Skip to main content

Aspects of Cohesion and Coherence in Moroccan EFL Learners’ Written Discourse

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
English Language Teaching Research in the Middle East and North Africa
  • 867 Accesses

Abstract

Writing is a recursive and dynamic process that involves a multitude of skills, strategies, and higher order cognitive processes. Practised EFL writers are observed to use conjunctive cohesion to enhance the overall communicability of their texts. While poor students preoccupy themselves with static maintenance of the topic (additive connexity), their good counterparts are more interested in developing the topic of their essays via signalling complex intersentential semantic relations (contrastive and causal connectedness). The difference also relates to the way student-writers incorporate the audience awareness in their discourse address, the way they address the rhetorical situation and fulfil the rhetorical task. Other features of students’ argumentation competence include ethical/rational appeal, the degree of knowledge sharedness assumed by the text and the extent to which the reader’s real knowledge is properly assessed by the writer.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Blakemore, D. (1987). Semantic constraints on relevance. Oxford: Blackwell.

    Google Scholar 

  • Connor, U. (1996). Contrastive rhetoric: Cross-cultural aspects of second-language writing. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Connor, U., & Johns, A. M. (Eds.). (1990). Coherence in writing: Research and pedagogical perspectives. Alexandria, VA: TESOL Publication.

    Google Scholar 

  • Crewe, W. J. (1990). The illogic of logical connectives. ELT Journal, 44(3), 316–325.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dahbi, M. (1984) The development of English writing skills by Moroccan University students (Doctoral dissertation). Georgetown University.

    Google Scholar 

  • Evensen, L. S. (1990). Pointers to superstructure in student writing. In U. Connor & A. M. Johns (Eds.), Coherence: Research and pedagogical perspectives (pp. 169–183). Washington, DC: TESOL.

    Google Scholar 

  • Halliday, M. A. K., & Hasan, R. (1976). Cohesion in English. London: Longman.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hartnett, C. G. (1986). Static and dynamic cohesion: Signals of thinking in writing. In Couture (Ed.), Functional approaches to writing: Research perspectives (pp. 142–153). London: Frances Pinter.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lautamatti, L. (1987). Observations on the development of the topic in simplified discourse. In U. Connor & R. B. Kaplan (Eds.), Writing across languages: Analysis of L2 text (pp. 92–126). Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lumbelli, L., Paoletti, G., & Fausin, T. (1999). Improving the ability to detect comprehension problems: From revising to writing. Learning and Instruction, 9, 143–166.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ouaouicha, D. (1980). An analysis of learners’ written discourse with a special reference to the compositions of Moroccan students (Master’s thesis). University College of North Wales, Bangor.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ouaouicha, D. (1986). Contrastive rhetoric and the structure of learner-produced argumentative texts in Arabic and English (Doctoral dissertation). The University of Texas at Austin.

    Google Scholar 

  • Peterson, C. (1993). Identifying referents and linking sentences cohesively in narration. Discourse Processes, 16, 507–524.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sahlane, A. (2000). Aspects of cohesion and coherence in Moroccan EFL learners’ written discourse (M.Ed. thesis). Faculty of Education, University of Edinburgh, UK.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sahlane, A. (2009). The discursive (re)construction of the 2003 Iraq war in pro- and anti-war opinion/editorial argumentation: A critical discourse analytic approach (Doctoral dissertation). School of Communication, Ulster University at Jordanstown, UK.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schiffrin, D. (1987). Discourse markers. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Toulmin, S. E. (1958). The uses of argument. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Widdowson, H. G. (1978). Teaching language as communication. London: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yde, P., & Spoelders, M. (1990). Cohesive ties in written narratives: A developmental study with beginning writers. In M. A. K. Halliday, J. Gibbons, & H. Nicholas (Eds.), Learning, keeping and using language (187–204). Amsterdam/Philadelphia: John Benjamins.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Appendix A Topics Assigned

Appendix A Topics Assigned

  1. 1

    You’ve been involved in a stop-smoking campaign in your area. Write to a friend of yours, who is a heavy smoker, and tell him about the dangers of smoking and suggest ways for him to give up the bad habit.

  2. 2

    Marriage is a trap. Discuss.

  3. 3

    Write an article for publication in the ‘Youth Magazine’ about the advantages and disadvantages of watching television.

  4. 4

    The Moroccan Ministry of Education is planning to hire new teachers this year. You are asked to express your opinion about the qualities of a good teacher. Give reasons for your position.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2019 The Author(s)

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Sahlane, A. (2019). Aspects of Cohesion and Coherence in Moroccan EFL Learners’ Written Discourse. In: Hidri, S. (eds) English Language Teaching Research in the Middle East and North Africa. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-98533-6_10

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-98533-6_10

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-98532-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-98533-6

  • eBook Packages: Social SciencesSocial Sciences (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics