Identifying Features of Pakistani Learners Writing Through MDA and Coh-Metrix

Abstract

Learner language has been a source of interest for researchers of all times as it possesses common features of language in use. For investigating this, Multi-dimensional analysis (MDA) by Biber is one such approach that empirically studies practiced language and establishes grounds for those varieties too which are striving for their place in linguistic cline (Crossely, et al., 2014). The present research is an effort to explore common patterns of learner language, which are explored throughCoh-Metrix (an online data tagging tool used to assess cohesion, coherence,readability level, etc.) to study those features and their respective functions while partially using MDA methodology. Following Biber's methodology,Factor analysis was conducted, and four dimensions were identified, which provided clues for the functional association of these dimensions. The results show that Pakistani learners' argumentative writing possesses narrative features and is dominatingly overlapping at the level of vocabulary,syntactic constructions, and passage development, and even in argumentation. These findings help us to establish the fact that Pakistani English has its own identity. These results are helpful for linguists as well as teachers as the knowledge of common linguistic and syntactic structures can be assessed easily while keeping in mind the grade level of the students.