Discourse features and strategies in students' writing at junior college level

Abstract

The concern of this study is the essay that students are required to write for the General Paper (GP), a paper for all students taking the General Certificate of Education (GCE) "A" Level examination in Singapore, which qualifies them for admission to the university. The GP is treated both as a preparation for university study and as an indicator that the student is ready for admission to the university. It thus has a significant role in preparing students to acquire the academic skills required in tertiary education. The principal objective of the study is to investigate the features of discourse which might characterise the GP essay as a preparation of university discourse. The study adopts the rhetorical approach, focusing on features of discourse, in keeping with the current interest of research in Applied Linguistic.