The Power of English: I and we in Lithuanian, Lithuanian English and British English research writing

LTReikšminiai žodžiai: Research articles; Personal pronouns; Inclusive we; Cross-linguistic study; Lithuanian; Exclusive we; Intercultural rhetoric; English.

ENThe use of I and we in research writing has been acknowledged as one of the most powerful means to mark author stance, however there are substantial differences in personal pronoun preferences depending on the disciplinary and cultural background of the writer. This chapter investigates the use of personal pronouns in linguistic research articles written by Lithuanian scholars in English and in Lithuanian, and by British English speakers in English. The results suggest that most Lithuanian scholars choose a more explicit author stance expression when they write in English, even though the frequencies and some functions of I and we in the English speakers’ texts tend to be different from those in the Lithuanian scholars’ articles. [benjamins.com]