ISSN: 2782-893X
eISSN: 2799-0664
ISSN: 2782- 893X
The computer-mediated British parliamentary debate participated in by L2 students from a TechVoc school, widened the scope of discourse analysis. This present study concentrated on interactional metadiscourse markers using AntConc to determine the frequency of the markers, and NViVO12 for the thematic analysis. The findings demonstrated that interactional discourse markers are crucial on the formation of argumentative discourse, for these markers develop connections between the speaker and the audience. The results indicated the current reality of learners’ communication abilities, notably in rebuttal and refutation. Based on the findings, the most frequent subcategory of interactional markers used in the computer-mediated British parliamentary debate is Engagement markers, followed by Self-mentions, Hedges, Attitude markers, and Boosters. The use of interactional metadiscourse in computer-mediated debate exhibits prominence of engagement markers ‘we’ and ‘our’. They draw the audience into the argument. Self-mentions in facts or statements show speakers’ confidence. The students’ frequent use of hedges indicates their doubt about their arguments. In computer-mediated debates, attitude markers and boosters should be emphasized since they show the debaters’ appealing attitude and establish claim concreteness. In conclusion, teachers are advised to include Metadiscourse markers in subjects like English for Academic and Special Purposes and other English subjects, focusing on their categories and functions. In addition, learners need to be reminded to use fewer hedges in argumentative discourse. Teachers are further advised to teach the use of boosters and engagement markers to appeal to audience using shared knowledge.