earticle

영어

Thematic progression has been widely used as an important factor at a discourse level in L1 writing instruction. (Fries,1983; Danes,1974; Halliday & Hasan,1976). However, little research has been done on the thematic structure in L2 writing practice and pedagogy. The purpose of the present study is to introduce the concepts of Theme and Rheme, which contribute substantially to the thematic progression in a written text and to suggest the relevant evaluation process and revision strategies. For the purpose of this study, 24 student-written essays were analyzed in comparison with linguistic corpora of experienced writers, with focus on thematic progression. The finding suggests that the examination of Theme and Rheme revealed in student-written drafts proved useful for the analysis and revision of student writing. Furthermore, through this empirical analysis, college students could direct their explicit attention to thematic progression, an important factor in maintaining the coherence of a text. Finally, pedagogical implications for EFL writing at the discourse level of texts were discussed.