Chapter 1 Introduction
1.1 Research orientation
1.2 Research rationale
1.3 Research overview
Chapter 2 Approaching Metadiscourse
2.1 Definition
2.2 Forms
2.3 Functions
2.4 Theoretical accounts
2.4.1 Discourse analysis perspective
2.4.2 Functional perspective
2.4.3 Pragmatic perspective
2.4.4 Comments
2.5 Empirical studies
2.5.1 Effects of metadiseourse on language comprehension
2.5.2 Relationship between the use of metadiscourse and the quality of language output
2.5.3 Cross-cultural differences in the use of metadiscourse
2.5.4 Effects of explicit teaching of metadiscourse
2.5.5 Comments
2.6 Summary
Chapter 3 Approaching Chunks
3.1 Chunks
3.1.1 Phraseological tendency of language
3.1.2 Definitions of chunks
3.1.3 Perspectives of chunk analysis
3.2 "Machine-cut" oral chunks (OCs)
3.2.1 Definition
3.2.2 Phraseological status
3.3 Metadiscoursal tendency of "machine-cut" OCs
3.3.1 Theory of pragmaticalization
3.3.2 Theory of oral production
3.3.3 Empirical evidence
3.3.4 Comments
3.4 Previous studies on EFL learners' "machine-cut" OCs
3.4.1 Research objectives, targets and findings
3.4.2 Comments
3.5 Summary
Chapter 4 Research Design
4.1 Research questions
4.2 Research data
4.2.1 LOCNEC
4.2.2 LINDSEI
4.2.3 ICE-GB-Spoken
4.3 Research tool
4.4 Working definition of MOCs
4.4.1 Utterance-initiating signals
4.4.2 Non-propositional elements
4.4.3 Four contiguous words
4.5 Research procedure
4.5.1 Patternizing NS OCs
