Narrative as Cultural Representation: Analyzing Japanese Language Learners' Stories From the Perspective of Coherence and Cohesion

• In Event: AERA Poster Session 2
  In Poster Session: Second Language Research SIG Poster Session

Abstract

This paper connects the story-related quality and the language-related quality of narrative discourse. The term “coherence” refers to whether or not a text makes sense at a global level, whereas “cohesion” describes the linguistic relationships among clauses in a narrative, such as how the surface linguistic elements of a text are linked to one another at a local level. The paper (1) examines varied topics in different narrative contexts, (2) reveals how both coherence and cohesion serve as the twin engines of narrative, and (3) emphasizes the significance of paying attention not only to the narrative content/structure but also to the appropriate use of linguistic devices so that we can fully grasp language-specific ways of expressing affective elements in narrative.

Author

• Masahiko Minami, San Francisco State University