Thorny Issues in the Use of Cohesive Devices in the Written Discourse of Polytechnic ESL Learners in Nigeria: An Assessment of the Federal Polytechnic, Idah and Auchi Polytechnic, Auchi

2026-01-05T07:34:26+00:00

Students’ written discourse can only be coherent and readable through the correct use of basic grammatical and lexical cohesive devices. These are transitional words which learners of English as a Second Language use in writing to connect phrases, clauses and sentences, making the quality of their text meaningful and whole for a reader. The proper and effective use of these grammatical transition elements, provide the structural framework that allows the intended meaning to be understood without ambiguity, whether in written or spoken form. However, many polytechnic learners of English as a Second Language (ESL) today, still struggle with the correct and varied use of these grammatical elements, leading to their incorrect selection/meaning, overuse, underuse, selection errors and grammatical mistakes. These interconnected issues stem from their mother tongue interference (L1), poor linguistic background, insufficient learning materials, inadequate instruction and practice, and negative attitudes of ESL learners towards learning of English Language. This makes the overall quality of their essays unclear meaning and a hard-to-read academic writing. This also makes the teaching and learning of the English language in the polytechnic a very cumbersome task. Consequently, if the polytechnic ESL learners continue to have issues with the correct use of these basic grammatical and lexical elements in their writings, it will jeopardize the very essence of teaching and learning of the English language in the polytechnic. It is against this background that this study highlights the thorny issues hindering the effective use of grammatical transition elements and acting as strong barriers to the understanding of written discourse of the ESL learners in The Federal Polytechnic, Idah and Auchi Polytechnic, Auchi. It recommended the adoption of viable strategies for the polytechnic policy makers like the NBTE on the need to enrich the ESL syllabus and the ESL teachers need to do more on ESL learner’s use of these basic grammatical transition elements that make their writing coherent, logical, readable and meaningful.

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CAPACITY BUILDING IN EDUCATION AND MANAGEMENT

Thorny Issues in the Use of Cohesive Devices in the Written Discourse of Polytechnic ESL Learners in Nigeria: An Assessment of the Federal Polytechnic, Idah and Auchi Polytechnic, Auchi