ERIC Number: EJ1342224
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2022
Pages: 11
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1916-4742
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
A Corpus-Based Study of the Use of Temporal Markers in English Writing of Thai EFL Writers
Sophea, Yin; Chanyoo, Natthapong
English Language Teaching, v15 n4 p75-85 2022
The current study aimed to investigate the tendency to use temporal markers (TMs) in English writing by three different levels of Thai writers. Data used in this study were based on the Corpus of Thai Writers of English. The corpus size of approximately 8,800,000 words consisted of essay writing produced by intermediate and advanced student writers and professional writers from two Thai English newspapers. Fraser's (2005) taxonomy of temporal markers was used as an analytical framework. Microsoft Excel was used to calculate the frequency of occurrences, while a Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) was the primary research tool for data analysis. A one-way ANOVA reveals a statistical difference in the use of TMs among three groups of writers (p =0.000). The intermediate and professional writers were found to prefer using temporal markers at a comparable ratio. However, the intermediate group used temporal markers in a more diverse attitude than the advanced ones. Six temporal markers ("as soon as," "immediately," "meantime," "meanwhile," "originally," and "subsequently") were hardly utilized in writing by all groups of writers. However, no significant differences were found regarding preferences on the position of the TM in the sentences. The findings improve teaching and learning of cohesive devices, especially temporal markers, in EFL writing classes.
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, English (Second Language), Second Language Instruction, Writing (Composition), Essays, Time, Language Usage, Sentences, Writing Instruction, Language Proficiency, Sentence Structure, Writing Skills, College Students, Professional Personnel
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Thailand
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A