An Analysis of Cohesion Devices on Students Recount Paragraphs

This study analyzes the use of cohesive devices in recount paragraphs written by tenth grade students. Cohesive devices play an important role in establishing coherence and ensuring the smooth flow of information in a text. This study aims to explore how these linguistic elements are used by students and to identify the challenges they face in using such devices. The study involved twenty students from MAN 2 Jember and used a qualitative analysis research design. Data collection included documentation, observation, and student interviews. The analysis focused on two aspects of cohesion: lexical cohesion (which involves repetition and collocation) and grammatical cohesion (which includes reference, substitution, ellipsis, and conjunction). The findings revealed the following: (a) Students used five types of cohesive devices in their recount paragraph writing, with reference (31.29%) and conjunction (28.75%) being used most frequently, followed by substitution (12.72%), ellipsis (1.78%), as well as reiteration (13.48%) and collocation (11.95%); (b) Students showed different levels of familiarity and competence with different cohesive devices. This study emphasizes the importance of comprehensive instruction and support to improve students' proficiency in using cohesive devices. Based on the identified challenges, pedagogical interventions are recommended to improve students' proficiency in using cohesive devices.