Teaching Cohesion in English and Arabic: The Role of Endophoric and Exophoric References in ESL/EFL Contexts

In both English and Arabic creating clear and readable texts hinges on the concept of cohesion This cohesion works by using internal references endophora and external references exophora English tends to favor pronouns substitution and ellipsis to keep things concise whereas Arabic often opts for repeating words and using conjunctions placing more importance on clarity than on brevity This difference in structure poses difficulties for Arabic speakers as they learn English particularly in ESLEFL contexts They frequently grapple with using pronouns accurately picking up on implied links within the text and understanding ellipsis all of which can impede their ability to craft coherent English writing This paper delves into how these two languages utilize internal and external referencing and the roles these play in communication Applying Systemic Functional Linguistics SFL and comparative discourse analysis it determines typical cohesionrelated challenges Arabic speakers encounter The study suggests practical classroom approaches to improve students cohesive ability including direct teaching on reference contrastive practice and realtext training Through the integration of linguistic comparison with classroom practice this paper provides useful recommendations for ESLEFL teachers It equips them with handson tools and techniques to enhance students reading and writing abilities by enhancing their command of cohesive devices