Corpus-based analysis of lexical cohesion in Chinese postgraduates’ English academic writing and its pedagogical implications

Abstract

As a key feature in the creation of coherent texts (Tanskanen, 2006), lexical cohesion is of importance for students’ academic performance. Chinese students have been identified as lacking awareness of lexical cohesiveness in English academic writing (Zhang, 2018). In order to inform pedagogy in English for academic purposes (EAP) for these students, this paper used a corpus-based approach to conduct qualitative analysis of lexical cohesive devices used in Chinese postgraduates’ writing at a UK university. A framework for the analysis of lexical cohesion was developed in two corpora, incorporating a new subcategory of lexical cohesive device alongside modifications of existing categories. Analysis of the corpora identified homogeneities of lexical cohesion such as context sensitivity, dominant use of repetition, and use of modifiers to indicate lexical cohesive relations, suggesting the value of context-based pedagogy and the need to teach lexical cohesive devices with appropriate exemplars.