Principles of Teaching Cohesion in the English Language Classroom

Linking adverbials are important for creating textual cohesion in both written and spoken English. While there are reference grammar books describing the usage patterns of linking adverbials and studies investigating learners' difficulties in using these cohesive devices, there is little discussion on how to effectively teach and learn them. By testing the adequacy of existing textbooks and drawing on corpus findings of the usage patterns of linking adverbials in English, this article suggests principles to guide the teaching and learning of linking adverbials in the English language classroom. The principles suggested in this article will also provide useful guidelines for EAP teachers in different stages of classroom teaching, from pre-class planning, in-class teaching to after-class learning.