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Sentence Relations in the Writing of EFL Students at University Level

Sentence Relations in the Writing of EFL Students at University Level

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2 analyz<strong>in</strong>g, classify<strong>in</strong>g errors students make and <strong>at</strong>tribut<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong>m to<br />

<strong>the</strong>ir sources; and<br />

3 Present<strong>in</strong>g suggestions and implic<strong>at</strong>ions to help teachers <strong>of</strong> English<br />

give <strong>the</strong> most relevant m<strong>at</strong>erial <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir teach<strong>in</strong>g courses to solve <strong>the</strong><br />

overcome problem students face <strong>in</strong> rel<strong>at</strong><strong>in</strong>g senesces <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir writ<strong>in</strong>g.<br />

3. Procedures<br />

The study is built on two procedures: <strong>the</strong>oretical and practical. The former<br />

establishes <strong>the</strong> <strong>the</strong>oretical framework <strong>of</strong> this study, while <strong>the</strong> l<strong>at</strong>ter <strong>in</strong>cludes<br />

<strong>the</strong> follow<strong>in</strong>g:<br />

1. A test has been used to check <strong>the</strong> students’ ability <strong>in</strong> us<strong>in</strong>g cohesive<br />

devices; <strong>the</strong> test is given to (138) college students <strong>of</strong> both Colleges <strong>of</strong><br />

Languages and Educ<strong>at</strong>ion for Human Sciences.<br />

2. The error analysis technique has been used to identify students’<br />

errors <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> above mentioned test and to c<strong>at</strong>egorize <strong>the</strong>m accord<strong>in</strong>g to<br />

types and sub- types <strong>of</strong> error.<br />

4. The Value <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Study<br />

S<strong>in</strong>ce <strong>the</strong> study is concerned with difficulties encountered by<br />

Kurdish -learners <strong>in</strong> us<strong>in</strong>g cohesive devices, it is hoped th<strong>at</strong> its f<strong>in</strong>d<strong>in</strong>gs<br />

will be <strong>of</strong> value to Kurdish learners <strong>of</strong> English as a foreign language. It is<br />

also hoped th<strong>at</strong> <strong>the</strong> f<strong>in</strong>d<strong>in</strong>gs <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> study will be <strong>of</strong> help to teachers,<br />

syllabus designers and m<strong>at</strong>erial writers <strong>in</strong> devis<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> necessary ways<br />

and means th<strong>at</strong> will help <strong>the</strong> learners overcome <strong>the</strong>se problems.<br />

5. Theoretical Background<br />

5. 1 The Concept <strong>of</strong> a Paragraph<br />

A paragraph is a small unit <strong>of</strong> writ<strong>in</strong>g th<strong>at</strong> focus on one<br />

idea. This one idea is expla<strong>in</strong>ed and developed <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> paragraph.<br />

(Ruetten1997:5)<br />

Accord<strong>in</strong>g to Nash and Stacey (1980:41-2) <strong>the</strong> concept<br />

<strong>of</strong> paragraph is aes<strong>the</strong>tic, or stylistic, or text functional. The aes<strong>the</strong>tics <strong>of</strong><br />

<strong>the</strong> paragraph is its appearance on <strong>the</strong> page, and its conveyed suggestions<br />

<strong>of</strong> emphasis, rhythm and resonance as it is transl<strong>at</strong>ed <strong>in</strong>to an idea <strong>of</strong><br />

speech and delivery heard <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> m<strong>in</strong>d <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> reader. The stylistics <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />

paragraph appears <strong>in</strong> its <strong>in</strong>ternal p<strong>at</strong>tern <strong>of</strong> connections and transitions<br />

from sentence to sentence, and <strong>in</strong> its management <strong>of</strong> vari<strong>at</strong>ions <strong>in</strong> sentencelength<br />

and sentence-type. The functional value <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> paragraph is its role<br />

as <strong>the</strong> frame for certa<strong>in</strong> content, a phase <strong>in</strong> an argument, and an account <strong>of</strong><br />

a step <strong>in</strong> a procedure.<br />

A paragraph generally has three parts: a topic sentence, support and a<br />

conclusion. The topic sentence tells <strong>the</strong> topic (wh<strong>at</strong> <strong>the</strong> paragraph is about)<br />

and <strong>the</strong> writer’s <strong>at</strong>titude or idea about <strong>the</strong> topic. The support<strong>in</strong>g part <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />

paragraph expla<strong>in</strong>s, describes, or develops <strong>the</strong> ma<strong>in</strong> idea given <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> topic<br />

sentence. The conclusion <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> paragraph usually summarizes or<br />

comments on <strong>the</strong> ma<strong>in</strong> idea. (Ostrom and Cook1993:1)<br />

5.2 Elements <strong>of</strong> a Paragraph<br />

To be as effective as possible, a paragraph should conta<strong>in</strong> each <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />

follow<strong>in</strong>g:<br />

5.2.1Unity<br />

A paragraph should be unified. In a unified paragraph, all <strong>the</strong><br />

sentences rel<strong>at</strong>e to <strong>the</strong> topic and develop <strong>the</strong> controll<strong>in</strong>g idea. If a sentence<br />

@@@@@@@@@@@Journal <strong>of</strong> Zankoy Sulaimani. Part B. No. 29 June 2010@ 212@

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