Anaphoric Relations in Native

(Abdullah Hadi Abdullah Al-Qahtani)

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Abstract

This study followed an empirical approach of data collection and analysis to find out about the process through which native speaker and non-native speaker of English negotiate cohesion through anaphoric relations in conversations. The frequency of different anaphoric patterns (sequential, return-pop and overlap) and referential choices as produced by native and non-native speakers in addition referential distances involved are reported. Variance that indicted discourse significance is analyzed. Though both native and non-native speaker of English seem to have access to all anaphoric patterns, findings showed significant difference in the frequency and distribution of their anaphoric patterns and the coding devices used by the two groups. Such variance was attributed to a number of factors: the volume of discourse used by each group, the diverse linguistics and cultural background of the non-native speakers as well as non-native speakers inability to observe some discourse constraints as their native counterparts. The study emphasizes the importance of including supra-sentential discourse elements like anaphora and other cohesive devices as an integral part of second language teaching curricula.
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