scholarly journals Evaluating Lexical Cohesion in Nigerian Newspaper Genres: Focus on the Editorials

2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 240
Author(s):  
Zubairu Malah ◽  
Helen Tan ◽  
Sabariah Md Rashid
Keyword(s):  
Systemic Functional Linguistics ◽  
Lexical Cohesion ◽  
Functional Linguistics ◽  
The Guardian ◽  
Scholarly Attention ◽  
Newspaper Editorials

Applied linguists paying scholarly attention to newspaper genres have often argued that findings emerging from such studies would be of pedagogical significance because most of the newspaper genres share certain conventional features with school genres. Similarly, this study explored lexical cohesion in newspaper editorials, and it is understood that the findings could help learners in handling persuasive writings. The study sought to identify the dominant sources of lexical cohesion in the editorials, and also to examine how lexical cohesion is utilized to achieve coherence in the editorials. Drawing on Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL), the study applied Eggins’ (2004) model of lexical cohesion and analyzed 30 editorial texts of 20, 354 words drawn from three major Nigerian newspapers: The Guardian, The Nation, and Vanguard. The analysis revealed 2, 685 ties across 849 sentences. The data demonstrated that the major types of lexical cohesion in the editorials include: repetition (49.5%), expectancy relations (15. 8%), class/sub-class (11%), and synonymy (10.8%). It was further revealed that lexical cohesion devices, which formed into chains (586) and isolated ties (837), were utilized in building coherence in the editorial texts. It was finally shown how findings of the study could be beneficial in ESP, EAP, and EGP learning, especially in persuasive writings.   Keywords: Editorials, Lexical cohesion, Newspaper Genres, Nigerian Newspapers, School Genres

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 Circumstances and their Roles in the Development of Editorials

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 21
Author(s):  
Olusegun O. Jegede
Keyword(s):  
News Media ◽  
Systemic Functional Linguistics ◽  
Functional Linguistics ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Newspaper Editorials

The study identified and categorised the features of the circumstantial options in the selected newspaper editorials and interpreted the content expressed by the options. The options were then compared to the opinions expressed in the text. These were done with a view to investigating the roles played by circumstances in the development of editorials. Data for the study were elicited from newspapers. Seven editorials were purposively selected from the 28 editorials collected. The selected editorials cut across different aspects of life, including safety and security, crime, politics, economics and religion. Each editorial was broken down into sentences, but only the main clauses in the sentences were analysed. The findings revealed that some circumstantial options were prominent in the texts. These included location, manner, extent and cause. They also revealed that with circumstances in editorials, editorials can help to articulate a better understanding of the news media, the unique handling of language and text, and the impact on thought and culture. The study concluded that the experiential meta-function in systemic functional linguistics helped to highlight the features of editorials.

scholarly journals A Systemic Functional Linguistics Analysis of Cohesion and Coherence in Written Nursing Care Reports

2017 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Ahmad Kailani
Keyword(s):  
Nursing Students ◽  
Nursing Care ◽  
Systemic Functional Linguistics ◽  
Education Institution ◽  
Research Focus ◽  
Main Method ◽  
Main Research ◽  
Lexical Cohesion ◽  
Functional Linguistics ◽  
Text Cohesion

This study analyses 25 nursing care reports written by nursing students majoring in the International Class of Nursing Diploma at a higher education institution in Indonesia. The main research focus is to assess the cohesion and coherence of nursing care reports in relation to their grades. The Systemic Functional Linguistics framework, with a focus on the textual metafunction, serves as a tool for analyzing cohesion, Thematic structures and Thematic development of the texts. The analysis of text cohesion revealed that all texts predominantly used lexical cohesion and reference to build internal ties within the texts. Reiteration of the same lexical items throughout the texts and heavy use of personal pronouns indicated the exploitation of these systems. In terms of coherence via Thematic structure, it was found that textual Themes were predominantly used. All the texts relied heavily on unmarked Themes, with no evidence indicating a proportional use of marked and unmarked Themes. In terms of Thematic development, Theme reiteration was the main method of text development for all texts. However, a few instances of Zig-zag Thematic development were found in texts in the higher graded categories. None of the texts used multiple Rheme patterns as an alternative method of text development.  

scholarly journals A Transitivity Analysis of the Arab Revolutions Representation in Western Newspapers: the Washington Post, the Guardian and le Figaro as Case Study.

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 153-169
Author(s):  
Aymane Edouihri ◽  
Yahya yachouti
Keyword(s):  
International Relations ◽  
Arab Spring ◽  
Systemic Functional Linguistics ◽  
Washington Post ◽  
Colonial Discourse ◽  
Functional Linguistics ◽  
East And West ◽  
The Arab Spring ◽  
The Guardian

The earthshaking event of the Arab revolutions profoundly impacted international relations and sparked heated discussions and analysis of East and West encounters´ legacy. Such sizable opportunity is creates an interesting momentum in revisiting western representation of the orient. Such representation traditionally feeds on colonial discourse´s binarisms, polarization and othering. Thus, this paper aims at examining western press discourse on the Arab Spring through transitivity analysis. The analysis examines the Washington Post, the Guradian and le Figaro´s articles written about the Arab revolutions. Enlightened by Systemic Functional Linguistics, transitivity analysis unveils the embedded constructs in the process types, goals and actors deployed by the newspapers´ articles writers.  

scholarly journals A study of cohesion in international postgraduate Business students’ multimodal written texts: an SF-MDA of a key topic in finance

2015 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
pp. 56-78
Author(s):  
Hesham Suleiman Alyousef ◽  
Suliman Mohammed Alnasser
Keyword(s):  
Meaning Making ◽  
Systemic Functional Linguistics ◽  
Business Students ◽  
Capital Budgeting ◽  
Multimodal Communication ◽  
Accounting Students ◽  
Lexical Cohesion ◽  
Functional Linguistics ◽  
Cohesive Devices ◽  
Analysis Scheme

Empirical research studies of finance students’ language use have investigated students’ performance in finance courses and the effect of class attendance on students’ performance.Similarly, research on accounting students’ texts has been directed at readability of accounting narratives and lexical choices. Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL) based research in multimodal communication and representation has been confined to school and workplace contexts. Whereas multimodal communication investigations in tertiary contexts has been conducted across the fields of mathematics, science and computing, and nursing, business courses have not been explored. The purpose of this paper is to report on a case study designed to investigate the key multimodal academic literacy and numeracy practices of ten international Master of Commerce Accounting students enrolled at an Australian university. Specifically, it aims to provide an account of the salient textual and the logical patterns through the analysis of cohesive devices in a key topic in the Principles of Finance course, namely capital budgeting techniques and management reports. This study is pertinent as most international ESL/EFL students’ enrolments in Australia and elsewhere is in business programs. This study is underpinned by Halliday’s (1985) Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL) approach to language and Halliday and Hasan’s (1976) cohesion analysis scheme. The study employs a Systemic Functional Multimodal Discourse Analysis (SF-MDA) for the analysis of cohesive devices in the participants’ multimodal texts. Lexical cohesion formed the largest percentage of use, and in particular repetition of the same lexical items, followed by reference.The findings contribute to the description of the meaning-making processes in these multimodal artefacts. They provide a potential research tool for similar investigations across a broad range of educational settings. Implications of the findings for finance students and educators are finally presented.

An Exploratory Study of Cohesive features in Selected Excerpts from Sefiata’s News from Home

2017 ◽  
Vol 3 (6) ◽  
pp. 19
Author(s):  
Innocent Sourou Koutchadé
Keyword(s):  
Mixed Method ◽  
Exploratory Study ◽  
Systemic Functional Linguistics ◽  
Linguistic Analysis ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Lexical Cohesion ◽  
Functional Linguistics ◽  
Linguistic Approach

This article aimed at providing a linguistic analysis of Sefi Atta’s novel entitled News from Home through the linguistic approach of cohesion drawn from Systemic Functional Linguistics. Two extracts were selected randomly from the novel and a descriptive mixed method of analysis was adopted. Aspects of cohesion studied in the text were reference, conjunction and lexical cohesion. The analyses revealed that various types of reference such as anaphoric, cataphoric, demonstrative, exophoric, and homophoric occurred in the selected texts. Features of conjunctions were used by the writer to display the logical relationships between elements of the texts. As for lexical cohesion, patterns of reiteration and collocation were used to point out the field of the study. The paper concluded that these cohesive patterns are organized to reveal the texture of the text.

scholarly journals Cohesion in TIME Magazine Article “How covid-19 will shape the class of 2020 for the rest of their live”

E-Structural ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (01) ◽  
pp. 57-68
Author(s):  
Setyo Prasiyanto Cahyono ◽  
Valentina Widya Suryaningtyas ◽  
Raden Arief Nugroho
Keyword(s):  
Research Design ◽  
Sampling Method ◽  
Systemic Functional Linguistics ◽  
Time Magazine ◽  
Purposive Sampling ◽  
Lexical Cohesion ◽  
Functional Linguistics ◽  
Cohesive Devices ◽  
On Line ◽  
Descriptive Qualitative

Abstract. This study is aimed at investigating the types of cohesive devices and their relationship which are found in an article of Time magazine entitled “how covid-19 will shape the class of 2020 for the rest of their live”. In conducting this study, the researchers employ descriptive qualitative as the research design. Meanwhile, in collecting the data, the researcher applied a purposive sampling method by choosing an article in an on line Time magazine. Meanwhile, the text was analyzed using systemic functional linguistics (SFL) especially those contributing to the cohesion of the text, including grammatical and lexical cohesion. The result of this study reveals that the text is “hang-together” which is described by the successfully use of cohesive devices. These patterns indicate that the writer of the article introduces the capacity to create a text with cohesion not only at the clause level but also to create text with better unity, flow and connectedness of information of the whole text. Besides, the use of cohesion in the text can create a relationship between language elements. Furthermore, the text of the article uses some simple cohesive devices such as reference, conjunction, repetition, and synonym.Keywords: cohesion, cohesive devices, language elements, magazine, SFLAbstrak. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menyelidiki jenis perangkat kohesif dan keterkaitannya dalam artikel majalah Time berjudul “how covid-19 will shape the class of 2020 for the rest of their live”. Dalam penelitian ini, peneliti menggunakan metode deskriptif kualitatif. Sedangkan dalam pengumpulan data, peneliti menggunakan sampel purposive dengan memilih artikel di majalah on line Time. Sedangkan teks dianalisis dengan menggunakan linguistik fungsional sistemik (LFS) terutama yang berkontribusi pada kohesi teks, termasuk kohesi gramatikal dan leksikal. Hasil penelitian ini menunjukkan bahwa teks yang dihasilkan oleh penulis “saling terpadu” yang digambarkan dengan berhasilnya penggunaan elemen perangkat kohesif. Pola-pola ini menunjukkan bahwa penulis artikel memunculkan kapasitas untuk membuat teks dengan kohesi tidak hanya pada tingkat klausa tetapi juga untuk membuat teks dengan kesatuan, aliran, dan keterhubungan informasi yang lebih baik dari keseluruhan teks. Selain itu penggunaan kohesi dalam teks dapat menciptakan hubungan antar elemen bahasa. Lebih lanjut lagi, teks tersebut menggunakan beberapa perangkat kohesif sederhana seperti referensi, konjungsi dan juga pengulangan, dan sinonim.Kata kunci: kohesi,  peranti kohesi, unsur bahasa, LSF, majalah, perangkat kohesif

Word order in English and French

2015 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 88-124 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maïté Dupont
Keyword(s):  
Word Order ◽  
Systemic Functional Linguistics ◽  
Theoretical Framework ◽  
Functional Linguistics ◽  
Newspaper Editorials ◽  
Lexical Factors

Drawing upon the theoretical framework of Systemic Functional Linguistics, this paper compares the word order patterns of English and French adverbial connectors of contrast in a comparable bilingual corpus of quality newspaper editorials. The study shows that the two languages offer the same possibilities in terms of connector positioning but differ markedly in the preferred patterns that they display. In both languages, connector placement proves to be influenced by three main types of factors: language-specific syntactic, rhetorical and lexical factors. The notion of Rheme, which tends to be under-researched in the literature in comparison to that of Theme, plays a key role in the analysis.

scholarly journals English-Arabic Translator Education Through Systemic Functional Linguistics: Analysis of Cohesive Devices in Investopedia Business Texts

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 32
Author(s):  
Reem Fahad Alshalan ◽  
Hesham Suleiman Alyousef
Keyword(s):  
Systemic Functional Linguistics ◽  
Source Text ◽  
Lexical Cohesion ◽  
Specific Field ◽  
Functional Linguistics ◽  
Cohesive Devices ◽  
Analysis Scheme ◽  
Intensive Use ◽  
Textual Features ◽  
Translator Education

In translation courses, students are asked to practice translation skills by translating a source text (ST) in a specific field. While teachers usually select texts based on topic and language accuracy, some such texts do not provide rich textual features that help students practice and improve their translation skills. This study aimed to analyze the cohesive features in business texts collected from “Investopedia” to investigate their suitability for use as STs to practice translation skills in the field of finance and administration. It was framed by Halliday’s (1978) systemic functional linguistics (SFL) approach to language and Halliday and Hassan’s (1976) cohesion analysis scheme. The findings demonstrated that the most prominent type used was lexical cohesion, followed by reference and conjunctions. Ellipses and substitution were rarely used. The findings indicated that the intensive use of lexical cohesion and the various subcategories used in these texts can help enrich the background knowledge of financial terminology and provide a communicative understanding of the ST while practicing various elements of textual features. The study provided a demonstration of the significance of SFL in providing coherent and cohesive STs that facilitate the needs of translation instructors and students in the field of finance and administration. Other SFL tools can be employed to provide a better understanding of these texts.

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