Development of Cohesive Devices in Chinese Learners of English

DOI

10.2991/emcs-17.2017.191How to use a DOI?

Keywords

Conjunctions; Rating scale; Development

Abstract

This paper explores a way to provide a language rating scale with empirical underpinnings. It examines the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, Teaching, Assessment (CEF) scale for coherence and cohesion in the light of the analysis of Chinese learners' writing samples. The use of conjunctions in the summaries written by 23 Chinese learners of English is scrutinized to characterize the levels of the CEF scale. Stages of L2 writing development of coherence and cohesion can be inferred from the way Chinese learners used conjunctions at different levels of the scale. The use of conjunctions was found to be indicative of the ability of students to connect sentences and establish propositional relations. It is concluded that rating scales can benefit from an empirical study to confirm and evaluate the information represented in their descriptors and to adapt them to make them more useful for the scale users.

Copyright

© 2017, the Authors. Published by Atlantis Press.

Open Access

This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/).

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TY  - CONF
AU  - Xiaojing Zhao
PY  - 2017/03
DA  - 2017/03
TI  - Development of Cohesive Devices in Chinese Learners of English
BT  - Proceedings of the 2017 7th International Conference on Education, Management, Computer and Society (EMCS 2017)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 987
EP  - 993
SN  - 2352-538X
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/emcs-17.2017.191
DO  - 10.2991/emcs-17.2017.191
ID  - Zhao2017/03
ER  -