Twenty-fifth International Conference on Learning

Abstract

The development of a thesis statement in academic discourse is imperative yet problematic for non-native speakers of English as different speech communities assign different priority to this element of the essay. For an aggregate of L2 and Generation 1.5 students, this study has sought to examine their ability to implement devices that can cohere to a single statement of purpose. The literature on the subject offers a mixed review of L2 students’ discursive issues as they pertain to American collegiate composition courses, whether it is a result of language issues, background knowledge, or lack of recognition of the importance of a thesis statement. Through the use of contrasting rhetorical analysis techniques on American university students’ compositions and via class questionnaires, our methodological intent has been to determine the discursive gaps pertaining to the construction and development of thesis statements in college essays for pedagogical practice. Learner identity, language backgrounds and cultural perceptions of the student sample have also revealed new frameworks to analyze these elements. The goal is to provide compelling implications for classroom practice to emphasize thesis development in order to maintain structural coherence and cohesion, a focus not common to all of our students.