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Khaled Salem Ahmad Amayreh

Islamic University of Minnesota, USA

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to investigate instructors' strategies for teaching cohesion to enhance the academic writing skills of Jordanian EFL undergraduate students. This study employed a qualitative research design, utilizing interviews with instructors at Hashemite University in Jordan to collect data. A total of 4 instructors were selected through purposive sampling, and their strategies for teaching cohesion were explored through semi-structured interviews. The findings revealed three distinct strategies employed by instructors to enhance students' ability to use cohesion in academic writing. Firstly, instructors emphasized the explicit teaching of cohesive devices such as conjunctions, pronouns, and lexical cohesion. Secondly, they incorporated interactive activities and group work to promote collaborative learning and encourage students to practice using cohesive devices in their writing. Lastly, instructors provided continuous feedback and revision opportunities to students, allowing them to improve their cohesion skills over time. Moreover, respondents confirmed that students’ deficient use of cohesive devices in their writing was due to various factors, namely, negative learning habits, inadequate reading, and insufficient practice. This study contributes to the existing literature by providing empirical evidence on instructors' strategies for teaching cohesion to Jordanian EFL undergraduate students. The identified strategies offer practical insights for instructors and curriculum designers to enhance the teaching and learning of cohesion in academic writing. By improving students' ability to use cohesive devices effectively, this study aims to contribute to their overall educational success and proficiency in English writing.

 

Keywords

Feedback strategies, cohesion, academic writing, interviews, thematic analysis