Coherence relations in discourse and EFL writing

Abstract

Rhetorical Structure Theory (henceforth RST), developed by Mann and Thompson (1988), provides a descriptive framework for discourse analysis that points to and describes the relations between text segments according to their functions. This theory explores coherence relations in a hierarchical fashion, proceeding from the larger to the smaller units in texts. In this paper, we apply the basic tenets of RST to a partial analysis of an argumentative text. Since it claims to provide a framework for comprehensive analyses of texts, RST appears to be suitable for EFL discourse comprehension and production because:(i)       Understanding the relations between segments and also their effects on the reader can help students retrieve intended/authorial and implied meanings, as well as ovext or covert ideological complexes. This understanding then becomes particularly useful when students produce argumentative prose.(ii)      This type of analysis can be useful for summarisation purposes as it points to the most essential segments and their interrelations in a text that form its backbone.While not ignoring RST's certain limitations (Bateman and Rondhuis 1997), we conclude our paper by exploring the usefulness of RST for EFL teaching meth­odology in our attempt to sensitise students to text structure