scholarly journals ADOPTING THE THEORY OF PATTERNS OF COHESION TO ASSESS THE STUDENTS’ EXTENSIVE WRITING: DOES IT WORK?

2016 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 40-58
Author(s):  
Saudin Saudin
Keyword(s):  
Error Analysis ◽  
Low Achievers ◽  
Writing Teachers ◽  
Writing Performance ◽  
Essay Writing ◽  
Lexical Cohesion ◽  
Proficiency Levels ◽  
Cohesive Devices ◽  
Analytic Scoring

The study investigated the extensive writing performance of the students across three proficiency levels of English: Advanced, Intermediate and Elementary. From each level, three students were selected purposively to represent high-, middle- and low-achievers. Their nine pieces of writing were then assessed by means of the theory of patterns of cohesion (Halliday and Matthiessen, 2004; Eggins, 2004; Paltridge, 2006; Salkie, 1995; and Gerot & Wignell, 1994). The patterns consist of five cohesive devices: reference, conjunction, lexical cohesion, ellipsis and substitution. The assessment focused on analyzing the students’ failures in observing the patterns. The study, therefore, resembles an error analysis but adopts the cohesive devices, instead of linguistic/ grammatical classifications or other kinds of taxonomy as the sources of errors. As such, the study is the first that introduced the uses the devices as the sources of errors. Further, the errors made by the learners were calculated and compared with the total number of the words they wrote in their essay writing. This way, the data concerning the frequency of the failures in the cohesive devices across the students’ levels were obtained, tabulated and then discussed. Based on the results, a model of an analytic scoring guide was proposed to be used for assessing the students’ writing performance by considering the differences of levels. The model is expected to be useful for writing teachers as it has a higher level of practicality and measurability compared with other available analytic scoring methods.Key words: extensive writing, analytic scoring guide, cohesion, cohesive devices, error analysis, taxonomy

scholarly journals The Realization of Lexical Cohesion in EFL Students’ Explanatory Texts Across Two Levels of Proficiency

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 16-30
Author(s):  
Saudin
Keyword(s):  
Low Achievers ◽  
Writing Quality ◽  
Lexical Cohesion ◽  
Proficiency Levels ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Good Writing ◽  
Efl Students

Lexical cohesion is the most prominent resource of cohesion, which is a property usually associated with writing quality. Around forty to fifty percent (Hoey, 1991; Kafes, 2012) even two-thirds (Witte & Faigley, 1981) of cohesion in texts are lexical regardless of proficiency levels. This research investigated how lexical cohesion (involving repetition, synonymy and collocation) is realized in the explanatory texts written by the two groups of participants (high and low achievers) and whether or not the denser realization of lexical cohesion is positively related to the writing quality. e results of the analyses conducted largely qualitatively showed that repetition came first as the most-frequently exploited sub-class of lexical cohesion, followed by collocation and synonymy. Unlike collocation and synonymy, repetition contributed negatively to the writing quality though complex repetition, one sub-type of repetition, contributed positively as synonymy and collocation did. Surprisingly, taken together as lexical cohesion, the three sub-classes in their percentages of occurrences in the corpus did not have positive effects on writing quality. Therefore, denser lexical cohesion when involving repetition was not always an indicator of good writing. Thus, this study presents, in relationship with writing quality, the discussion of each cohesive sub-class as one entity be more reliable than that of (lexical) cohesion as a superordinate. The study also recommends making use of exercises available or self-made to build up students’ skills in using synonymy instead of repetition, and in creating well-formed collocation.

scholarly journals The Use of Cohesive Device in Writing Cause and Effect Essay

2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Indah Wardaty Saud
Keyword(s):  
Quantitative Analysis ◽  
Error Analysis ◽  
Qualitative Analysis ◽  
English Department ◽  
Essay Writing ◽  
Cause And Effect ◽  
Cohesive Devices

This study investigated the cohesive errors I composing essay writing done by undergraduate English Department students of University of Muhammadiyah Gorontalo, Indonesia. In elucidating the students’ difficulties in using cohesive devices, the researchers examined the cohesive errors both quantitatively and qualitatively. This study was analyzed based on an error analysis paradigm and Halliday and Hasan’s cohesion framework and taxonomy. The quantitative analysis investigated frequency and the percentage of cohesive errors and also the types of cohesive errors committed by the student. The qualitative analysis investigated linguistic a description and the explanation of the cohesive composed by the students.

scholarly journals An Error Analysis Of The Cohesive Devices Made By The Students In Writing Paragraph (A Study Of English Department Students Of Letters Faculty)

Tamaddun ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 26-33
Author(s):  
Rusdiah Rusdiah ◽  
Malombassang Malombassang
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Research ◽  
Error Analysis ◽  
English Department ◽  
Lexical Cohesion ◽  
Linguistic Description ◽  
Cohesive Devices ◽  
Descriptive Qualitative

This research investigates cohesive devices errors in paragraphs written by the seventh semester students at UMI Makassar. This graduating paper intends to be a descriptive qualitative research which consist of a detail linguistic description and explanation of cohesive devices errors. It explains how cohesion is used erroneously in the students’ writing. The objectives of this research are to know whether there are any cohesive errors in English essays written by the seventh semester students at UMI Makassar, to find out the types of cohesive devices error committed in those paragraphs, and to describe the dominant of errors in using cohesive devices in those paragraphs. The results show that a total of 25 errors are identified in those paragraphs include errors on the use of reference, conjunction and lexical cohesion. Errors on the use of substitution and ellipsis are not found. The percentage of errors on the use of reference is 64%, conjunction 24%, and lexical cohesion 12%. From percentage of each types of errors on the use of cohesive devices, reference becomes the first dominant error, conjunction as the second dominant error, and lexical cohesion as the last dominant error.  

scholarly journals Text Cohesion in English Scientific Texts Written by Saudi Undergraduate Dentistry Students: A Multimodal Discourse Analysis of Textual and Logical Relations in Oral Biology Texts

SAGE Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 215824402110321
Author(s):  
Hesham Suleiman Alyousef
Keyword(s):  
Discourse Analysis ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Meaning Making ◽  
Linguistic Knowledge ◽  
Bachelor Of Science ◽  
Lexical Cohesion ◽  
Multimodal Discourse Analysis ◽  
Multimodal Discourse ◽  
Cohesive Devices ◽  
Analysis Scheme

This qualitative study examined multimodal cohesive devices in English oral biology texts by eight high-achieving Saudi English-as-a-foreign-language students enrolled in a Bachelor of Science Dentistry program. A Systemic Functional Multimodal Discourse Analysis (SF-MDA) of the textual and logical cohesive devices in oral biology texts was conducted, employing Halliday and Hasan’s cohesion analysis scheme. The findings showed that students used varied cohesive devices: lexical cohesion, followed by reference and conjunctions. Although ellipsis was minimally employed in the oral biology texts, its discipline-specific uses emerged: the use of bullet points and numbered lists that facilitate recall. The SF-MDA of cohesion in multimodal semiotic resources highlighted the processes underlying construction of conceptual and linguistic knowledge of cohesive devices in oral biology texts. The results indicate that oral biology discourse is interdisciplinary, including a number of subfields in biology. The SF-MDA of pictorial oral biology representations indicates that they include instances of cohesive devices that illustrate and complement verbal texts. The results indicate that undergraduate students need to be provided with a variety of multimodal high-cohesion texts so that they can successfully extend underlying conceptual and logical meaning-making relations.

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.

The Effects of Self-Regulated Strategy Development on the Writing of Expository Essays for Adults With Written Expression Difficulties

2010 ◽  
Vol 33 (2) ◽  
pp. 124-136 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ann Bassett Berry ◽  
Linda H. Mason
Keyword(s):  
Adult Students ◽  
Multiple Baseline ◽  
Written Expression ◽  
Strategy Development ◽  
Writing Performance ◽  
Essay Writing ◽  
Word Use ◽  
General Equivalency Diploma ◽  
Multiple Probe ◽  
Expository Essays

A multiple-probe, multiple-baseline, across-subjects design was used to examine the writing performance of four low-achieving adult students with and without disabilities enrolled in general equivalency diploma (GED) preparatory classes. Students’ writing was evaluated before instruction and after self-regulated strategy development (SRSD) instruction for the POW (Pick my idea–pay attention to the prompt, Organize, Write and say more) + TREE (Topic sentence, Reasons, Explanations, Ending) + COPS (Capitalize, Organize, Punctuate, Sense) strategies. Results following the instruction indicated that students had learned to independently write expository essays. The number of essay parts and transition words increased, demonstrating evidence of organized essays. The number of words written and descriptive word use also increased. Gains were maintained on maintenance probes. All students who took the GED exam passed the essay-writing portion following the intervention.

scholarly journals An SF-MDA of the Textual and the Logical Cohesive Devices in a Postgraduate Accounting Course

SAGE Open ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 215824402094712
Author(s):  
Hesham Suleiman Alyousef
Keyword(s):  
Meaning Making ◽  
Systemic Functional Linguistics ◽  
Business Students ◽  
Financial Statements ◽  
Making Meaning ◽  
Lexical Cohesion ◽  
Multimodal Discourse Analysis ◽  
Multimodal Discourse ◽  
Cohesive Devices

The use of cohesive devices in academic discourse not only improves the quality of writing but also enhances our learning experiences. This study aims to explain how the multimodal accounting discourse is constructed by postgraduate business students through the cohesive ties. Halliday and Hasan’s and Halliday’s cohesion analysis schemes were employed in the systemic functional multimodal discourse analysis (SF-MDA) of the cohesive devices in the multimodal accounting texts. The schemes are based on systemic functional linguistics (SFL) which suits the context of this study as it considers language as a social semiotic resource for making meaning. Its linguistic tools are capable of explaining the way we construct and make meanings. The SF-MDA findings showed the first and most frequently occurring cohesive device type in the orthographic texts was lexical cohesion, in particular repetition of the same lexical items, followed by reference and conjunctions. Lexical cohesive devices were higher in the tables than in the orthographic texts. Conjunctions were only employed in the orthographic texts to signal extension and enhancement relationships. One of the key features that characterize financial statements is the abundance of implicit hierarchically networked lexical ties that bind the separate lexical strings, thereby organizing the discourse of financial statements. The results contribute to our understanding of the complex multimodal meaning-making processes in accounting discourse.

The Effects of Formula Instruction on Knowledge and Use of the Target Formulas

2014 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
pp. 71-78
Author(s):  
Nor Ashikin Ab Manan ◽  
Ambigapathy Pandian
Keyword(s):  
Direct Instruction ◽  
Academic Writing ◽  
Objective Test ◽  
Writing Performance ◽  
Essay Writing ◽  
Writing Test ◽  
Writing Class ◽  
Research Questions

This study was conducted to explore the benefits of formula instruction in an academic writing class. Its main objective is to determine whether the students’ knowledge of the target formulas can be enhanced through direct instruction of the target academic formulas (DIAF) chosen from the academic formula list (AFL).In this study, twenty  five formulas were selected from the Academic Formula List (Simpson-Valch & Ellis, 2010) as target formulas and were directly taught to a group of students attending an academic writing class. After five weeks of instruction, their knowledge of the target formulas was tested using an objective test and an academic essay writing test. This paper discusses the result of the study by addressing four research questions:  (1) What are the effects of formula instruction on the students’ knowledge of the target formulas? (2)  What are the effects of formula instruction on the students’ academic writing performance? (3) What are the effects of formula instruction on the use of the formulas in the academic essay? (4) What is the effect of target academic formula use on the scores of the academic essay writing test?

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document