Cohesion Indices in Writing: Comparing Web-based Coh-Metrix Elements with Writing Quality

Despite the wealth of prior research investigating how differences in writing proficiency are associated with certain linguistic features, there is lack of research to provide a coherent understanding and more reliable indicators of L2 writing. For this research gap, this study examines cohesion indicators in Korean EFL writings in terms of lexical, semantic, syntactic, and discourse features, and readability levels using Coh-Metrix. This study has three research purposes. First, 23 indicators from Coh-Metrix were compared to find similarities and differences across two proficiency groups. Next, the relationship between Coh-Metrix indicators and writing quality across English proficiencies was examined to find which Coh-Metrix indices have a correlation with writing quality. Last, this research explored a relationship between Coh-Metrix indices indicating cohesion and connectives uses across proficiency groups. Thirty argumentative writings were collected from university students in Seoul and divided into two groups according to their English proficiency. This research revealed that: 1) The means of some Coh-Metrix indices were different in the two proficiency groups, 2) 11 Coh-Metrix indicators showed a correlation with writing quality, and 3) participants in the lower group displayed some misuse of contrastive connectives. This study concludes with a discussion of some pedagogical implications for English writing.