Rhetorical shifts in the AI age: A Metadiscourse analysis of applied linguistics master’s theses in the Chinese EFL context

Key Points

• The analysis identifies key rhetorical shifts in academic writing in applied linguistics.
• Significant trends in metadiscourse were found across a range of Chinese EFL master's theses.
• Using text analysis, the study highlights how rhetoric adapts in response to AI influences.
• This highlights the need for further exploration of evolving writing practices in educational contexts.