Understanding ESL Compositions:
Should L1 Conventions Prevail?
Carol A. Nuñez, Ph. D.
Department of English, School of Humanities
Ateneo de Manila University
Philippines
Change in ‘langue-scape’
• Transformation in language situation
– From 1970s increasing use of Filipino, Taglish
(code mixing of Tagalog & English); codeswitching
– More publications in Filipino, Taglish (tabloids
& magazines) – literature & journalism
– TV & radio use of Filipino, Taglish, other
major languages, e.g, Cebuano, Ilocano, Bikol
– Increasing nationalism
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On teaching writing in English in
the Philippines
• English as medium of instruction
• Writing in English taught before writing in
Filipino
– Based on American textbooks & practices,
e.g., current-traditional & process writing
• Teaching of writing in Filipino similar to
teaching of writing in English
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On teaching writing in English in
the Philippines
• Change in students
– Knowledge of English
– Use of Taglish or other code-mixing
• Change in media & pop culture
– Pop songs in Filipino/Tagalog or even Taglish
on TV & radio
– Use of code-mixing & code-switching
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The Classrooms
• Bilingual Policy – 1974; revised 1987
• Problems
– Lack of textbooks
– Lack of teacher training
– Resistance from various sectors
• English in private schools
• Business favored graduates with ‘good’
English [oral & written skills]
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Conventions in English L1
Compositions
• Linear & hierarchical organization
(expository writing)
• Parag (¶) –originally only a printer’s mark
• Thesis statement (usually last sentence of
1st paragraph)
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Conventions in English L1
Compositions
• Topic sentence (sometimes implied)
• Unity – 1 topic per paragraph
• Coherence – “sticking to the point”; ideas
flow logically from sentence to sentence
Conventions in English L1
Compositions
•
•
•
•
Use of active verbs
Being direct to the point
No ‘flowery’ words
Preference for short vs. long sentences
– Economy of words
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On Coherence & Cohesion
• Coherence  “logical connection” and
“smooth flow of ideas” ; “sticking to the
point”; also called global coherence
– Semantic meaning
• Local coherence  cohesion; superficial
connection between sentences
– Syntactic meaning
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Research questions
1. What are the features of coherence in
student essays written under test
conditions?
2. How do these essays adhere to, or
deviate from, coherence patterns
established by research applying topical
structure analysis (TSA)?
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Framework for analysis
• Expectations of English prose
– Linear development
– Hierarchical ordering of ideas
• Contrastive Rhetoric (Kaplan 1966)
– Contrastive analysis
– Cultural differences between languages
– Culture-based conventions & ways of thinking
affect writing
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Framework for analysis—cont’d
• Theories of coherence
– Text-based theory
• Coherence inscribed in texts
• Writer-responsible texts
– Reader-based theory
• Coherence produced by reader; readerresponsible
• Example: two speakers
A. There’s the doorbell.
B. I’m in the bath.
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Unit of measurement: T-unit
• Minimum terminable unit (Hunt 1965)
• Approximates comparability in
sentences of novice writers
regardless of use of punctuation
marks
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On T-unit
• Contains an independent or main
clause along with subordinate clauses &
modifier
• Ex: We are all unique human beings/
and as we mature we undergo changes,
different kinds of changes. (from Essay
EN10-14-M)
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Methodology
• Identification of T-unit boundaries
• Identification of topics according to
Topical Structure Analysis (TSA)
• Plotting of topics
– Parallel progression (PP)
– Sequential progression (SP)
– Extended parallel progression (EPP)
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Topical Structure Analysis or TSA
• TSA – way of describing textual coherence
based on semantic relationships between
sentence/T-unit topics & discourse topic
• Topic  what sentence is about
– John threw the ball.
– John’s throwing the ball caused panic among
the players.
• Topic not always grammatical subject
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Topical Structure Analysis or TSA
• Topic
– repeated from sentence to sentence
– Shifts from one sentence to next
– Interrupted & resumed in succeeding
sentences
• “Flow” or movement of topic can be
charted  Topic Progression Chart (TPC)
• TPC  coherence pattern
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Example of repeated topics
1. Chocolates are a national craving.
2. Records show that they are sold in
huge quantities –11.2 pounds per
capita per year.
3. Designer chocolates often sell for
nearly $30 per pound.
- Connor & Farmer (1990)
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Types of Topical Structures -1
• Parallel progression (PP)  sentence
topics are semantically identical
(1) Chocolates are a national craving.
(2) Records show that they are sold in huge
quantities –11.2 pounds per capita per year.
(3) Designer chocolates often sell for nearly $30
per pound.
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Example of shift in topic
1. I saw a strange man on the
street.
2. He was wearing a large badge.
3. The badge was multicolored and
gaudy.
- Connor & Farmer (1990)
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Types of Topical Structure - 2
•
Sequential progression (SP) sentence
topics always different; comment or
predicate of previous sentence becomes
topic of next sentence
Example:
(1) I saw a strange man in the street. (2) He
was wearing a large badge. (3) The badge
was multicolored and gaudy.
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Topic Progression Chart of
Sequential Progression
• Topic
1. I
2.  He
3.
 badge
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Interrupted topic
• (1) Body language varies from culture to
culture. (2) To say yes, Americans nod
their heads up and down. (3) Japanese
and Italians use the same nod to say no.
(4) Body language is an important skill for
international managers.
- Connor & Farmer (1990)
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Type of Topical Structure – 3
Extended parallel progression
• Parallel progression temporarily
interrupted by a sequential progression
(1) Body language varies from culture to
culture. (2) To say yes, Americans nod
their heads up and down. (3) Japanese
and Italians use the same nod to say no.
(4) Body language is an important skill for
international managers.
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Topic Progression Chart of
Extended Parallel Progression
1. Body language
2.
 Americans
3.
Japanese and Italians
4. Body language
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Features of Coherence (TSA)
• The greater the number of topics, the
wider the dispersion incoherent
– Digression
• More parallel than sequential topic
progression (PP>SP)  coherent
• More sequential than parallel topic
progression(SP>PP)  incoherent
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Discussion
• 34 essays or 5% of all essays written by
Ateneo college freshmen enrolled in
English 10 or ‘Introduction to College
English’
• Written as 2nd half of diagnostic exam on
1st day of class, 19 June 2006
• Used random sampling from 668 essays
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Discussion
• 13 Essays with SP > PP
– Confirm Lautamatti’s and Witte’s findings,
i.e., essays with higher incidence of SPs
less coherent than essays with opposite
features
– 1 essay confirms Schneider & Connor’s
findings about a different kind of sequential
progression(ESP)  contributes to textual
coherence
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Significant Findings
• Essays with SP > PP (continued)
– Common features of an incoherent
essay
• Higher incidence of sequential to
parallel progression
• Topical depth of 4 and greater
• High ratio of T-unit topics to no. of Tunits
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Significant Findings on
Coherence
 Essays by Filipino students ‘digress’
 Topic not in 1st sentence/T-unit
 ‘Deviate’ from recommended L1
conventions, i.e. non-linear
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Conclusion
• Given the ‘digression’ of Filipino ESL
essays need to examine ELT
methods, textbooks, language
policies
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Conclusion
• More questions than answers
– Should L1 convention regarding coherence
be applied to ESL/EFL learners?
– Whose standard do ESL /EFL teachers
follow when they teach writing to ESL/EFL
learners?
– Whose English do ESL/EFL teachers
promote?
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