Iraqi EFL Learners' Problems in Using Conjunctions as Cohesive Devices

Abstract

Writing has been assumed to be the most problematic language skill for ESL/EFL learners (Ting, 2003; Ong, 2011) and even for native speakers (Norrish, 1983). Apparently, Prommas and Sinwongsuwat (2011:77) stated that writing is more challenging than speaking since in written communication there is no extra means of help in terms of nonverbal expressions including gesture, facial expressions, and head movement, which are usually made use of to confirm that the message is properly to presented. Hence, it is significant for ESL/EFL learners should others that they know well how to write in a way that makes the message clear for the readers .As such, learners ought to be aware of the mechanics of academic writing by mastering the formal and structural properties of a language. Not only does academic writing need the ability of university students to construct grammatical sentences, but it also requires the ability to construct a cohesive text by knowing how to using conjunctions.

Though conjunctions are not the only means that realize cohesive connectivity,   they still function to  signal logical relations in a text and help the reader connect different units and paragraphs to make sense of the text (Heino, 2010), and thus, they are regarded as the most important cohesive devices ensuing text unity. This paper aims to investigate the errors committed by Iraqi university EFL students in using conjunctions in their essays writing. The study is limited to Iraqi EFL second year students in English Dep, College of Arts, Kufa University during the academic year (2015-2016).

Keywords: Conjunctions, Cohesive Devices, EFL, Coherence,Writing