Adverbial cohesion in English-medium academic prose: disciplinary and linguacultural considerations

Abstract

The article studies the use of linking adverbials (LAs) in English-medium articles by Polish and Anglophone scholars representing medicine and psychology, attempting to reveal discipline-and culture-specific preferences in the choice, frequency and distribution of linkers. The results show that disciplinary and linguacultural constraints impact on LA use. Variation across disciplines reflects differences in the knowledge base and its rhetorical management, as there are significantly more LAs in psychology than in medicine. Cross-cultural variation determines the choice of specific LA (sub)categories in line with the authors’ linguacultural backgrounds, target readers and publication contexts. These findings can raise academic writers’ awareness of culture-and discipline-driven aspects of adverbial cohesion in English academic prose.