The role of lexical cohesion in L2 reading comprehension

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Tezin Türü: Doktora

Tezin Yürütüldüğü Kurum: Orta Doğu Teknik Üniversitesi, Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü, Türkiye

Tezin Onay Tarihi: 2011

Öğrenci: HASAN BAYRAKTAR

Danışman: HÜSNÜ ENGİNARLAR

Özet:

This study aimed at discovering the role of lexical cohesive links in L2 reading comprehension. For this purpose, the researcher carried out lexical cohesion analysis of two TOEFL reading tests consisting of six texts. First, prior to the reading comprehension tests, the students were administered “a vocabulary familiarity task”. Second, the TOEFL reading tests were administered to fifty upper-intermediate and advanced level EFL students at Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Turkey. Third, after each test, a post-reading “Lexical links recognition task” was given. Finally, the data were analyzed comparing reader performance on each item, both within and across the groups. The researcher analyzed the reading test results besides the results of the accompanying lexical cohesive links tasks to see if there is a “significant relationship” between the three factors: vocabulary knowledge, reading comprehension level and recognition of lexical cohesive links. The results have indicated that awareness of lexical cohesive links noticeably contributes to reading test scores in L2 and that recognition-level vocabulary knowledge alone may not guarantee better reading comprehension scores. Finally, it is suggested that reading and writing teachers can develop some pedagogic exercises to teach lexical cohesive devices and in this way improve students’ knowledge of lexical cohesive sub-types, thus enhancing their reading performance.