Gender Differences in the Use of Boosters in the Pakistani Opinion Columns: A Corpus-Based Study

Authors

  • Abdul Ali PhD Scholar, Department of Applied Linguistics, Government College University, Faisalabad
  • Dr Aleem Shakir Assistant Professor, Department of Applied Linguistics, Government College University, Faisalabad

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.53057/lingo/2024.6.1.1

Keywords:

boosters, Gender, corpus analysis, Metadiscourse, Pakistani English opinion columns, Hyland's (2004) interpersonal model

Abstract

Prior research has extensively explored gender differences in linguistic strategies across various genres; however, the specific use of boosters in opinion columns by different genders remains under-examined. This corpus-based study investigates whether Pakistani male and female authors exhibit distinct patterns in the utilization of boosters within opinion texts. Analyzing a corpus of 500 opinion columns authored by Pakistani writers of both genders, this study employs Hyland's (2005) framework to identify boosting devices and adopts quantitative methods for data analysis. The analysis is facilitated by the use of MetaPak (2017), a specialized tool for textual analysis. Contrary to expectations, the findings reveal no significant differences in booster usage between male and female opinion writers, suggesting that the prevalence and distribution of boosters are influenced more by genre conventions than by gender. This study contributes to the understanding of linguistic choices in gendered writing within the specific context of Pakistani opinion columns.

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Published

2024-03-30

How to Cite

Ali, A., & Shakir, D. A. (2024). Gender Differences in the Use of Boosters in the Pakistani Opinion Columns: A Corpus-Based Study. Linguistic Forum - A Journal of Linguistics, 6(1), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.53057/lingo/2024.6.1.1