ABSTRACT:
Speaking is the key to communication and is considered to be the most important active skill. The ability to speak and engage listeners are essential prerequisites for stringing words together. The purpose of this particular study was to investigate how the interactional metadiscourse markers used in English speeches of 1Dasho Tshering Tobgay relates to listeners’ willingness to communicate. The present qualitative descriptive study focused on textual analysis using Ken Hyland’s model of the metadiscourse. The study found attitude markers were used the highest than other markers. The analysis of the English speeches revealed that Dasho employed interactional resources to make his presence felt in the discourse, built an honest and sincere personage to make his statements more credible to his audiences, displaying his confidence and competence, and created positions of negotiation while expressing his perspectives in maintaining and strengthening relationships. Convincingly, these interactional resources helped to engage speakers and listeners to promote their willingness to communicate. The information from this research will benefit both foreign language teachers and learners to develop a willingness to communicate in English in various situations.