An analysis of lexical cohesion in document of the textbook of English for geology

An analysis of lexical cohesion in document of the textbook of English for geology Nguyễn Thị Miền University of Languages and International Studies M.A. Thesis English Linguistics, Code: 60 22 15 Supervisor : Đặng Ngọc Sinh, MA Year of graduation: 2011 Abstract: This dissertation provides some typical issues around English. In taking this approach, two small aspects of language concerned in this study are English for Specific Purposes(ESP) and Functional Grammar(FG). On the one hand, ESP supports readers to get reading comprehension skill; on the other hand, FG is one branch of Grammar in which Lexical Cohesive Devices(LCD) play a significant role in making the text in both cohesion and coherence. It is these interesting features that the writer decided to pick out this research with the hope that it would be useful for both the job of teachers and the study of students. To clarify the study, the qualitative and quantitative methods were used regularly. In the first part providing the theory related to the thesis and the conclusion, the qualitative one was applied a lot. Besides, the methods of description, analysis and statistic in linguistics with quantitative one are pretty popular in chapter 2 and chapter 3. Based on most of references found, all the necessary theory gradually worked out. Moreover, to make the research reliable and persuasive, doing statistics of the data in survey questionnaires gave the summary as the hypothesis. The analysis and findings of the research are the most prominent parts; and the principal theoretical outcomes of the work are as follows: First, the study shows that EG is one branch of ESP which is a useful subject like English. Secondly, this dissertation also exploits the distinction between cohesion and coherence. Third, the thesis indicates the overview of Cohesive Devices including LCD. Fourth, the writer claims the existence of LCD and the role of LCD in the texts. Fifth, some major problems in both teaching and studying EG are raised based on the analysis of survey questionnaires Finally, focusing the study on problems, the obvious findings are stated and led to some suggestions. As a result, although the scope of the study is not large, it partly raises some ways to make EG more interesting and worth-studying, some useful solutions for teachers to work more effectively and students more interested in studying both English and EG. In short, the findings indicate that not only textbook but also teaching and learning activities could be enhanced better and better when they make use of. Lexical Cohesive Devices according to FG. It is obvious that FG features including Cohesive Devices play an important role in studying English. Keywords: Tiếng Anh; Từ vựng; Địa chất Content This dissertation provides some typical issues around English. In taking this approach, two small aspects of language concerned in this study are English for Specific Purposes(ESP) and Functional Grammar(FG). It is said that this study is a combination of the Geology in English and analysis based on theory of FG. On the one hand, ESP supports readers to get reading comprehension skill; on the other hand, FG is one branch of Grammar in which Lexical Cohesive Devices(LCD) play a significant role in making the text in both cohesion and coherence. It is these interesting features that the writer decided to pick out this research with the hope that it would be useful for both the job of teachers and the study of students. To clarify the study, the qualitative and quantitative methods were used regularly. In the first part providing the theory related to the thesis and the conclusion, the qualitative one was applied a lot. Besides, the methods of description, analysis and statistic in linguistics with quantitative one are pretty popular in chapter 2 and chapter 3. Based on most of references found, all the necessary theory gradually worked out. Moreover, to make the research reliable and persuasive, doing statistics of the data in survey questionnaires gave the summary as the hypothesis. The analysis and findings of the research are the most prominent parts; and the principal theoretical outcomes of the work are as follows: First, the study shows that EG is one branch of ESP which is a useful subject like English. Secondly, this dissertation also exploits the distinction between cohesion and coherence. Third, the thesis indicates the overview of Cohesive Devices including LCD. Fourth, the writer claims the existence of LCD and the role of LCD in the texts. Fifth, some major problems in both teaching and studying EG are raised based on the analysis of survey questionnaires Finally, focusing the study on problems, the obvious findings are stated and led to some suggestions. As a result, although the scope of the study is not large, it partly raises some ways to make EG more interesting and worth-studying, some useful solutions for teachers to work more effectively and students more interested in studying both English and EG. In short, the findings indicate that not only textbook but also teaching and learning activities could be enhanced better and better when they make use of Lexical Cohesive Devices according to FG. It is obvious that FG features including Cohesive Devices play an important role in studying English. PART 1: INTRODUCTION 1. Rationale This dissertation emphasizes the LCD as one prominent feature of FG which are really worthfocusing when they are put in ESP texts. It is reasonable that this study will cover a number of concepts (ESP, EG, Cohesion, Coherence, Cohesive Devices, LCD) within the single constrained knowledge. This work established clearly-defined links between linguistics and science. Moreover, since the geological advances which make it possible to do this owe a great deal to this work, the transition from generative grammar to functional grammar can be comparatively straightforward one. Although the author has not attempted to deal exhaustedly with all the problems of teaching and studying EG, the current work covers those issues which partly contribute to enhance the present situation. Being aware of the necessity of studying EG in Department of Mineral Resources, Faculty of Geology, University of Mining & Geology(DMR, FG of UMG) , EG is arranged to be a compulsory subject, however, it seems to be nightmare to most of students due to many reasons which are from the different aspects like materials, textbook designs, syllabi, facilities, ect. Encountering the same situation, University of Mining & Geology also expects the suitable method to help students study effectively and apply on the future jobs flexibly. 2. Scope of the study Due to the limited time and scope of a minor M.A thesis, this study only analyzes Lexical Cohesive Devices in some texts from the ESP textbook in DMR, FG of UMG. Therefore, it is reasonable to cover only enough number of typical texts to make the study reliable. In order to be reliable, two survey questionnaires were handed out to five English teachers and fifty forth year students studying in DMR, FG of UMG. 3. Aims of the study The aims of this study are to work out the following features: 1. Overview of the ESP and EG. 2. Clarification of Cohesion and Coherence. 3. Main types of Cohesion. 4. Analysis in “ESP textbook in department of mineral resources”. 5. Statistics of questionnaires to work out the findings. 6. Problems in teaching and studying EG based on the findings. 7. Implications for teaching EG effectively and some suggestions for further study. 4. Methods of the study In order to catch up with the targets of this study, it is indispensable to apply the appropriate methods which are both qualitative and quantitative approaches. To the detail, the methods of description, statistics and analysis are applied flexibly by handing out the survey questionnaires, analyzing them and collecting the data from both nine typical texts and two survey questionnaires. In this study, with a view to examine the material currently used at DMR, FG of UMG in relation to the course requirements, much attention is paid to the analysis of the syllabus and the material itself. These analyses were based on Hutchinson and Waters’ criteria on material evaluation (1987) and Halliday and Hasan’s features on lexical cohesive devices used in material. 5. Design of the study This study is divided into three main parts: Part A: Introduction The first part mentions the rationale, aims, scope, methods and design of the study. Part B: Development This part also consists of three smaller parts which are labeled by each chapter. Chapter 1 goes over the theoretical background of the research containing two significant terms: (1) Overview of ESP and EG (2) Cohesion and Coherence Chapter 2 puts across lexical cohesive devices in the chosen texts of EG from the ESP textbook at Department of Mineral Resources, Faculty of Geology, University of Mining & Geology. Chapter 3 indicates some major findings of studying EG and suggests some meaningful implications to reform teaching and studying ESP, especially EG more effectively. Part C: Conclusion. The last part shows the summary and touches on the further study PART 2: DEVELOPMENT Chapter 1: theoretical background This chapter sets out in detail all the knowledge which is foundational to the whole work related to the title consisting of concepts of ESP, EG, cohesion, coherence, lexical cohesive devices. Chapter 2: Lexical cohesive devices analyzed in “Esp textbook in department of mineral resources”. The first part of this chapter reports the description of EG in general before coming into the specification of cohesion used in texts. The second parts showed the frame of each unit. To the detail, in the main part, the writer pays attention to analyze two major categories of lexical cohesive devices: reiteration and collocation in the lights of occurence and analysis. Chapter 3: Major findings and implications for teaching eg effectively Basing on several difficulties of the students analyzed in the findings, basing on the opinions about the solutions of the English teachers at DMR, FG of UMG and on the author’s study on theory of teaching and learning, some suggestions to overcome these difficulties will be presented. This chapter also has made some suggestions to reduce difficulties that the students at DMR, FG of UMG encounter when learning EG. It is really not easy to overcome these difficulties, thus, in order to improve the situation, students must work very hard and have appropriate learning methods. Besides, they must be flexible and adaptable to improve language skills. PART 3: CONCLUSION EG seems to be difficult for most students to understand absolutely. It challenges teachers to find the most suitable way to teach EG well and students to seek the most effective way to study EG. It will, however, take time, money, and a combined effort on the part of many people consisting of teachers, students, and designers of the textbook. It is the reason why this minor thesis is done with expectation that the author can give contribution to - Provide an overview of lexical cohesive devices with their usage in the EG texts, and theory of both ESP and EG. Then teachers can pick up some appropriate to teach well and students can be aware of them and eager to learn EG. - Analyse LCD to point out the most important devices in texts which play a vital role in making texts coherence, it is said that Repetition and Collocation are two most used devices in the lexical cohesion. Based on these devices, teachers apply them as tools to teach EG more effectively, otherwise, students recognize what to focus on and feel studying EG easier. - Show some typical difficulties that teachers and students have to encounter and suggest some useful ways in both teaching and studying with the hope that they will overcome and choose the better ways to follow. As a result, teachers, certainly, teach better and better, while students study more and more interestedly even more and more effectively. In the end, the author raises some suggestions for further study. References - Brown, G. and Yule, G.(1983) Discourse Analysis. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. - Dudley-Evans & Maggie Jo. St. John (1998), Developments in English for Specific Purposes, A Multi-Disciplinary Approach. Cambridge University Press. - Evelyn Hatch, (1992). Discourse and Language Education. Cambrigde University Press. - Halliday, M. A. K. (1994). An Introduction to Functional Grammar. Second Edition. 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An introduction to discourse analysis. Hanoi: Vietnam National University Publishing House. - Nunan, D. (1993) Introducing discourse analysis. London: Penguin English. - Palmer J.C, Coherence and Cohesion in the English Language Classroom: the Use of Lexical Reiteration and Pronominalisation, 1983. - Paltridge, B. (2006). Discourse analysis: An introduction. London, New York: Continuum. - Robinson, Pauline C, ed. Hywel Coleman. Working with Language: A Multidisciplinary, 1989. - Steve Kahl , JoAnne Yates(2009), Concept Creation, Coherence, and Cohesion. - Thompson, G. (1999). Introducing Fuctional Grammar. London: Edward Arnold. - Thornbury, S.(n. d.) Methodology: Coherence and cohesion. Retrieved from http://www.onestopenglish.com/support/ask-the-experts/methodology- questions/methodology-coherence-and-cohesion/154867.article - Tran, Binh Chu. (2002). Textbook: Geology in English. - Ulla Cornor. (1996) Contrastive Rhetoric: Cross-Cultural Aspects of Second- Language Writing - Yitzhaki, D. (n.d.) Artificial lexical cohesion: Lexical cohesion in man-machine interaction. Retrieved from http://www.docstoc.com/docs/47373211/Artificial- Lexical-Cohesion-Lexical-Cohesion-in-Man-Machine . An analysis of lexical cohesion in document of the textbook of English for geology Nguyễn Thị Miền University of Languages and International Studies M.A. Thesis English Linguistics,. difficulties of the students analyzed in the findings, basing on the opinions about the solutions of the English teachers at DMR, FG of UMG and on the author’s study on theory of teaching and learning,. of the data in survey questionnaires gave the summary as the hypothesis. The analysis and findings of the research are the most prominent parts; and the principal theoretical outcomes of the