Text cohesion: An exploratory study with beginning writers

1985 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 407-415 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philip Yde ◽  
Marc Spoelders
Keyword(s):  
Exploratory Study ◽  
Written Language ◽  
Developmental Trend ◽  
Narrative Texts ◽  
Unit Of Analysis ◽  
Linguistic Research ◽  
Cohesive Devices ◽  
Text Cohesion ◽  
Beginning Writers ◽  
Written Language Acquisition

ABSTRACTLinguistic research on children's acquisition of writing concerns itself largely with the sentence as the highest unit of analysis. However, an adequate account of written language acquisition must deal with the text-productive ability, including devices for cohesion and compactness. The intersentential cohesive devices used by Dutch-speaking children aged 8–9 (N=14) and 10–11 (N=14) in narrative texts are analysed and compared in this report. The coding of the cohesive devices followed Halliday and Hasan (1976). The writing samples were also analysed for degrees of cohesiveness and compactness, using the formulae suggested by Scinto (1983). Our findings indicate a developmental trend in the construction of more cohesive and compact narrative texts.

Socialisation écrite et rédaction épistolaire de scripteurs moins expérimentés – lettres des soldats de la Grande Guerre

2020 ◽  
Vol 71 (1) ◽  
pp. 82-129
Author(s):  
Sybille Große ◽  
Lena Sowada
Keyword(s):  
Language Acquisition ◽  
Social Status ◽  
Social Process ◽  
Written Language ◽  
Everyday Language ◽  
Private Correspondence ◽  
Written Language Acquisition

AbstractJust recently, documents written by less skilled writers constitute an object of investigation in linguistics of different philologies. This contribution valorizes private letters as testimonies from writers of varying social status, as opposed to the elite, and furthermore describes the process and the context of their production. In this perspective, it is important to distinguish the process of acquisition of the written language and the complex cognitive and social process of writing. Dealing with private correspondence of writers with less experience, we focus on circumstances of the writing production in a familial and individual context. We investigate different influences on these texts: the writers’ specific writing socialization, an interrupted process of written language acquisition, specificities of colloquial everyday language as well as a lack of epistolary and writing experience. In order to realize the different writing tasks and to evoke intimacy, less-skilled writers acquire an inventory of creative tricks by following oral representations, by imitating strategies from the immediate communication and by using different linguistic and discursive routines.

scholarly journals AN ANALYSIS OF COHESION OF EXPOSITION TEXTS: AN INDONESIAN CONTEXT

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 515
Author(s):  
Emi Emilia ◽  
Nurfitri Habibi ◽  
Lungguh Ariang Bangga
Keyword(s):  
Systemic Functional Linguistics ◽  
Case Study Research ◽  
Written Language ◽  
High Achievers ◽  
Linguistic Features ◽  
Lexical Cohesion ◽  
Functional Linguistics ◽  
Cohesive Devices ◽  
Eleventh Graders ◽  
Flow Of Information

The paper reports on the results of a study aiming to investigate the cohesion of exposition texts written by eleventh graders of a school in Bandung, West Java, Indonesia. The study used a qualitative case study research design, especially text analysis, involving 32 students. In the interest of space, the paper will present the data obtained from six texts written by 6 students, representing low, mid, and high achievers. The texts were analyzed using systemic functional linguistics (SFL), especially in terms of schematic structure and linguistic features, especially those contributing to the cohesion of the texts, such as Theme progression and cohesive devices. The results show that all texts show students’ grasp and understanding of the schematic structure of an exposition, including thesis, argument, and restatement of the thesis. All texts also successfully use the zig-zag and the Theme reiteration patterns, which indicate the students’ emerging capacity to create a text with cohesion at the clause level. However, only texts written by high achievers employ the multiple Theme pattern, indicating the students’ emerging capacity to create a text with better sense of connectedness, unity, and flow of information at the global level. High achiever texts also employ discourse features which allow the reader to predict how the text will unfold and guide them to a line of understanding of a text as a whole. Moreover, in terms of cohesive devices, all texts use some simple cohesive devices—reference, lexical cohesion, and conjunction. It should be mentioned that all texts are rudimentary with some inappropriate word choices and grammatical problems. This suggests that the students still needed more guidance and time to do research on the topic in focus, to go through the process of writing as professional do, to allow them to create a better text with more elaboration and characteristics of written language with consistency and accuracy. It is recommended that further research on different perspectives and foci of analysis of different text types using systemic functional linguistics, with more representative samples, and studies on the teaching of writing be conducted.

scholarly journals The Contribution of Lexical Cohesion to the Text Cohesion in EFL Students’ Expository Texts

ELT in Focus ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 11-18
Author(s):  
Hanif Nurcholish Adiantika
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
Qualitative Research ◽  
Expository Texts ◽  
West Java ◽  
Lexical Cohesion ◽  
The Core ◽  
Cohesive Devices ◽  
Twelfth Grade ◽  
Efl Students ◽  
Text Cohesion

This study aims to investigate the use of lexical cohesion in students’ expository texts. It reveals thetypes of lexical cohesion employed by the students in their expository texts and the contribution oflexical cohesion to the text’ cohesion. This study employs qualitative research by using a case studydesign. Nine students of twelfth grade in a public senior high school in Kuningan regent, West Java,are chosen as the participants. The data in this study include the documents of students’ expositorytexts. The data are analyzed by using the concept of cohesive devices proposed by Halliday andHasan (1976). The findings show that there are two lexical cohesions identified in nine students’expository texts i.e. reiteration (covering i.e. antonymy, repetition, synonymy, meronymy, andhyponymy) and collocation. This study also indicates that lexical cohesion contribute to the processof keeping track of the participants and engaging the readers to the core argument of the text.Moreover, it can be stated that the contribution of lexical cohesion towards students’ expositorytexts is considered low. Therefore, there must be an encouragement for the students to use properlexical cohesion to make their text more cohesive.

Classification Accuracy of Curriculum-Based Measures for Beginning Writers in First Grade

2017 ◽  
Vol 43 (3) ◽  
pp. 131-143 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pyung-Gang Jung ◽  
Kristen L. McMaster
Keyword(s):  
Classification Accuracy ◽  
Area Under Curve ◽  
First Graders ◽  
First Grade ◽  
Written Language ◽  
Curriculum Based Measurement ◽  
Correct Word ◽  
Predictive Values ◽  
Curriculum Based Measures ◽  
Beginning Writers

We examined the classification accuracy of Curriculum-Based Measurement in writing (CBM-W) Picture Word prompts scored for words written (WW), words spelled correctly (WSC), and correct word sequences (CWS). First graders ( n = 133) were administered CBM-W prompts and the Test of Written Language–Third Edition (TOWL-3; Hammill & Larsen, 1996). Prompts scored for WSC showed acceptable levels of sensitivity (.947) and specificity (.587) with the TOWL-3 Contextual Language. Positive predictive values were low (approximately .20 to .30), and negative predictive values were high (mostly above .95). Overall classification accuracy, represented by the area under curve (AUC), ranged from .727 to .831. Further research regarding ways to improve classification accuracy of CBM-W and preliminary implications for practice are discussed.

scholarly journals The Use of Substitution and Its Contribution to the Text Cohesion in Students’ Expository Texts

ELT in Focus ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 44-51
Author(s):  
Hanif Nurcholish Adiantika ◽  
Astri Dwi Floranti
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
Qualitative Research ◽  
Study Design ◽  
Senior High School ◽  
Expository Texts ◽  
Case Study Design ◽  
Cohesive Devices ◽  
Twelfth Grade ◽  
Text Cohesion

The present study intends to investigate the use of substitution in students’ expository texts. It covers the types of substitution used by the students in their expository texts and the contribution of substitution to the texts’ cohesion. This study uses qualitative research through case study design. The participants in this study are nine students of twelfth grade in a public senior high school in Kuningan. The data in the present study are the documents of students’ expository texts. The data are analyzed by using the frameworks of cohesive devices proposed by Halliday and Hasan (1976). The findings indicate that there is only one substitution found in this study namely nominal substitution. The present study also delineates that the use of substitution contributes to the process of avoiding repetition and text redundancy. Furthermore, it can be concluded that the use and the contribution of substitution in students’ expository texts are still considered low. Thus, the encouragement is very necessary for the students to use appropriate substitution to make their texts more cohesive.

scholarly journals Prerequisites for Written Language Acquisition and It’s Disorders Correction in Montessori Pedagogy

2015 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
pp. 222
Author(s):  
Gundega Tomele
Keyword(s):  
Academic Achievement ◽  
Primary Prevention ◽  
Language Acquisition ◽  
Language Development ◽  
Primary School ◽  
Language Disorders ◽  
Written Language ◽  
Theoretical Knowledge ◽  
Written Language Development ◽  
Written Language Acquisition

The successful acquisition of written language is an important precondition for schoolchildren academic achievement. Written language disorders are usually diagnosed during primary school, although the etiology of them is largely associated to children oral and written language development in the pre-school years. This article presents the need of primary prevention of written language disorders at the preschool level and its realization with a help of Montessori pedagogy. There is summarized theoretical knowledge in the context of language acquisition and reflected Montessori pedagogy prerequisites for the successful written language acquisition and correction of early signs of disorders in the pre-school years.

scholarly journals PENGENALAN BAHASA TULIS BERBASIS PEMEROLEHAN UNTUK ANAK KB DAN TK

Diksi ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tadkiroatun Musfiroh
Keyword(s):  
Field Testing ◽  
Receptive Language ◽  
Written Language ◽  
Research Subjects ◽  
Reading And Writing ◽  
Learning Conditions ◽  
The Media ◽  
Extended Field ◽  
Written Language Acquisition ◽  
Validation Testing

There are three main aspects of problems concerning the introduction ofthe written language (the language used in reading and writing activities) in playgroups and kindergartens: the method, the learning approach, and the media andsources used for the activities related to it. Inappropriateness in choosing the threeaspects will result in undesired development of the children on the whole,including their interest in reading and writing activities. Therefore, there needs tobe developed a model for introducing written language for children whichaccommodates the three aspects. A research study has been conducted with theobjective of developing and finalizing such a model and guidelines for itsapplication by means of (1) validation testing by experts and users, (2) limited fieldtesting, and (3) extended field testing.The research subjects were 107 teachers and 178 chidren in play groupsand kindergartens in the Yogyakarta Province. The data were obtained by means ofvarious methods: observation, questionnaire, interview, and documentation. Theinterview data were orthographically transcribed and then combined with fieldnotedata and data of the children's written expressions were documented by usinga scanner. The analysis was both qualitatively and quantitatively descriptive.Validity was confirmed by means of intra-rater and inter-rater techniques.The research results indicate that, after validation testing by experts andusers as well as limited and extended field testing, the model has shown an abilityto improve learning conditions, increase children's acquisition of the writtenlanguage for the related productive and receptive language activities, improvetheir symbol sensitivity, and strengthen the foundations of their reading andwriting activities. The application of the model has also improved the teachers'competence.Keywords: introducing written language, acquisition-based written language,children in play groups and kindergartens

scholarly journals Malaysian Children Storybooks as ESL Reading Materials

2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 68
Author(s):  
Adlina Ismail ◽  
Normah Yusof
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Cognitive Development ◽  
Development Theory ◽  
Narrative Texts ◽  
Language Functions ◽  
Second Language Development ◽  
Cohesive Devices ◽  
Esl Reading ◽  
Reading Materials ◽  
The Difference

English as a Second Language (ESL) reading materials for children are important in second language development. It is believed that language cannot be taught in a vacuum context as language functions within a culture. Even though learning a language requires learning about the culture unconsciously, learners’ culture should be taken into consideration as well. The study aimed to identify the difference between Malaysian picture storybooks and Malaysian chapter storybooks in terms of readability by using a computational tool, Coh-Metrix TERA. This study also aimed to discuss the suitability of the samples’ readability in relation to the second language comprehension and cognitive development theories. The study collected 10 locally published picture storybooks and chapter storybooks each. The narrative texts from the books were extracted and assessed by Coh-Metrix TERA. It was found that picture storybooks are different from chapter storybooks in terms of the amount of concrete words, referential cohesion devices, and familiar words in the texts. In general, the samples’ readability is in line with the cognitive development theory. However, they can be improved in terms of cohesive devices and familiar words. In brief, Malaysian picture storybooks and chapter storybooks are suitable to be used as reading materials to learn English for Malaysian children. Nevertheless, weak readers may require adult assistance in certain parts of the books.

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