An analysis of lexical cohesive devices in Aesop's fables

An analysis of lexical cohesive devices in
Aesop's fables


Đoàn Thị Hồng Thanh

Trường Đại học Ngoại Ngữ
Luận văn ThS. Chuyên ngành: English Linguistics; Mã số: 60 22 15
Người hướng dẫn: Nguyễn Thúy Hương- MA
Năm bảo vệ: 2010


Abstract: This thesis paper investigates the lexical cohesive devices used in the English
version of Aesop’s fables translated by Laura Gibbs in 2002. In this study, the theoretical
knowledge of discourse, cohesion and fable as a genre of discourse is offered. Some of the
previous studies on the similar issue are also reviewed briefly for reference. The data for analysis
is from twenty five of Aesop’s fables that are chosen randomly from the collection of World’s
Classics. In the first place, the number of occurrence of each lexical cohesive device is counted
to find out their frequency in each fable. After analyzing the data, the figures are presented to
reveal the contribution of the lexical cohesive device in the construction of a fable. Based on the
findings, some implications for English language teaching are proposed. It is hoped that the
study will be useful for teachers who wish to use fables as a source of authentic materials in
language, especially for students of elementary level.

Keywords: Tiếng Anh; Truyện ngụ ngôn; Phương tiện liên kết; Từ vựng
Content:

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PART 1: INTRODUCTION

1. Rationale
1
2. Aims of the study
2
3. Scope of the study
2
4. Methods of the study
2
5. Organization of the study
3
PART 2: DEVELOPMENT

Chapter 1: Theoretical background
4
1.1 Theory of discourse
4
1.1.1. Definition of discourse
4
1.1.2. Discourse versus Text
5
1.1.3. Discourse analysis
6
1.1.4. Discourse context
7
1.1.4.1 Context
7
1.1.4.2 Register
8
1.1.4.3 Genre
9

1.2 Cohesion
10
1.2.1 The concept of cohesion
10
1.2.2 Cohesion versus Coherence
11
1.2.3 Cohesion and discourse structure
12
1.2.4 Types of cohesion
12
1.2.4.1 Grammatical cohesion
13
1.2.4.2 Lexical cohesion
14
1.3 The narrative structure
15
1.4 Fables and its properties
16
1.4.1 Definition of fables
16
1.4.2 General characteristics of a fable
17
1.4.3 Generic structure of a fable
18
1.5 Introduction about Aesop and Aesop’s fables
19
Chapter 2: Previous studies on lexical cohesive devices
21
Chapter 3: Lexical cohesive devices in the English version of Aesop’s fables
23

3.1 Reiteration
23
3.1.1 Repetition
23
3.1.2 Synonyms and near synonyms
27
3.1.3 Superordinates
28
3.2 Collocation
30
3.2.1 Lexical collocation
30
3.2.2 Grammatical collocation
32
3.3 Some concluding remarks
34
PART 3: CONCLUSION

1. Conclusion
36
2. Limitations
36
3. Implications
37
4. Suggestions for further studies
38
REFERENCES
39
APPENDIXES

Appendix 1: 25 chosen Aesop’s fables for analysis of lexical cohesive devices

Appendix 2: Number of occurrence of lexical cohesive devices in 25 chosen
Aesop’s fables for analysis



PART 1: INTRODUCTION

1. Rationale
The concept of discourse analysis was first studied in the late 1970s and 1980s from
different aspects and views of linguists. It has been paid much attention to by linguists since
its appearance. Halliday and Hasan (1976) put the emphasis on the social functions of
language. Schegloff, and Gail Jefferson (1974), whose exemplary study of turn-taking in
ordinary conversation made a first seminal contribution to the understanding of the sequential
organization of interaction. Then the concept continued to attract the attention of the late
twentieth century’s linguists such as Cook (1989), Hatim and Mason (1990), Swales (1990),
Simpson (1997), etc. Through linguistic history, discourse analysis is found important in
providing insights into various aspects of language in use and therefore of great value to
language teaching. In reality, traditional language teaching seems to deal merely with
pronunciation, grammar and vocabulary of a language whereas the ability to produce a
grammatically correct sentence is not sufficient to use a language for powerful
communication. Discourse analysis came into being to put such knowledge of language into
action for communicating more successfully.
Cohesion and coherence, as sub-concepts of discourse analysis are greatly essential in
discourse construction and comprehension for communication. It is believed that the
linguistic features of great importance and interest are those of generic structure and
cohesion. The belief comes from the fact that these two factors make influential contribution
in defining a genre of discourse. As a component of cohesion, lexical cohesion is therefore
worth being investigated.

Fable which is defined as “a traditional short story that teaches moral lessons,
especially one with animals as characters” ( Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, 2000:
470) is a genre of discourse .Of all the great authors of fables, Aesop is the earliest and best
known. His short and simple fables own their typical features distinguished from other genres
of discourse such as an article or a speech. Apart from its contribution to discourse as a genre,
fables are considered the valuable authentic materials that play a very important part in
students’ cultural enrichment, language enrichment as well as personal involvement. In
language teaching, they represent great potentials for learners, especially learners at the
elementary level. Short and simple as fables are, they consequently seem to be the most
suitable authentic material for students’ language proficiency at low level in rural areas. For
all these reasons, this research is carried out with the hope that an analysis of lexical cohesion
devices in Aesop’s fables is helpful for the application of fables in English teaching and
learning in Vietnam.

2. Aims of the study
The research is intended to explore lexical cohesive devices as one discourse feature
in Aesop’s fables. To be more specific, it aims at:
 Identifying lexical cohesive devices used in Aesop’s fables.
 Realizing the role and contribution of lexical cohesive devices in constructing
a fable.

3. Scope of the study
The concept of cohesion is large. This study only focuses on the lexical cohesive
devices and explores the process in which coherence is achieved in the formal written genre
of fables. Short and simple fables of Aesop are studied to work out typical lexical cohesive
devices used in such genre of discourse. Data analyzed in the study is taken from 25 of
Aesop’s fables chosen at random that were translated into English by Laura Gibbs for
World’s Classics in 2002.

4. Methods of the study

To attain the aim of the study, the research is conducted in the following steps:
First, data necessary for the study are collected. Relevant theories are read and
extracted from books of great linguists such as Halliday and Hasan (1976), Cook (1989),
Brown and Yule ( 1983), Hatim and Mason ( 1990), Swales (1990). Aesop’s fables are also
collected to serve the purpose of analyzing lexical cohesive devices used.
Second, a framework of lexical cohesive devices is set up in order to find out the
defining characteristics of fables as a genre of discourse. This is done on the ground of
several linguists’ relevant theories and their viewpoints.
Third, three previous studies on lexical cohesive devices used in other genres of
discourse are reviewed for comparison with the use of lexical cohesive devices in fables.
Then, 25 selected fables are analyzed in terms of lexical cohesive devices: reiteration
and collocations. All the 25 fables are comprehensively analyzed to identify the lexical
cohesive devices used; their frequencies of occurrence are counted to make out the
significance level of each device to fables.
Last, some conclusions are drawn based on the data analysis and some implications
for English teaching at elementary level are also proposed.
The study is approached in both inductive and deductive ways; the three successive
methods chosen for the study can be named as descriptive, analytical and comparative.

5. Organization of the study
The study is composed of three parts: Introduction, Development and Conclusion.
The Introduction part presents the rationale, the aims, the scope, methods and
organization of the study.
The Developments part consists of three chapters:
Chapter 1 discusses the theoretical background related to discourse analysis. The concepts of
discourse and discourse analysis, the concept of genre and the distinction between genre and
register are made clear. The theoretical knowledge of cohesion and fables are also mentioned
in this chapter.
Chapter 2 reviews some previous studies on similar issue.
Chapter 3 focuses on the analysis of lexical cohesive devices employed in Aesop’s fables.

The conclusion part reviews the study and ends it with some findings, implications for
teaching and learning, and suggestions for further studies.
REFERENCES
Brown, G. and George Yule (1983). Discourse Analysis. Cambridge: Cambridge University
Press.
Carter, R. (1993). Introducing applied linguistics. Harlow: Penguin.
Crystal, D. (1992). Introducing linguistics. Harlow: Penguin.
Cook,G. (1989). Discourse. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Cook,G. (1994). Discourse and Literature. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Firth, John R. (1957). Papers in Linguistics. London: Oxford University Press.
Hallday, M.A.K. & Hasan R. (1976) .Cohesion in English. London: Longman.
Hallday, M.A.K. & Hasan R. (1978). Language as Social Semiotic: The Social Interpretation
of Language and Meaning. London: Edward Arnold.
Hallday, M.A.K. & Hasan R. (1985). Spoken and Written Language. Geelong, Vic: Deakin
University Press.
Hallday, M.A.K. & Hasan R. (1994). Functional Grammar. 2
nd
Edition. London: Edward
Arnold.
Hatim, B. & Mason, I. (1990). Discourse and the Translator. London: Longman Group.
Hien, Le Thi Mai. (2004). An analysis of cohesive devices in English application letter.
Unpublished M.A thesis – College of Foreign Languages- Vietnam National University,
Hanoi.
Hoa ,Nguyen. (2000). An introduction to discourse analysis. Hanoi: Vietnam National
University Publishing House.
Hornby, A. (2000). Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary of Current English. 6
th
Edition.
Oxford: Oxford University Press.
http:// www. Aesopica.net

http:// www.en.wikipedia.org
Kress, Gunther. (1985). Linguistics Process in Sociocultural Practice. Geelong, Vic.: Deakin
University Press.
Labov, W. and Waletzky, J. (1967). Narrative analysis: Seattle: University of Washington
Press.
Labov, W. (1972). Language in the Inner city. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania
Press.
McCarthy, M (1991). Discourse analysis for language teachers. Cambridge: Cambridge
University Press.
Nunan, D. (1993). Introducing Discourse analysis. London: Penguin.
Palmer, J. A. (1983a). Getting into text: Cohesion in Cross Current X2. Philadelphia:
University of Pennsylvania Press.
Richards, J. C. (1992). The Context of Language Teaching. Cambridge: Cambridge
University Press.
Richards, J. C. (1998). Longman Dictionary of Language Teaching and Applied Linguistics.
London: Longman.
Simpson, P. (1997). Language through Literature. London: Routledge.
Swales, J. (1990) Genre Analysis. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Thao, Nguyen Thi. (2005). Some discourse features of English fables. Unpublished M.A
thesis – College of Foreign Languages- Vietnam National University, Hanoi.
Tam, Phuong To. (2003). An analysis of coherence and cohesion and a contrastive analysis
of lexical cohesive devices in English and Vietnamese. Unpublished M.A thesis – College of
Foreign Languages- Vietnam National University, Hanoi.
Widdowson, H. (1979). Exploration in Applied Linguistics. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Widdowson, H. (1983). Role of comprehension ability and production ability in strategies in
interlanguage communication. London: Longman.
Witte, Stephen P. and Lester L. Faigley. (1981). Coherence, cohesion and writing quality.
College Composition and Communication 32 published by National Council of Teachers of
English.
Van, Hoang Van. (2006) Introducing Discourse Analysis. Hanoi: Vietnam National

University Publishing House.