Thematised noun phrases in advanced EFL students’ academic writing

Alqaedi, Nagla 2024. Thematised noun phrases in advanced EFL students’ academic writing. PhD Thesis, Cardiff University. Item availability restricted.

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Abstract

This thesis presents an empirical investigation of the interaction between Themes and noun phrases (NPs) in advanced EFL students' collaborative research proposal assignments across multiple drafts (N = 108 documents, 36 groups). The analytical framework draws on Berry’s (2013) network of referential meaning options for Subject Themes and Martin’s (1992) participant identification system. The thesis comprises two distinct, multi-faceted studies. The first study identifies and compares Thematised NP types across different drafts, allowing a longitudinal examination of how students' use evolves during the revision process. The analysis focuses on background context and literature review drafts and their corresponding sections in the final versions. The findings indicate genre-influenced thematic and NP choices, with repetition, particularly in the form of resumed Themes, being common. In contrast, nominalisations and summarising nouns are least frequent. Moreover, students shift from using personal pronouns and lighter content Themes in early drafts to complex NPs in final versions, demonstrating increased use of objective and nominal concepts. Pronouns predominate in background drafts while proper nouns are more common in literature review drafts, reflecting genre conventions. The second study takes a cross-sectional approach, comparing Thematised NP choices in the final versions of low-rated and high-rated assignments (7 groups each). Contrary to conventional EFL research criticism, the findings demonstrate the strategic use of repetition as an effective rhetorical device. Although overall differences are not statistically significant, qualitative analysis reveals that high-rated assignments feature complex NPs with determiners and modifications in repetitions, challenging the notion that repetition is inherently simple. The prevalence of mass nouns in these repetitions indicates students’ ability to control topical Themes and develop writing complexity through modification and abstraction. This research concludes that thematic meaning and the complexity of NP expression are intricately connected in students’ writing proficiency. By highlighting this relationship, the thesis advances understanding of the linguistic underpinnings of successful academic discourse in EFL contexts, prompting reconsideration of the criticism of repetition and emphasising students' capacity for sophisticated linguistic choices. The findings underscore the dynamic nature of students' academic writing development and the close relationship between semantic and syntactic components in their evolving linguistic proficiency.

Item Type:	Thesis (PhD)
Date Type:	Completion
Status:	Unpublished
Schools:	Schools > English, Communication and Philosophy
Subjects:	P Language and Literature > PE English
Funders:	Saudi Arabia Cultural Bureau
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	24 March 2025
Last Modified:	25 Mar 2025 09:45
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/177112

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