Investigating the Use of Discourse Markers in Essays among EFL Learners with High and Low Reading Comprehension Abilities

Abstract

Numerous previous studies have vindicated by evidence the sturdy relation between reading and writing. However, relatively few were conducted to examine the relation between the use of Discourse Markers (hereafter DMs) in written discourse from a reading comprehension abilities standpoint. The present dissertation attempts to investigate the use of DMs in essays among EFL learners with high and low reading comprehension abilities. Principally, it aims to shed light on the correlation between the appropriate use of DMs in written compositions and reading comprehension abilities. To this end, both of quantitative and qualitative data collection methods are utilised. To answer the first question, 25 second year EFL learners at Abdelhafid Boussouf University Centre (Mila) sat for two reading and writing tests. Additionally, a qualitative analysis with reference to Fraser’s taxonomy of DMs together with a teachers’ interview are conducted to answer the second question of this research. The results show that there is a significant positive correlation between reading and writing(r = .52). Moreover, the results reveal that there is a strong positive correlation between the appropriate use of DMs in essays and high reading comprehension abilities (r = .77), whereas there is a weak positive correlation between the appropriate use of DMs and low reading comprehension abilities(r = .06). In addition, the results show that most EFL learners’ modest use of DMs is principally inappropriate. The two former correlations provide further evidence for the strong deductive relation between the appropriate use of DMs and high reading comprehension abilities. The latter correlation suggests further research to figure out what other variables would justify the weak positive relation between the appropriateuseof DMs and low reading comprehension abilities.