EFL composition instruction: Use of discourse markers in compositions of Macedonian L1 university students

Abstract

The use of discourse markers (DMs), as elements that contribute to the overall cohesion and coherence of a text, is important for effective written communication in English. L2 writing syllabuses teach students the use of DMs in a principled fashion, yet in the field of L2 writing research, there have been contradictory findings – the frequency of use of DMs does not necessarily lead to a higher level of writing quality, particularly in argumentative and expository compositions (Rahimi 2011; Meisuo 2000). In other research studies, however, a strong correlation was found between the use of DMs and higher composition scores (Liu and Braine, 2005). The aim of the present classroom-based research was twofold: to identify the general cohesive features (the distribution and use of DMs) and to investigate if there is a correlation between the frequency of use of discourse markers and the level of quality of the written compositions in a specific genre, namely the data commentary text-type (description of graphs and charts). To this effect, 34 compositions written by senior Macedonian L1 students at the English Language and Literature Department at Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje were analysed. The results of the analyses revealed that contrastive DMs were most frequently used in data commentaries, and secondly, the frequency of DM use did not affect the quality of the written product. It is expected that the findings will enable teachers to make informed and guided choices regarding the shaping of the academic writing syllabus.