This study explores the sorts of problems Libyan Learners of English as a foreign Language (LLsEFL) learners have in using conjunctions, and seeks to find out whether or not teaching conjunctions in the context of reading can help improve these learners' use and variation of these devices. In so doing, Halliday and Hasan's (1976) definition and classification of conjunctions is adopted as the framework for the study. A quasi-experimental design with pre- and post-intervention control group (CG) and treatment group (TG) was used to collect data. The quantitative and qualitative analysis of the pre- intervention results of both groups showed that the problems LLsEFL experience in using conjunctions can be classified into three categories: misuse, underuse and overuse. Misuse was found to be the most common, followed by underuse and overuse. Adversatives were found to be the most misused whereas additives were the most overused. Moreover, the results show that these learners seem to have a limited repertoire of conjunctions and therefore tend to often rely on a small set of conjunctions such as 'and', 'but' to link their writing. An intervention course was then conducted where the treatment group was taught conjunctions in the context of their use in texts, while the control group was taught conjunctions in the traditional way (i.e. the way conjunctions are taught in the Libyan context). The results for the control group showed little or no improvement in using conjunctions. However, post-intervention results for the treatment group showed significant improvements in the use and variation of conjunctions. This improvement was reflected in greater properties of correct use and fewer cases of misuse, underuse, and overuse. More diversity in using conjunctions was also evident, including in the treatment group participants' use of conjunctions which had not been used before.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:580695 |
| Date | January 2012 |
| Creators | Ramadan, Mohammed Omer |
| Publisher | University of Newcastle Upon Tyne |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
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