Discourse deixis and anaphora in L2 writing

Abstract

This study investigates the use of it, this, and that by L1 Turkish learners of English in academic writings from two perspectives: Rhetorical Structure Theory (Marcu, 2000) and Relevance Theory (Sperber & Wilson, 1986/95). The study examines the expressions as interface phenomena concerning the attentional state and the intentional structure of discourse and shows deictics contribute different higher-level explicatures to relations between discourse units. The L2 data analyses reveal (1) it is used as a discourse deictic at lower levels of proficiency; (2) this is the default demonstrative for reference establishment and maintenance; (3) learners tend to use demonstratives in rhetorical relations that are atypical of written academic discourse; and (4) learners demonstrate non-optimal processing of pointing acts. In addition, to implications of results, suggestions for further research and instruction are proposed.