbs and will be treated accordingly For example, phrases like "be (un)able to" and "be likely to" will be classified as adjectives, while "be obliged to" and "be supposed to" will be considered lexical verbs The modal verbs examined in this research include: be about to, be going to, be to, can, could, dare, had best, had better, have got to, have to, may, might, must, need, ought to, shall, should, used to, will, would, would rather, would sooner, and would (just) as soon.
In this study, the numbers of occurrence were recorded for the entire
RA and also for each section
Regarding the use of modality in the entire RAs, the numbers of modality markers belonging to different semantic and syntactic categories were added up and compared
In analyzing modality across different sections, it was crucial to utilize normed frequency counts instead of raw token counts, as the texts in the corpus vary in length.
Comparing raw frequencies can result in biased and unreliable outcomes, as noted by McEnery and Hardie (2012) To achieve accurate normed frequencies, researchers must calculate the occurrence of an item per a specific number of words in the text, which serves as the foundation for normalization This involves dividing the raw frequency of the item by the section's size and multiplying the result by a normalization base, which varies depending on the corpus size For instance, a corpus of approximately 100 million words may use a base of 1 million words, while a corpus of 1 million words might utilize a base of 10,000 words (Ngula).
The current corpus consists of nearly 200,000 words, allowing for normalization based on a per 1,000 words of running text To achieve this, a specific formula is applied to convert each frequency into a value per thousand words.
FO: the observed frequency C: the corpus size
For instance, if it is found that there exist 1,604 occurrences of an item in Corpus A, which contains 481,988 words, the normalized frequency of the
36 item in the corpus will be:
The findings regarding the distribution of modality markers across functional sections and the overall research articles (RAs) were derived from normed frequencies analyzed between two data subsets.
This chapter provides a comprehensive overview of research methods, data collection, and data analysis The findings of the study will be presented and discussed in detail in Chapter 4.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Results
4.1.1 The Use of Modality in the Entire RAs in Two Subsets
Table 4.1 presents the maximum and minimum occurrences of modality devices, as well as the estimated average number of tokens occurring in one RA in each subset
Table 4.1 Descriptive statistics of modality markers in the corpus
Max (tokens) Min (tokens) Mean (tokens)
Modality expressions are present in every research article (RA) analyzed, regardless of the authors' nationality, with varying frequencies The international group exhibits a significantly higher occurrence of modality markers, totaling 253 tokens, which is approximately 1.5 times greater than the Vietnamese subset Conversely, the lowest count of modality markers in the international subcorpus is 61, nearly 2.3 times higher than the minimum found in the Vietnamese group.
The international subset of research articles (RAs) typically utilizes more modality tokens than the Vietnamese subset, with an average of about 127 modality markers per international RA compared to approximately 76 in Vietnamese RAs.
The frequencies of modality markers found in the entire RAs produced by two groups of authors are summarized in Table 4.2
Table 4.2 Distribution of modality markers in the entire RAs
Note C = corpus size (words); F O = observed frequency (occurrences); F N = normalized frequency (occurrences per 1,000 words)
The analysis of a 30-text corpus reveals a total of 194,796 words, with 3,053 modality markers identified In the subset of research articles (RAs) by international authors, which comprises 118,476 words, there are 1,908 modality tokens In contrast, RAs by Vietnamese authors, totaling 76,320 words, feature 1,145 modality markers While it appears that international writers utilize more modality devices overall, the normalized data shows that the frequency of modality markers per 1,000 words is only slightly higher for international authors at 16.10 compared to 15.00 for Vietnamese researchers.
Table 4.3 presents descriptive statistics on the occurrences of four
39 semantically-divided modality categories in Linguistics RAs by international and Vietnamese writers
Table 4.3 Occurrence of semantic subtypes
The analysis reveals that Epistemic Modality (EpM) is the most prevalent subtype, comprising 1,621 tokens in the corpus Notably, international authors utilize more than double the markers compared to Vietnamese authors, with 1,118 tokens versus 503 In research articles, EpM is primarily employed to express the writers' uncertainty or certainty regarding their propositions.
In Move R3, the author transitions from merely reporting to interpreting the results During Step 1, the author provides insights that help the reader comprehend the presented results, either by offering explanatory information or by interpreting the findings directly.
In my initial interviews with students at the start of the program, a key theme emerged regarding good academic writing: the significance of assertively presenting one's viewpoint (McCambridge & Pitkönen-Huhta, 2012) However, despite students reiterating this principle in their writing journals, their application of it in their texts varied significantly.
Directives primarily serve the function of requesting information, often manifested through various types of questions These include yes-no questions, statement questions, tag questions, alternative questions, and wh-questions.
Writers must carefully consider how to engage in dialogue with readers who already possess relevant knowledge, determining the appropriate amount of information to include This approach significantly influences the nature of the tasks at hand and shapes what we define as effective communication.
(4.5) Although many investigators have used the term “opening” in interchange with the term “greeting” (Omar, 1989; Youssouf, Grimshaw & Bird, 1976; Firth, 1972; Kendon & Ferber, 1973; Duranti, 1992), these two concepts are definitely different
The researcher expresses uncertainty regarding the methods employed by a writer to explain study results, as indicated by the use of the modal verb "may," which suggests two possible interpretations: providing information or interpreting results Additionally, the verb "seem" and the adverb "perhaps" reflect the author's lack of confidence in their assertions In one instance, the researcher tentatively claims that students do not typically practice a writing principle, while in another, the use of "perhaps" softens the statement about the prevalence of directives Conversely, the adverbs "clearly" and "definitely" demonstrate a strong commitment from the writers to their assertions.
41 propositions, which are the positive implications of writing tasks for composing successful emails and the clear distinction between the term
Epistemic Modality (EpM) serves as a marker of futurity, indicating potential future events and the probabilities associated with various studies It can highlight what may occur in the future, as demonstrated in examples (4.6) and (4.7), or it can specifically refer to actions that need consideration in the context of particular articles, as illustrated in (4.8) and (4.9).
Two in-person training sessions, each lasting two hours, were conducted for ESL instructors at the community college where they worked These sessions covered essential topics such as phonetics and phonology relevant to pronunciation teaching, various pronunciation teaching methods, insights into the participating nurses, and an overview of the course texts and teacher's guide developed by the author.
On December 22, 2017, Project 2020 was revised to align with the new period of 2017-2025, now known as the NFL Project Key objectives include the implementation of a comprehensive ten-year general English program spanning from English 3 to English 12 By the 2020-2021 school year, it aims for 100% of grade 3, 70% of grade 6, and 60% of grade 10 students to participate in this new curriculum Additionally, the project targets that by 2025, all graduates from English teacher training programs will possess both strong teaching qualifications and high levels of English proficiency (Government of Vietnam, 2017).
The company was established as a "born global" entity, integrating English into its contracts, business plans, and computer code, which collectively shaped its operational framework across diverse linguistic, social, and geographic contexts However, Hebrew also played a significant role within these literacy practices, highlighting the complexity of the company's sociomaterial environment.
2008) while often incorporated into talk, text messages, emails, notes, and jottings, as they together mediated how actors traversed physical and social spaces [I1803]
In this study, the authors focused primarily on representatives or assertives, emphasizing that the function of speech acts will be addressed in relation to performatives.
The modal verbs "would" and "will" indicate the future actions of nurses and students in joining the learning program In the subsequent examples, "will" emphasizes the content to be discussed later or the methodology the study will adopt.
Discussion
This study seeks to address the employment of modality in the English- medium RAs in the discipline of Linguistics from a comparative perspective
To achieve the outlined aim, this study focuses on three key objectives: first, to analyze the semantic and syntactic characteristics of modality in research articles (RAs); second, to explore the distribution of modality across different sections of the selected RAs; and third, to compare the similarities and differences in modality usage between international and Vietnamese authors in the collected RAs This section will further discuss the findings related to these objectives.
4.2.1 Modality Use in the Entire RAs
A data analysis of 30 research articles in the field of Linguistics, authored by both international and Vietnamese scholars, revealed a total of 3,053 modality markers within a 194,796-word corpus This indicates an average occurrence of 15.67 modality markers for every 1,000 running words Notably, modality was present in each research article analyzed.
In the analysis of research articles (RAs), a total of 127 items were identified in the international group and 76 items in the Vietnamese group The significant use of modality markers across all RAs in the corpus highlights their crucial role in academic writing, particularly within research articles For a comprehensive overview of the linguistic elements utilized in the analyzed RAs, please refer to Appendix D.
The analysis reveals only a slight difference in the use of modality markers between international researchers and their Vietnamese counterparts, indicating that Vietnamese researchers demonstrate comparable proficiency in modality usage This finding contrasts with previous studies on the modality performance of non-native high school and college students, suggesting a higher level of expertise among Vietnamese researchers.
Research indicates that graduates and postgraduates often underuse, overuse, or misuse modality expressions, with proficiency levels playing a significant role in these patterns This study focuses on individuals with advanced English skills, such as researchers, teachers, and university lecturers, who typically produce language more accurately Supporting this, Milton and Hyland (1999) suggest that as non-native students enhance their proficiency, their use of tentative expressions approaches that of native speakers Additionally, Chen (2010) argues that improved language proficiency among non-native learners leads to advancements in intercultural pragmatic competence.
In both international and Vietnamese author groups, Epistemic Modality (EpM) markers are predominant, comprising 58.60% and 43.93% of the total markers, respectively This prevalence aligns with Almeida and Pastor's (2017) research, which indicates that EpM consistently outnumbers other modality subtypes across all sections of Research Articles (RAs) in the fields of Linguistics and Engineering.
The essential role of EpM in RAs has been emphasized in various
Research by Orta (2010), Pastor (2012), and Yang et al (2015) indicates that scholars frequently utilize Epistemic Modality (EpM) to convey tentative and cautious statements, establishing an appropriate tone in their research articles (RAs) By employing EpM markers, researchers can present their claims with precision and politeness, facilitating the introduction of new knowledge with accuracy and humility (Hyland, 1996; Myers, 1989) This mitigation of claim strength allows for a more balanced and respectful dialogue, enabling readers to engage without feeling threatened Consequently, EpM fosters open discussions and enhances the interpersonal aspect of academic writing (Kranich, 2009) Its prevalence throughout various sections of research articles—identifying gaps in the introduction, reviewing literature, articulating authorial stance and interpretations in results, and addressing contributions and limitations in the conclusion—demonstrates its vital role in scholarly communication.
International authors use EpM markers approximately 2.2 times more than their Vietnamese counterparts This trend suggests that Vietnamese writers may struggle to effectively convey uncertainty in their academic papers The limited use of EpM expressions by Vietnamese authors could indicate a lack of skill in articulating nuanced claims, potentially impacting the quality of their research articles.
70 convey firmer, more direct, and less qualified statements, which may not be highly encouraged in presenting new findings to the scientific community
The DeM and DyM modal meanings play crucial roles in research articles (RAs) DeM is primarily used to express the author's stance regarding permissions, obligations, or requirements related to specific actions, often appearing in the Method and Conclusion sections to outline data collection criteria and provide recommendations In contrast, DyM describes the characteristics or capacities of the subject noun phrase and is distributed throughout the entire RA rather than confined to a specific section Consequently, DeM and DyM are less versatile than EpM, leading to a lower proportion of these modalities compared to EpM in research articles.
The analysis of modality realization in the corpus indicates that modal verbs are significantly more prevalent than other modalities, a finding supported by linguists like de Haan (2006) and Depraetere and Reed (2006) This preference for modal verbs among scholars is largely due to their unique syntactic and semantic characteristics.
Modal verbs exhibit significant syntactic flexibility, allowing them to be combined with diverse grammatical structures that serve as subjects For instance, they can follow personal pronouns, as in "He might be right," noun phrases like "This problem can be solved easily," and nominal clauses such as "What you do now will clearly affect your future."
Prepositional phrases, such as "After seven might be a good time to meet," along with the impersonal "it" (e.g., "It could be a good idea") and the existential "there" (e.g., "There should be a lot of butterflies in the garden"), are essential for constructing coherent sentences Additionally, some verbs must be in the passive voice to convey modality meaning; for example, "be supposed to" indicates expectation, while its active form "suppose" does not Certain adjectives and nouns also follow fixed patterns, including phrases like "be able to," "it is essential to," and "there is a probability that." Although adverbs are generally more flexible and can start sentences (e.g., "Obviously it is correct"), this structure is uncommon in academic writing In the corpus, modal adverbs predominantly pair with verbs, limiting their usage.
Modal verbs exhibit polysemy, allowing them to express multiple meanings in different contexts This flexibility likely accounts for their prevalence in linguistic corpora, as they can adapt to various situations In contrast, other modality markers, such as lexical verbs indicating possibility like "seem" or "tend," typically convey a single, specific meaning.
The adjective "able" specifically expresses DyM meaning, while "likely" serves solely as an EpM marker Additionally, adjectives such as "important," "essential," "vital," and "imperative," when used in the structure "It is + adjective + to infinitive," exclusively convey DeM meaning It's important to note that while all modal verbs express modal meaning, other markers are classified as modality markers only when they convey modal meaning in a specific context For example, in the phrase "I find it hard to accept the fact," the verb "find" illustrates this contextual dependence.
The term "72" serves as an EpM marker, reflecting personal feelings and opinions In contrast, the verb "find" in the phrase "I find the key under the bed" does not function as a modality marker Similarly, while the adjective "important" in "The Internet plays an important part in our lives" is not classified as a modality marker, it is considered a DeM marker in the context of "It is important to be there on time."