GRAMMATICAL COHESION SKILL FOR EFL LEARNERS: THE CASE OF UNIVERSITY LEVEL KURDISH LEARNERS OF ENGLISH

Abstract

The skill of grammatical cohesion is required for EFL learners to be able to write cohesive texts. It includes having a command of reference cohesive devices (both anaphorically and cataphorically) of the foreign language. The aim of the current research was to explore the cases of anaphoric pronoun resolution of university level Kurdish Learners of English (KLEs). The secondary aim of the study was to find out the reason why participants did not use that cohesive device properly. To this end, the writing assignments of 60 senior English department students were analysed. The results showed the use of pronoun reference, reiteration of expressions (lack of using pronoun reference), and unsuccessful use of pronoun reference. The results also showed possible cases of Cross Linguistic Influence (in both its positive and negative forms). The study concluded that lack of suitable instructional strategies was the reason behind inappropriate use of reference. In the light of the results, it is recommended that Kurdish EFL learners need more efficient instructional strategies to use grammatical cohesive devices. Article visualizations: