Thematic Organization in MA TEFL Students' Argumentative, Cause and Effect, and Process Types of Writing
الموضوعات :
1 - دپارتمان انگلیسی- شعبه تبریز- دانشگاه آزاد تبریز- تبریز- ایران
الکلمات المفتاحية: theme, Process, Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL), Thematic structure, rheme, Argumentative, and cause and effect writing,
ملخص المقالة :
It is generally recognized that many second language learners have difficulties with cohesion in academic texts. Writing seems to be the most difficult subject for many students. To produce good writing, it is necessary to know how to organize Theme and Rheme in a text. Thematic structure as an important feature in textual metafunction plays a significant role in promoting the textual coherence. This research is concerned with the insights presenting the relationship between theme and rheme derived from Systemic Functional Linguistics. Halliday (1994) claimed that the structuring of language as a message is realized in the thematic structures of the constituent clauses of a text. To Halliday, the basic unit for thematic analysis is the clause. Thereby, this study was an attempt to compare different thematic types and thematic progression patterns in EFL students' academic writing texts. For this purpose, the researcher selected 30 MA students of English language teaching as the participants of the study after administering a TOEFL test and excluding the outliers. Each participant was required to write three different types of argumentative, process and cause & affect compositions. The collected data were analyzed according to the Thematization process from the textual metafunction aspects. The results showed some differences in the thematic structure of the different types of compositions. The findings of this study have some implications to the EFL students. They can learn to perform the same analysis in their own writings; thus improving cohesion in their own texts. Theme/rheme plays a major role in organizing the message and in enabling it to be communicated and understood clearly.
Adebola, O. (2011). A textual analysis of selected text messages of male and female. Emerging Trends in Educational Research and Policy Studies (JETERAPS) 2 (4), 290-295.
Ahangari, S. (2008).The relationship between first and second language literacy in writing.The Journal of Applied Linguistics. 1(2), 1-17
Birjandi, P., Alavi, M., &Salmani-Nodoushan, M.A. (2004).Advanced writing.Zabankadeh publications: Tehran.
Castro, C. D. (2004). Cohesion and the social construction of meaning in the essays of Filipino college students writing in L2 English.Asia Pacific Education Review, 5(2), 215-225.
Creme, Ph., & Lea, L.M. (2008).Writing at university. New York: McGraw-Hill companies.
Coffin, C. &Hewings, A. (2005). IELTS as preparation for tertiary writing: Distinctiveinterpersonal and textual strategies. In L.J. Ravelli, & R.A Ellis, (eds.) Analysingacademic writing (pp. 153 –171). London :Continum.
Dalimunte, A. (2013). English metafunction analysis in chemistry text: characterization of scientific text. International Journal of English Language & Translation Studies, 1(2,) 52-62
Denardi, D.A.C, Greggio.S, Dellagnello, A.K, & GIL, G. (2007). Cohesion and thematic structure: A self-based analysis of academic abstracts. Retrieved 2013/08/29 from linguagem.unisul.br/paginas/ensino/pos/linguagem/cd/English/8i.pdf
Eggins, S. (1994). An introduction to systemic functional linguistics. London: Printer.
Eggins, S. (2004). An introduction to systemic functional linguistics (2nded.). London: Continuum International Publishing Group.
Fries, P., Cummings, M., Lockwood, D. &Spruiell,W. (2002). Relations and functions within and around language. London: Continuum.
Halliday, M. A. K. (1985). Spoken and written language. Victoria: Dakin university press.
Halliday, M. A. K. (1994). An introduction to functional grammar 2nd edition. London: Edward Arnold.
Halliday, M.A.K. and Hasan, R. (1976).Cohesion in English. London: Longman.
Hoi-yee, G.W. &Falvey, P. (1993).Revision strategies of Hong Kong tertiary students in response to teacher's written comments and conferencing. Retrieved 25 July 2012 fromhttp://repository.ust.hk./dspace/bitstream/1783.1/1336/1/thinklang09.pdf.
Jalilifar, A. R. (2010a). The status of theme in applied linguistics articles. Asian ESP journal,6(2), 7-39.
KhabazAzar, N. (2012). The analysis of textual metafunction of human rights
discourse.Unpublished MA Thesis.
Lores, R. (2004). On RA abstracts: From rhetorical structure to thematic organization. English for Specific Purposes, 23(3), 280-302.
Martin, J.R, Matthiessen, Ch, & Painter, C. (1997).Working with functional grammar. St. Martin's press.
McCabe, A. &Heilman,K. (2007). Textual and interpersonal differences between a news report and an editorial.RevistaAlicantina de EstudiosIngleses 20, 139-156
Pakdel, Z., &Khodareza, M. (2012).The effects of warm-up tasks on the Iranian EFL students' writing ability.International Education Studies, 5(2), 190-203.
Richards, J. C., &Renandya, W. A. (Eds.). (2002). Methodology in language teaching: An anthology of current practice. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Rivers, W.M. (1981). Teaching foreign language skills. Chicago: The university of Chicago press.
Schmitt, N. (2002). An introduction to applied linguistics. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Thompson, G. (1996). Introducing functional grammar. London: St. Martin's press.
Zamel, V. (1983). The composing processes of advanced ESL students: Six case studies. TESOL Quarterly, 17, 165-187.
