From Corpus Findings to Classroom Practice: Pedagogical Implications of Additive Conjunction Use for University English Writing Instruction ——A Condensed Discussion Based on a Corpus Study of Additive Conjunctions (Besides, Moreover, Furthermore, in Addition) Using the ICNALE Corpus

Sun Yi

Chongqing College of International Business and Economics

Abstract：

This paper revisits the findings and conclusions of a corpus-based study on the additive conjunctions besides, moreover, furthermore, and in addition, drawn from the International Corpus Network of Asian Learners of English (ICNALE), and reframes them as a basis for pedagogical reflection. The original study compared native English (L1) writers with second-language (L2) writers from Mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan across five proficiency levels, examining both the frequency of additive conjunction use and the appropriateness of their pragmatic functions. The results showed systematic differences between L1 and L2 writers, limited differentiation among L2 proficiency levels, and a persistent, level-independent misuse of "besides" as a marker of pragmatic shift rather than pragmatic force. Building on these results, this paper concentrates on their implications for university English writing instruction in China, proposing a tiered approach to teaching conjunctions and a set of concrete pathways for cultivating learners' writing strategies, with the aim of moving cohesion instruction beyond simple form-focused correction toward pragmatically informed, strategy-based teaching.

Key Words：

add conjunctions; corpus; second language writing; teaching inspiration; connection