Relevent usage of linkers in essays as an essential component in developing writing skill of students

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Relevent usage of linkers in essays as an essential component in developing writing skill of students

Bogachevska L.O.,

Ph.D,

Associate Professor at the English Philology Department Vasyl Stefanyk Precarpathian National University

The research shows that mastering of the writing skill facilitates effective communication, whether in academic, professional, or personal contexts. It empowers individuals to express ideas clearly, persuade others convincingly, and leaves a memorable mark. From scientific papers to business reports and personal narratives, proficient writing in English allows to provide accurate, creative communication, shaping our modern world significantly.

In the article it is also discussed that the use of linking words and phrases is crucial for enhancing the coherence and flow of an essay. It states that by employing appropriate linkers, students can connect ideas seamlessly and guide readers through their arguments or narratives with clarity and precision. However, it is important for students to exercise caution and avoid overusing of linking devices, as this can reduce the overall quality of their writing.

The aim of the research presented in the article is to emphasize the significance of developing writing skills among students. Thus, in the article some important types of essay writing are outlined such as opinion, narrative, descriptive, discursive and comparative-and-contrast essays and it briefly explains their purposes and components. The role of linking words and phrases is considered in these types of essays and their ability to connect logical parts of written texts, enhancing coherence and clarity.

Overall, through the development of writing skills and the thoughtful application of linking words and phrases, students can create compelling and well-structured essays that convey their ideas and perspectives. This not only provides academic success but also enhances their ability to communicate effectively in various contexts. written communication coherence conciseness

The material emphasizes the importance of coherence, conciseness, and cohesion in writing. Additionally, the article discusses the necessity of maintaining proper structure, clarity, and grammar in essays to enhance reader's comprehension and relevant perception of the text. It also highlights the importance of using linking words and phrases appropriately to connect ideas effectively.

Key words: written communication, types of essays, linking words and phrases, coherence, conciseness.

ПРАВИЛЬНЕ ВИКОРИСТАННЯ ЗВ'ЯЗНИХ СЛІВ У ЕСЕЯХ ЯК НЕОБХІДНА КОМПОНЕНТА РОЗВИТКУ НАВИЧОК ПИСЬМА СТУДЕНТА

Дослідження демонструє, що володіння навичками письма сприяє ефективній комунікації, починаючи від академічного, професійного до особистого контексту. Воно надає можливість особам чітко висловлювати ідеї, переконливо впливати на інших та залишати позитивні наслідки. Від наукових статей до бізнес-звітів та особистих наративів, володіння майстерністю письма англійською мовою забезпечує точну та креативну комунікацію, значно впливаючи на сучасний світ.

У статті обговорюється важливість використання зв'язних слів і фраз, які сприяють покращенню логічності та зв'язності есе. У ній стверджується, що застосовуючи відповідні зв'язні слова та фрази, студенти можуть безперешкодно пов'язувати ідеї та чітко представляти читачеві свої аргументи чи наративи. Однак важливо, щоб студенти обережно застосовували та уникали перенасичення тексту зв'язними засобами, оскільки це може зменшити загальну якість їх письма.

Метою дослідження, представленого в статті, є підкреслення важливості розвитку навичок письма серед студентів. Таким чином, у статті описано деякі важливі типи есе, а саме есе-роздум, наративне, описове, дискусивне та порівняльно-контрастне есе, та коротко пояснюється їхня мета та компоненти. Роль зв'язкових слів і фраз розглядається у цих видах есе, а зв'язні засоби досліджуються з точки зору їх здатності пов'язувати логічні частини письмових текстів, підвищуючи їхню логічність та зрозумілість.

Загалом, завдяки розвитку навичок письма та продуманому застосуванню зв'язних слів та фраз, студенти можуть створювати переконливі та добре структуровані есе, які ефективно відтворюють їхні ідеї, роздуми та перспективи. Це не лише забезпечує академічний успіх, але й підвищує їхню здатність спілкуватися на різних рівнях.

Матеріал підкреслює важливість логічності, стислості та зв'язності в письмі. Крім того, у статті обговорюється необхідність збереження правильної структури, чіткості та граматики в есе для підвищення розуміння читачем та відповідного сприйняття тексту. Також відзначається важливість використання зв'язних слів і фраз відповідно.

Ключові слова: письмове спілкування, види есе, зв'язні сліва і словосполучення, зв'язність, стислість.

Problem statement. The ability to compose well-written material enables individuals to articulate thoughts, engage audiences and foster meaningful connections across diverse settings and circumstances. In academic, professional and personal domains the art of proficient writing is indispensable for achieving success. It serves as a powerful tool for conveying ideas with clarity, persuading others effectively and making a lasting impression.

Writing in English for the research papers, business reports, or personal narratives, applying of writing skills gives individuals a chance to communicate with accuracy, creativity and has a great impact on modern world. D. Lasagabaster, the Spanish linguist, describes the process of globalization and integration throughout the Europe by the successful learning of foreign language. He states that: “All European educational systems are attaching increasing importance to the learning of foreign languages, since there is a dire need to educate multilingual and multicultural citizens in a context where the linguistic consequences of globalization are more and more evident” [1, p. 31]. Hence, the mastery of writing is not merely advantageous, but essential for navigating the complexities of modern communication and achieving professional and personal fulfillment.

Analysis of recent research and publications. In the research “Exploring the Dynamics of Second Language Writing” edited by B. Kroll the field of second language writing is explored, the finished text written and also how to use grammar in it are discussed. The scientist says: “If teaching second language skills to populations of adult students who grew up speaking other native language was ever a simple matter for teachers, it is certainly no longer so in the twenty-first century. The complexity has been intensified by the phenomena known as “globalization” and the internet revolution [2, p. 1]. In the article the role of a teacher in the writing class and the impact of computer in the second language writing process are regarded.

The authors of “Improving the writing performance, knowledge, and self-efficacy of struggling young writers: The effects of self-regulated strategy- development” state that for the instructional research to become effective multiple instructional components should be included in it. They explain: “This was evident in the emphasis placed on changing behavior, cognition, affect and it was also actualized by developing treatments that included instructional components for promoting the acquisition, mastery, fluency, maintenance, and generalization of skills and strategies students were taught” [3, p. 21]. The researchers also suggest: “This involved peer working together to identify new situations in which they could apply what they were learning, helping each other apply it in these situations, and discussing their successes and difficulties in doing so” [3, p. 21]. In this article writing instruction in Primary-Grade Classrooms and writing practices are under the study.

The authors of “Natural language processing in an intelligent writing strategy tutoring system. Behavior Research Methods” pay great attention to “The Writing Pal” which is an intelligent tutoring system maintaining writing strategy training. “A large part of its artificial intelligence resides in the natural language processing algorithms to assess essay quality and guide feedback to students. Because writing is often highly nuanced and subjective, the development of these algorithms must consider a broad array of linguistic, rhetorical, and contextual features” [4, p. 499]. Thus, this article regards the “the potential for computational indices to predict human ratings of essay quality” [4, p. 499].

The research written by Crossley S., Roscoe R., McNamara D. distinguishes between four distinct profiles of successful essay writers based on linguistic features analyzed through the natural language processing tools. The study shows that expert raters consider various linguistic aspects when assessing writing quality and awarding high scores. The identified writing styles include action and depiction, academic, accessible and lexical styles. “The study provides empirical evidence that successful writing cannot be defined simply through a single set of predefined features, but that, rather, successful writing has multiple profiles. While these profiles may overlap, each profile is distinct” [5, p. 185]. So, become a success in writing students should have a lot training and keep in mind different aspects concerning this process.

As we may judge from the above-analyzed sources, writing skill is widely discussed at different levels in numerous research papers starting from teaching writing at primary school [3] to grown-ups' writing instruction [2], also the help of a teacher [2] and of a computer are also studied [2, 4], and the successful writing is explained [5], and in our research we want to demonstrate the importance of developing of writing skill for multilingual student, how to foster the ability to write different types of essays and shows how to use linker effectively in them.

The aim and task statement. The aim of our research is to highlight the importance of developing writing skill for students; to outline the most important types of essay writing and to explain briefly the purpose of composing them and what should be included in a certain writing in general; also, to consider different linking words and phrases which may help to connect different logical parts of the written texts and to regard the way they may function.

The material presented in the article is presenting necessity of trying to keep in mind that coherence, conciseness, and cohesion are vital elements for effective reader's perception. P. Deane states that “lingusistic features such as cohesion, syntactic complexity, and lexical sophistication relate to higher cognitive functioning, and their use in an essay indicates a writer's ability to quickly and easily produce complex text” [6, p. 285]. Ensuring proper structure aids in presenting ideas logically, thereby enhancing reader's comprehension. It's essential to keep sentences clear and concise, avoiding excessive length or convoluted phrasing. By adding and arranging information thoughtfully, the text flows smoothly, facilitating a seamless transition between ideas and enhancing overall coherence. Spelling and grammar are to be checked to ensure accuracy in any essay. The text is to be kept concise and logical, adhering to proper grammar rules.

By applying the linkers into the writing, you can create a more cohesive and structured essay that guides the reader through your argument or analysis. Writing may be connected by using the following linkers: because of (to indicate the reason behind a certain outcome or situation); as this shows, as can clearly be seen from (to introduce evidence or examples that support a claim or argument); thus, to illustrate that (to signal a conclusion or provide further explanation); after analyzing both points of view (to introduce your examination of two opposing viewpoints or factors contributing to a situation); however, furthermore; moreover (to introduce contrasting or additional information); on the one hand; on the other hand (to introduce two contrasting viewpoints or aspects of an argument); firstly; secondly; first of all; in the first place; lastly; a final point (to enumerate or sequence points in an argument or discussion); in conclusion; to conclude; to sum up (to signal the end of an argument or discussion and summarize key points). Linkers, also known as transitional words or phrases, play a crucial role in connecting ideas and enhancing the flow of any essay. “It is also common practice to advise learners to use linking words/expressions (e.g., furthermore, nevertheless) to make explicit the connection between different parts of the text. Of course, linking devices can help clarity and organization, but only if they are used properly” [7, p. 7]. Thus, for any educated multilingual student it is important to develop writing skill and one may start with writing essays of different types, for example, such as: opinion, narrative, descriptive, discursive, com- pare-and-contrast essays.

So, let us talk first of the structure of Opinion Essay. In the introduction the background of the topic should be provided, followed by a sentence linking it to the thesis statement which presents the writer's viewpoint. “In order to be able to write good essay is first of all essential to make sure that you understand the purpose of the task” [8, p. 1]. Moreover, it is also useful in the first paragraph to paraphrase the main task and scenario proposed in the assignment. The main part goes next and in supporting paragraph one a thesis statement expresses the writer's opinion, followed by supportive ideas and real examples. These are discussed later to demonstrate how they prove the thesis and relate back to the topic. In supporting paragraph two supporting ideas and examples are presented, followed by discussion linking them back to the thesis and the topic. In conclusion a summary sentence briefly states the various viewpoints discussed. The thesis is restated using different words or paraphrasing. Finally, a prediction or recommendation based on the topic is provided. Let us note that linking words and phrases help to guide the reader smoothly from one thought to the next, creating coherence and clarity in your writing, a student writing an essay should remember to “be cautious against overusing linking devices (e.g., starting almost every sentence with a linking word/expression)” [7, p. 7]. Thus, all above-mentioned linkers may be used in Opinion Essay but only in a proper way and not overwhelming the text.

Another type of essays which may be regarded is Narrative Essay in which a student should tell a story or recount events. The essay starts with the background of the story, an interesting opening, then follows lots of different events or also a few detailed events developing the flow of the text. The climax of the essay is the highest point of tension or conflict where heroes face their greatest challenge or make a crucial decision and it often marks a turning point in the plot, leading usually to a more or less surprising ending. So, it is appropriate to start: it was early, late in the morning (afternoon, evening), it was last winter or summer. Enumerating the line of events, a student may use order linkers like: firstly, secondly, thirdly, next, then, afterward, finally, eventually. Time linkers may also be applied in such an essay: meanwhile, simultaneously, subsequently, eventually, at that moment, by the time. Example linkers provide specific instances or illustrations to support a point: for example, for instance, such as, to illustrate. Result linkers may indicate a consequence or outcome of a preceding statement or situation and in the closing part: consequently, therefore, as a result, thus, hence, accordingly together with completely surprised; astonished to find; couldn't believe one's eyes. This type of essay often includes personal experiences or funny stories. The text may also present lots of description and many characters.

Descriptive Essay usually focuses on describing a person, a place, an objectp or an event thoroughly, using sensory details to create a vivid picture for the reader. Thus, to make the writing more colorful and interesting for the reader it is appropriate to use a rich range of vocabulary, to add more details like colors, shapes, sounds, feelings and more. As a result, it may help the reader to experience the description. For example, writing a description of an object like a family relic, heirloom and one can use some specific vocabulary like: to be bequeathed, precious value, to treasure possession, from generation to generation, to inherit. Let us note that linkers are also known as transitional words or phrases, and may play a crucial role in connecting ideas and enhancing the flow of a descriptive essay. Here are some linkers commonly used in descriptive essays such as meaning addition: furthermore, moreover, additionally, in addition, also; sequential linkers to indicate a sequence of events or the order of description: first, second, third; next, then, finally; afterward, subsequently, following that; spatial linkers used to help to describe the physical arrangement or spatial relationships between objects or scenes: besides, nearby, adjacent to; above, below, under; in front of, behind, next to. By incorporating these linkers into the descriptive essay, students can effectively structure their descriptions and guide the reader through the sensory experience which is presented, creating a vivid and immersive narrative.

Discursive Essay aims to convince the reader to adopt a particular viewpoint or take a specific action. It presents arguments supported by evidence and reasoning. Writing this type of essay, students need to include an introductory paragraph, divide the essay into for and against paragraphs and write a concluding paragraph. Usage of linking words and phrases may help, e.g., introducing additional information students may take linkers like: additionally, in addition to, furthermore, likewise; showing a logical argument it is relevant to apply the following: so, thus, hence, accordingly, as a result, consequently, for this reason; proving one's opinion such phrases may be taken: evidently, obviously, indeed, to conclude, in fact; cause and effect linkers are used to demonstrate relationships between events or actions: consequently, as a result, therefore; because, since, due to. Linkers play a crucial role in connecting different parts of a discursive essay, helping to create a coherent and cohesive piece of writing.

Compare-and-Contrast Essay analyzes similarities and differences between two or more subjects, highlighting their key characteristics and showing subtle differences or unexpected similarities between compared things. This type of essay usually starts with a thesis that presents two or more subjects that should be compared or contrasted. The aim of such comparison or contrasting is showing things from different sides to provide useful knowledge to the reader. Students may compare completely different or slightly similar subjects. So, firstly the topic should be introduced with opening paragraph, the thesis should come at the end of introduction and it also presents the subjects you will compare or contrast.

So, there are different strategies how to do it. First it is a block method when students write one paragraph about one subject and another about the other one. Using this method, one may go ahead from one thing discussing it in a full and move to another for several times covering many approaches and as a result it may weaken connection between compared subjects if it is the goal. Then we may talk about an alternating method (one by one) when a paragraph is broken by a specific topic, issue, aspect regarding two or more subjects in it. It works best to stress on the connection between subject. Finally let us regard similarities and differences method when each subject is presented one by one in the same paragraph showing what they have in common and how they differ.

Compare-and-Contrast Essay may be organized in various ways; according to the subjects (talking about one after another) or to individual viewpoints (discussing a subject in connection to each view point). This organization structure depends on the purpose of writing and the recipient (the reader). In such an essay students may use the following linking words and phrases: whereas, likewise, but, however, both, neither, however, nevertheless, even though, although, while, similarly, similar to, the same as, as well as, one the one hand, on the other hand, by contrast, on the contrary. Making comparison it is appropriate to use: one similarity, another similarity, both, like, likewise, similarly, in a similar fashion and when making contrast: one difference, another difference, conversely, in contrast, unlike, while, whereas.

In conclusion it should be said that the usage of linkers is essential for writing of any essay because they facilitate coherence, organization, clarity, emphasis and persuasion. By incorporating appropriate linkers into their writing, authors can effectively structure their essays and guide their readers through a coherent and compelling argument. They ensure that the essay may be read smoothly and logically to understand the overall structure of the essay and how each part relates to the others. They create a sense of unity and integration within the text, strengthening the author's position and making the essay more convincing to the reader.

In conclusion, the importance of developing writing skills for students cannot be overstated.

The ability to effectively compose various types of essays, such as opinion, narrative, and descriptive essays and other is essential for academic success and effective communication. Each type of essay has its own unique structure and purpose, which students must understand in order to produce coherent and engaging pieces of writing.

REFERENCES:

1. Lasagabaster D. Foreign language competence in content and language integrated courses. The Open Applied Linguistics Journal, 2008. № 1. P. 31-42.

2. Kroll B. Exploring the Dynamics of Second Language Writing. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2003. 24 p. URL: https://catdir.loc.gov/catdir/samples/cam034/2002074049.pdf(дата звернення: 23.02.2024).

3. Graham S., Harris K., Mason L. Improving the writing performance, knowledge, and self-efficacy of struggling young writers: The effects of self-regulated strategy-development. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 2005. 30(2). P. 207-241. URL: https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ693936.pdf (дата звернення: 24.02.2024).

4. McNamara D., Crossley S., Roscoe R. Natural language processing in an intelligent writing strategy tutoring system. Behavior Research Methods, 2013. 45(2). P. 499-515. URL: https://www.researchgate.net/publica- tion/274583722_What_Is_Successful_Writing_An_Investigation_Into_the_Multiple_Ways_Writers_Can_Write_ Successful_Essays (дата звернення: 24.02.2024).

5. Crossley S., Roscoe R., McNamara D. What is successful writing? An investigation into the multiple ways writers can write successful essays. Written Communication, 2014. 31(2). P. 184-214. URL: https://www.research- gate.net/publication/274583722_What_Is_Successful_Writing_An_Investigation_Into_the_Multiple_Ways_Writers_ Can_Write_Successful_Essays (дата звернення: 24.02.2024).

6. Deane P. On the relations between automated essay scoring and modern views of the writing proficiency as a fuction of a grade level: a linguisticanalysis. Written Communication, 2013. 28 (3). P. 282-311.

7. Gabrielatos C. EFL Writing: Product and Process, 2002. 11 p.

8. Duigu G. Essay writing For English tests. Australia, 2003. 68 p.

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