Part One：What is metadiscourse? 3
Chapter 1 Metadiscourse:definitions 3
1.1 Definitions revisited 4
1.2 Defining metadiscourse in academic written communication 8
Chapter 2 Metadiscourse:functions and classifications 11
2.1 Functions revisited 11
2.2 Classifications revisited 15
Chapter 3 Debates and issues on metadiscourse 33
3.1 Non-propositional metadiscourse? 33
3.2 Metadiscourse with a different level of meaning? 34
3.3 Metadiscourse across cultures 36
Part Two：Theories of metadiscourse 45
Chapter 4 Existing approaches to metadiscourse 45
4.1 The rhetoric approach 45
4.2 The functional approach 47
4.3 The speech act approach 50
Chapter 5 Towards a multi-dimensional approach to metadiscourse in academic written communication 52
5.1 Halliday's metafunctions of language:Metadiscourse and its interpersonal meanings 53
5.2 Classical rhetoric's audience:Metadiscourse and writer's credibility 63
5.3 Social constructionist audience:Metadiscourse,knowledge construction and writer's identity 68
5.4 Face in social interaction:Metadiscourse and writer-reader relationship 78
5.5 Important concepts of the multi-dimensional approach 85
5.6 Metadiscourse in written academic communication 93
Chapter 6 Metadiscourse and contrastive rhetoric 123
6.1 The neo-cultural approach to contrastive rhetoric 123
6.2 Metadiscourse and“small”cultures 124
Part Three：Metadiscourse in practice 133
Chapter 7 Metadiscourse in Chinese scholarly texts 133
7.1 Professional academic writing,RA and metadiscourse 133
7.2 Method 139
7.3 Overall results 140
7.4 Discussion 145
7.5 Conclusion 155
Part Four：Implications and future study 159
Chapter 8 Metadiscourse in academic English education 159
8.1 Implications of the multi-dimensional approach and the contrastive rhetoric study 159
8.2 Advantages of teaching metadiscourse 165
Chapter 9 Future study 168
References 173
Appendix A 189
Appendix B 193
Appendix C 194
