The Relationship Between Types Of Paragraphs And Topic Progression Used In Paragraphs Written By Iranian EFL Students

Abstract

Using Lautmattis (1978) framework, this study examines the types of topic progression techniques used in 120 paragraphs written by 40 Iranian undergraduate students. Each student was asked to write three types of paragraphs; namely, those of comparison and contrast, cause-effect, and chronology. The present study investigates the relationship between the types of paragraphs and types of topic progression techniques used in them. As the results of the Chi-square test show, there is a relationship between types of paragraphs and types of topic progression techniques. In paragraphs of comparison and contrast, sequential progression (38.44%); in paragraphs of cause-effect, sequential progression (34.72%); and in paragraphs of chronology, extended parallel progression (35.52%) were the most frequently used types of topic progression.