Information Packaging Constructions in Academic Writing: Observed Patterns in Vietnamese EFL Learners’ Cause-Effect Essays

Abstract

Writing an academic essay is challenging for novice, second-language writers. While grammar is often held as one typical problem, the specific way in which information is strategically presented to ensure cohesion and the emphasizing effect should also be made visible to language learners. This study examines the use of information packaging constructions by first-year university EFL students in their academic essays. This was conducted by adapting an error analysis model in analyzing both the appropriate and inappropriate cases of clefts, inversions, fronting, passives, existential-there, and extrapositions in 46 essays. The results show that syntactic errors are relatively infrequent while inappropriate uses are reflective of learners’ unawareness of information flow or violation of the end-focus/end-weight principles. The study also identified more specific or emerging patterns, delineating certain structures that may be classified as typologically distant to learners, and suggest certain challenges that learners have with each of the six information packaging constructions. This research underscores the need for targeted pedagogical interventions that emphasize the pragmatic functions and the actual syntactic realization of those functions. By highlighting the interplay between syntax and information packaging, this study provides valuable insights for educators aiming to improve learners’ academic writing proficiency.