Cohesion as Functional Competence in Multimodal ESP Discourse: A Study of Communication Science Students’ English Project Videos
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.30659/e.11.2.559-576Keywords:
multimodal discourse analysis, cohesion, ESP, communicative competenceAbstract
This study investigates how cohesion is realized in English project videos produced by Communication Science students within an English for Specific Purposes (ESP) context. While cohesion has traditionally been examined as a structural feature of written discourse, limited attention has been given to its role in spoken and multimodal communication. Adopting a qualitative discourse-analytic approach grounded in Halliday and Hasan’s framework, this study analyzes 13 student-generated self-introduction videos to identify patterns of grammatical and lexical cohesion and their functional roles in meaning-making.The analysis identified 90 cohesive instances across five dominant categories: personal reference, conjunction, lexical repetition, demonstrative reference, and collocation. The findings reveal that personal reference serves as the primary organizing mechanism, supporting identity construction and audience alignment, while lexical repetition functions as a strategic resource for thematic continuity. Conjunctions provide minimalist yet effective logical structuring, and demonstrative references frequently operate across verbal and visual channels, indicating the presence of multimodal cohesion. These patterns demonstrate that students employ cohesion not merely as a structural linguistic system but as an adaptive communicative strategy shaped by real-time production demands and digital discourse contexts. This study contributes to Applied Linguistics by reconceptualizing cohesion as a functional, strategic, and multimodal resource rather than a purely structural feature. Pedagogically, the findings highlight the importance of integrating discourse-based and multimodal approaches in ESP instruction to support students’ communicative competence in digital environments.References
Alfaridhi, D. F., Prayudha, P., Ali, R. M., & Masduki, A. (2026). Students’ Perceptions of an AI-Based English e-Module for Digital Content Creation: An Explanatory Sequential Mixed-Methods Study. Journal of Languages and Language Teaching, 14(1), 299–311. https://doi.org/10.33394/jollt.v14i1.17752
Barkaoui, K. (2026). Quality in Second Language Classroom Assessment: Controversies, Challenges, and the Need for Research on Teacher Conceptions and Practices. Language Assessment Quarterly, 23(1), 1–23. https://doi.org/10.1080/15434303.2026.2620813
Barrot, J. S. (2022). Social media as a language learning environment: a systematic review of the literature (2008-2019). Computer Assisted Language Learning, 35(9), 2534–2562. https://doi.org/10.1080/09588221.2021.1883673
Braun, Virginia., & Clarke, Victoria. (2022). Thematic analysis : a practical guide. SAGE.
Bruce, T. (2018). New technologies, continuing ideologies: Online reader comments as a support for media perspectives of minority religions. Discourse, Context & Media, 24, 53–75. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dcm.2017.10.001
Creswell, J. W. ., & Poth, C. N. . (2025). Qualitative inquiry & research design : choosing among five approaches. Sage.
Crossley, S. A., Kyle, K., & McNamara, D. S. (2016). The development and use of cohesive devices in L2 writing and their relations to judgments of essay quality. Journal of Second Language Writing, 32, 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jslw.2016.01.003
D’Angelo, L., & Maci, S. (2021). Metadiscourse in Digital Communication: A Short Introduction. In Metadiscourse in Digital Communication (pp. 1–9). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-85814-8_1
Dijk, T. A. van. (2014). Discourse and Knowledge. Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781107775404
Fairclough, Norman. (2013). Critical discourse analysis : the critical study of language. Routledge.
Fairclough, Norman. (2015). Language and power (rd). Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group.
Flowerdew, J. (2012). Discourse in English Language Education. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203080870
Gee, J. P. (2014a). An Introduction to Discourse Analysis. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315819679
Gee, J. P. (2014b). An Introduction to Discourse Analysis. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315819679
Hafner, C. A., & Ho, W. Y. J. (2020). Assessing digital multimodal composing in second language writing: Towards a process-based model. Journal of Second Language Writing, 47, 100710. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jslw.2020.100710
Halliday, M. A. K. ., & Matthiessen, C. M. I. M. . (2014). Halliday’s introduction to functional grammar. Routledge.
Halliday, M. A. K., & Hasan, R. (2014). Cohesion in English. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315836010
Hutchinson, & Waters. (1991). English for Specific Purposes: A Learning-centred Approach. Cambridge University Press.
Hyland, Ken. (2019). Metadiscourse : exploring interaction in writing. Bloomsbury Academic.
Jewitt, C., Bezemer, J., & O’Halloran, K. (2016a). Introducing Multimodality. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315638027
Jewitt, C., Bezemer, J., & O’Halloran, K. (2016b). Introducing Multimodality. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315638027
Jiang, L., & Luk, J. (2016). Multimodal composing as a learning activity in English classrooms: Inquiring into the sources of its motivational capacity. System, 59, 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2016.04.001
Jones, R. H., Chik, A., & Hafner, C. A. (2015). Discourse and Digital Practices. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315726465
Liu, H., Liu, L., & Li, H. (2024). Multimodal Discourse Studies in the International Academic Community (1997–2023): A Bibliometric Analysis. Sage Open, 14(4). https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440241305454
Liu, J., Shi, Z., & Li, W. (2025). Understanding genre differences in cohesive use of EFL Learners: Insights from systemic functional linguistics. System, 132, 103692. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2025.103692
Lorenzo-Dus, N., Izura, C., & Pérez-Tattam, R. (2016). Understanding grooming discourse in computer-mediated environments. Discourse, Context & Media, 12, 40–50. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dcm.2016.02.004
Mayer, R. (2020). Multimedia Learning. Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781316941355
McEnery, Tony., & Hardie, Andrew. (2012). Corpus linguistics : method, theory and practice. Cambridge University Press.
McNamara, D. S., Graesser, A. C., McCarthy, P. M., & Cai, Z. (2014). Automated Evaluation of Text and Discourse with Coh-Metrix. Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511894664
Miles, M. B. ., Huberman, A. M. ., & Saldaña, Johnny. (2014). Qualitative data analysis : a methods sourcebook. SAGE Publications, Inc.
Noetel, M., Griffith, S., Delaney, O., Sanders, T., Parker, P., del Pozo Cruz, B., & Lonsdale, C. (2021). Video Improves Learning in Higher Education: A Systematic Review. Review of Educational Research, 91(2), 204–236. https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654321990713
Pamuji, Kristanto, W., Efendi, T. A., & Khotimah, N. (2025a). Integrating project-based learning and video exposé to enhance English language teaching in higher education: a case study of student empowerment. Cogent Education, 12(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2025.2578371
Pamuji, Kristanto, W., Efendi, T. A., & Khotimah, N. (2025b). Integrating project-based learning and video exposé to enhance English language teaching in higher education: a case study of student empowerment. Cogent Education, 12(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2025.2578371
Prayudha, P. (2016). The Cohesion and Coherence of the Editorials in The Jakarta Post. Ahmad Dahlan Journal of English Studies, 3(2), 30. https://doi.org/10.26555/adjes.v3i2.4987
Setiawan, A., Hartono, R., Suwandi, & Fitriati, S. W. (2025). English for specific purposes (ESP) in the digital era: Bibliometric mapping with critical reflection on the lack of performance-based learning studies. Multidisciplinary Reviews, 9(2), 2026050. https://doi.org/10.31893/multirev.2026050
Wigham, C. R., & Satar, M. (2021). Multimodal (inter)action analysis of task instructions in language teaching via videoconferencing: A case study. ReCALL, 33(3), 195–213. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0958344021000070
Yu, H., & Lowie, W. (2020). Dynamic Paths of Complexity and Accuracy in Second Language Speech: A Longitudinal Case Study of Chinese Learners. Applied Linguistics, 41(6), 855–877. https://doi.org/10.1093/applin/amz040
Zhou, T., Cao, S., Zhou, S., Zhang, Y., & He, A. (2023). Chinese intermediate English learners outdid ChatGPT in deep cohesion: Evidence from English narrative writing. System, 118, 103141. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2023.103141
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
