Linking adverbials in Estonian school-leavers’ English state examination essays
Linking adverbials in Estonian school-leavers’ English state examination essays

Summary/Abstract: This exploratory study investigates the use of linking adverbials (LAs) in argumentative English essays written by Estonian school-leavers as part of their state examination in English. Using a sub-corpus of 150 essays from the English State Examination Corpus (ESEC) and comparing it to British students’ A-level1 essays from the Louvain Corpus of Native English Essays (LOCNESS), this paper examines the frequency, variety, and semantic categories of LAs employed by Estonian school-leavers. The results indicate that, compared to native speakers, who demonstrate a more balanced and varied use across semantic categories of LAs, Estonian L1 learners markedly overuse enumeration and addition adverbials (e.g., firstly, secondly, also). The study highlights the tendency of Estonian learners to rely on familiar LAs, often resulting in formulaic and overly structured essays. This overuse may be attributed to teaching practices that emphasise explicit marking of cohesion – or to insufficient instruction in the use of other cohesive devices.

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