Use Of Cohesive Devices Research Articles

A A corpus-based study on the use of cohesive devices in the lesson plans of pre-service teachers

This study explores the use of cohesive devices in lesson plans (LPs) prepared by pre-service teachers across various subjects, specifically focusing on English, Math, and Biology majorships in a state university in the Philippines. The research highlights the prevalent use of personal references among English pre-service teachers, who favor the word "you" for its role in maintaining a second- and third-person perspective. In contrast, Math and Biology pre-service teachers predominantly employ nominal substitutions and conjunctions to enhance coherence in their LPs. The study also notes the absence of ellipsis in the analyzed LPs and identifies the predominant use of nominal substitution and extension conjunctions across subjects. By comparing the frequency and types of cohesive devices used, the research underscores the variations in linguistic strategies employed by pre-service teachers of different disciplines. The findings suggest a need for greater awareness and training on the effective use of cohesive devices to improve lesson planning and instructional clarity.

Grammatical Cohesion in the Introduction Chapters of Linguistics Ph.D. Theses Written by Anglophone Academic Writers

Effective formal writing skills are crucial for educational success and improved academic status; however, writing in English can be challenging, especially for inexperienced English writers and for those individuals for whom English is not their primary language. One often experienced challenge is the appropriate use of cohesive devices (CDs) to organize texts and enhance their semantic potential. Thus, this study analyzed the grammatical CDs utilized by Anglophone Academic Writers (AAWs) in the introduction chapters of 45 Ph.D. theses (86,000 words) in the field of linguistics using Halliday and Hasan’s CDs taxonomy. The analysis showed that AAWs mainly employed references, particularly personal and demonstrative, followed by conjunctions, particularly additive ones, as their dominant CDs. Additive conjunctions helped establish the coherent progressions of ideas in the introductions, while personal references, especially first-person pronouns, conveyed authorial presence. Demonstrative references emphasized important ideas discussed in the theses. The strategic application of these grammatical CDs effectively directed readers through the introductions, creating a logical flow for the writers’ points. Therefore, this study presents valuable insights into the cohesive writing practices of AAWs, which can be used to enhance writing instruction and help novice English writers in improving their formal writing skills.

An Analysis of Coherence and Cohesion in English Majors’ Academic Essays

This research investigates coherence (how ideas are logically connected) and cohesion (how sentences flow together) errors in essays written by junior English majors. Analyzing 80 essays and conducting 10 interviews, the researchers identified common errors and usage patterns. Using Halliday and Hasan’s (1976) framework for cohesion and Oshima and Hogue's (2006) framework for coherence, the findings reveal frequent use of lexical cohesion, such as repetition and synonyms, but also misuse of cohesive devices. The study suggests that clear instructional interventions should be developed to improve writing skills, and regular feedback should be provided. Teachers should demonstrate the use of cohesive devices to connect ideas and enhance coherence and peer review activities can also help students learn from each other's writing. Future research should consider longitudinal studies and cross-institutional comparisons to track progress and identify common issues.

A Corpus-based Investigation on the English Majors’ Use of Cohesive Devices in Argumentative Writing

Many factors affect the quality of English writing. Among them, the cohesion of discourse has been an important topic in writing research. This study aims to investigate the use of local, global, and text cohesion features in Chinese English majors’ argumentative writing and how EFL learners of higher proficiency (Grade 4) develop their written discourse competence as compared with the lower proficiency (Grade 1). The Written English Corpus of Chinese Learners (WECCL 2.0) was adopted as the main corpus. The research finds that connectives and lexical overlaps are more frequently used in English writing, and a tiny minority of cohesive devices showed growth across the two grade levels. The findings provide important insights for researchers and teachers on second language acquisition, English writing development and English writing teaching.

“Anti-Texture” Agents in the Written English Essays of Students in a Ghanaian University

Texture proves to be a key indicator for measuring the quality of a text but establishing this text quality is a challenge for most English as a Second Language (ESL) students. This challenge has led to an array of studies to find the root cause(s) of this/these writing challenge(s) of ESL students. Despite these numerous studies, there is still paucity of research on “anti-texture” agents in the written English essays of students from the Ghanaian context, especially those at the tertiary level. In filling this gap, this study uses Halliday and Hasan’s (1976) cohesive theory as a framework to explore the types of cohesive errors that serve as “anti-texture” agents in 150 written English essays of students from a Ghanaian university. Because of the highly descriptive nature of this current investigation, it uses the qualitative content analysis as its design. The findings show that challenges like unclear pronoun references, wrong selection of cohesive devices, over usages of one cohesive device within the same textual environments, wider textual distances between references and their referents, the omission of cohesive devices, wrong insertions of cohesive devices and references lacking referents served as barriers to ESL students quest to use cohesive devices as means of creating texture in their texts. The findings further confirmed that the inappropriate use of cohesive devices in the students’ essays disrupted the free flow of information and as such, rendered the essays incoherent. The study has pedagogical implication for ESL academic writing instructors and curriculum developers.

How Does the Use of Cohesive Devices in L2 Individual Writing Change After Writing Collaboratively or Independently?

This study looked at how completing collaborative or independent writing can affect the individual writing that students subsequently produce; specifically at how the use of cohesive devices in individual L2 student writing changes as a result of completing these two writing procedures under the same conditions. To do so, this large-scale study (n=128) looked at the use of cohesive devices in individual writing completed before (pre-test) and after (post-test) either collaborative or independent writing had been carried out. It also assessed examples of collaborative writing dialogue (n=94) to identify student deliberation about cohesion and the organization of the coauthored text; comparing the frequency of these to discussions about language use and mechanics of writing. Results revealed that there were very similar significant changes in the use of cohesive devices in the individual post-test writing of students from both writing groups and minimal student discussion about the use of cohesive devices in collaborative writing dialogue. Therefore, it is possible that the changes noted in the collaborative writing group (and the independent writing group) were possibly due to instruction and not due to the type of writing completed. On the other hand, students frequently engaged in discussions about language use and thus collaborative writing may be more conducive to learning about this aspect of writing.

Using automated indices of cohesion to explore the growth of cohesive features in L2 writing

Abstract While the use of cohesive devices has received considerable attention in L2 writing research, scant attention has been devoted to exploring local, global, and textual cohesive features across two genres at different time points using indices generated by the computational tool for automatic analysis of cohesion (TAACO). Inspired by this gap, this study attempted to: (a) identify TAACO indices that are predictive of human ratings of essay organization, (b) investigate which of the identified TAACO indices differ between narrative and argumentative genres, and (c) explore which of the identified TAACO indices might change over time. To achieve these purposes, 270 narrative and argumentative essays were collected from 45 L2 writers in counterbalanced order at six different time points. The results of mixed-effects modeling revealed textual cohesive devices to be significant predictors of human ratings of essay organization regardless of genre and indicated sustained development in the use of textual cohesive devices over time. This study has important implications for L2 writing assessment including the potential to enhance assessment practices by incorporating computational tools like TAACO. The findings emphasize the importance of considering textual cohesive devices as significant predictors of essay organization, regardless of genre.

Exploring Cohesiveness in President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addos’ 7th State of The Nation Address

This study explored the semantic influence of the cohesive devices used in President Akufo-Addo’s 7th State of the Nation Address. The aim was to examine the communication implications of the cohesive devices in the text. The study adopted the content analytical method which involved qualitative method of data presentation and analysis. Applying concepts form Halliday & Hasan's (1976) Cohesive Theory, the study revealed that there was an apt use of cohesiveness in the discourse. It was equally discovered that the address featured both grammatical and lexical cohesive devices such as reference, substitution and conjunction. Collocation and reiteration were also used in the discourse. Significantly, there was no evidence of ellipsis in the text. It was evidenced that there was the appropriate use of cohesive devices in this political discourse and the paper concluded that through the analysis of cohesive devices in speeches, especially political speeches, thematic focus of a speech can be discerned.

A Study of Cohesive Devices in Students’ Academic Writing

Writing is a challenging skill for learners learning English as a foreign language. When writing English, students face many problems triggered by a lack of knowledge of the English language, interference with their mother tongue, and difficulties related to vocabulary and grammar usage. One particular demanding aspect of writing is attaining coherence and text harmony. Literature indicates that many second language learners tend to underuse, misuse, or overuse cohesive devices, which is crucial in maintaining coherence and cohesion in academic writing. This research focused on evaluating the use of cohesive devices in the academic writing of undergraduates majoring in English at Islamia College Peshawar. Data were gathered through student-written essays on IELTS test topics, with 30 randomly selected samples from each of the 4th, 6th, and 8th semesters, totaling 90 samples. Employing both quantitative and qualitative methods, the analysis revealed a prevalent issue: the inaccurate utilization of various cohesive devices. Students demonstrated an understanding of structuring discussion texts coherently, yet their challenges stemmed from the misapplication of cohesive devices, leading to incomprehensible texts. This study explored lexical and grammatical cohesion, leading to the recommendation that future research should embrace aspects like sentence structure, tense usage, and alternative cohesive models.

Content Analysis of Lexical Cohesive Devices in the Lectures of the Minister of Health, Treatment and Medical Education of the Raisi Government in The Field of Health Care, Treatment and Health

In the current research, the content of the lectures of the Minister of Health, Treatment and Medical Education of the Raisi government in the field of health care, treatment and health were analyzed from the perspective of the use of lexical cohesive devices and in the framework of role oriented of Haliday and Hassan (1976). The research was conducted in a descriptive and analytical way, and the content was three lectures in the field of health care, treatment and health, which were randomly selected. Lexical cohesive devices were extracted in three lectures and their frequency was measured. The percent of occurrence of each device was also obtained. After examining the data, it was found that the first lecture with 261 cases, the third lecture with 254 cases and the second lecture with 246 cases are in the first to third ranks, respectively, in the use of cohesion devices. In the first speech, collocation was the most used cohesive device and hyponymy was the least used device. In the second speech, repetition and hyponymy were respectively the most and the least cohesive devices used in this lecture and in the third lecture, collocation was the most and hyponymy was the least device used. In order to perform a more detailed statistical analysis and find significance in the distribution of cohesive devices in each of the lectures, the chi-square test was used. Based on the results obtained at level (p<0, 0/05) there is a significant difference between the distribution of cohesive devices used in each of the lectures.

Translation of Substitution and Ellipsis by Professional Translators and Translators in Training: A Contrastive Study

Creating a coherent and logically connected text requires the effective use of cohesive devices. Accurate translation of cohesive devices is essential to preserve the intended meaning of the original text. The present study investigates errors made by professional translators and novice translators when translating substitution and ellipsis from English into Arabic. Specifically, the study aims to answer the research question: What are the errors made by professional translators and translators in training when translating substitution and ellipsis? To gather data, the researcher conducted a survey and included a sample of both professional translators and translators in training. The results show that both groups had difficulty accurately translating substitution and ellipsis. The most prevalent errors included preserving the English sentence structure, omitting the cohesive device entirely, and modifying the meaning of the original text. Notably, both groups found identifying and translating ellipses particularly challenging, which led to errors in the final translation. Experienced translators produced higher quality translations than novice translators, indicating the significant impact of experience on the translation process. Based on the findings, the study recommends providing targeted training on cohesive devices through practical exercises to improve accuracy and offer more opportunities for practice in a supportive environment. Addressing these challenges can enhance the quality of translations and preserve the meaning of the original text.

References In The Lyrics Of Nicole Zefanya’s Songs

In the current times, the use of cohesive devices is not only found in formal texts, but also in informal texts such as song lyrics. Accordingly, this study aims to identify the types and to analyze the functions of references from the lyrics of three songs by Nicole Zefanya; “Urs”, “Around”, and “Lose”. This study was conducted using descriptive quantitative method. Documentation method and note-taking technique were used to collect the data. In analyzing the data, this study used the theory from Halliday and Hassan (1976) about grammatical cohesion, to be specific, about reference. The analysis of data was presented using formal and informal method. The results of this study showed that all kinds of reference found in the lyrics of each song of Nicole Zefanya, namely personal reference, demonstrative reference, and comparative reference. Based on the analysis, the data in the lyrics are dominated by personal reference compared to demonstrative reference and comparative reference. In detail, personal reference with 169 occurrences, demonstrative reference with 42 occurrences, and comparative reference with 11 occurrences. Thus, each reference has different functions; as the head of reference, a reference to the previous object, as a modifier, a reference to the following object, a general comparison which refers to things that similar or not similar. Based on the results of this study, reference plays a vital role in establishing coherence, ensuring clarity, and contributing to the overall meaning of the song by connecting the language elements within the lyrics

Investigating the Use of Cohesive Devices by Kurdish EFL Learners' Writing

This paper aims at investigating the types of cohesive devices, frequency of these types, how cohesive devices contribute to the quality of the texts used by Kurdish EFL learners, and finally finding out their problems in employing appropriate cohesive ties in their writing tasks. This study employs a mixed – method research design for analyzing twenty essays written by third – year students at the Department of English, College of Basic Education, University of Duhok. This study uses final examination sheets as data. The data are analyzed by using the concept of cohesive devices proposed by Halliday & Hasan (1976), which covers reference, substitution, ellipsis, conjunction, and lexical cohesion. The findings indicate that the learners mostly employ three types of cohesive devices, i.e., reference, conjunction and lexical cohesion. Based on the findings, it is recommended that EFL university teachers should guide their students to utilize appropriate cohesive devices in their texts and encourage them to read a lot.

Automated analysis of cohesive features in L2 writing: Examining effects of task complexity and task repetition

Informed by task-based approaches to language teaching, recent L2 writing research has sought to determine the effect of task complexity features on the complexity, accuracy, and fluency of written L2 production (Johnson, 2017). However, two areas of task-informed research have received scant attention: a) the effect of task complexity features on L2 writers’ use of cohesive devices and b) the effect of task repetition as a form of implicit planning. Furthermore, interaction effects of task complexity and task repetition on different types of cohesive devices in L2 writing have not been explored. To bridge these gaps, this study examines the effects of resource-directing task complexity features (Robinson, 2005), task repetition (Lambert et al., 2017), and their interaction on L2 writers’ use of cohesive devices. Ninety-six participants composed two argumentative essays in counterbalanced order: a) a simple task and b) a complex task and then completed a task difficulty questionnaire. After an interval of one week, the participants repeated each task. Essays were then analyzed using the Tool for Automatic Analysis of Cohesion—or TAACO (Crossley et al., 2018)—for indices found to be predictors of human ratings of essay organization (Abdi Tabari & Johnson, 2023). A factorial repeated-measures MANOVA revealed limited effects of task repetition on the participants’ use of cohesive devices. Rather, task complexity features had a more robust effect on their use of textual and local cohesive devices.

Assessing the Students’ Use of Cohesive Devices in Writing Hortatory Exposition Text

This research began in the challenging of writing Hortatory Exposition Text, faced by students, especially second language learners in academic settings. Despite writing's crucial role in analysis and communication, limited structured practice leads to incoherent expression. Qualitative descriptive was applied to analyze the use of cohesive devices proposed by Halliday and Hasan’s (1976) theory. The object of this research were fifteen students of SMA Kesatrian 2 Semarang. The students’ texts were analyzed by using Halliday and Hasan’s (1976) theory. The findings show 336 grammatical and 138 lexical cohesions in the reading passages. The grammatical consisted of 170 (35.9%) references, 3 (0.6%) substitutions, 28 (5.9%) ellipses, and 135 (28.5%) conjunctions and the lexical cohesion consisted of 82 reiterations (17.3%) and 56 (11.8%) collocations. Hopefully, this research offers insights, particularly to English teachers, enhancing their ESL teaching approaches and addressing students' challenges more effectively.

The use of cohesive devices as proficiency level discriminators in Chinese DLI learners' writing

AbstractBuilding on the construct of discourse competence, this study investigated the frequency and accuracy of Chinese Dual Language Immersion students' use of two types of cohesive devices—conjunctions and frame setters. Drawing on AAPPL assessment data, the study examined 116 writing samples that were rated as either Intermediate High (IH) or A1 (the lower end of Advanced). Results show that, overall, the group with rating consistent with A1 used both types of cohesive devices more frequently than the group that received a rating consistent with IH; differences were statistically significant for frame setters. The study also found that both groups demonstrated greater syntactic than semantic accuracy; however, students whose ratings consistent with A1 used frame setters more accurately than those with ratings consistent with IH. The article concludes with a discussion of pedagogical implications and suggestions for future research.

The Use of Cohesive Devices in Theses Abstracts Written by Undergraduate Students of English Department

The Use of Cohesive Devices in Theses Abstracts Written by Undergraduate Students of English Department

Exploring new insights into the role of cohesive devices in written academic genres

This study examined the use of cohesive features in 270 narrative and argumentative essays produced by 45 s language (L2) students over a semester-long writing course. Multiple regression analyses were conducted to determine the ability of the computational indices of cohesion (TAACO) variables to predict human ratings of essay quality, recognize any differences in the use of cohesive devices between narrative and argumentative genres, and ascertain which of the cohesive devices varied for each of the genres over time. The results indicated clear differences in how cohesion was signaled between the two genres. Narrative texts relied on the use of connective devices to signal cohesion, whereas argumentative texts relied on the use of global-level repetition. With regard to development, the results were less conclusive but do suggest expansion in the participants’ use of cohesive devices. These results provide important implications for L2 writing pedagogy and assessment.

USE OF COHESIVE DEVICES IN PARAGRAPH WRITING BY EFL STUDENTS AT ENGLISH LANGUAGE CENTERS IN VIETNAM

This research explores Vietnamese EFL students’ use of cohesive devices in paragraph writing. Eighty Vietnamese EFL learners in four pre-intermediate English classes at two English centers in Vietnam each wrote five paragraphs about five different topics via learning blogs, yielding a corpus of 400 paragraphs. Halliday and Hasan’s (1976) cohesion taxonomy was employed to identify and analyse the cohesive devices used. The results of the study show that the learners employed a wide range of cohesive markers in their paragraphs and the large majority of them were grammatical in nature; lexical cohesive means were used to a much smaller extent and mainly involved repetition. Of the grammatical cohesive types, use of reference and conjunction was common while substitution and ellipsis were infrequently used. The study provides important pedagogical implications for EFL writing instruction in regard to the employment of cohesive devices in written language production.

A Lexico-Semantic Analysis of Helon Habila’s Oil on Water

This study, ‘A Lexico-Semantic Analysis of Helon Habila’s Oil on Water’ examines how meaning is negotiated through the use of some cohesive devices in the text. Previous studies have concentrated on the treatment of environmental issues without much attention paid to how cohesive devices are coalesced in the text to produce meaning. Data for the analysis range from page one to one hundred of the primary text, Oil on Water. Also, the study focused on a qualitative research procedure and adopted Halliday and Hasan’s (1976) cohesion theory as a theoretical model, since this work focuses attention on the deployment of the writer’s mental schemata and use of lexical choices to affect meaning in a text. The study observes that words cannot stand in isolation, as they are related to each other in a text to produce predetermined meaning. This was achieved through the author’s careful use of some cohesive devices such as: reiteration, synonymy, antonymy, hyponymy and meronymy, which improve the textual quality of the text. The study concludes that the author, through the use of cohesive devices, made reading of the text meaningful and easily understood by the reader.