International Journal of Linguistics & Communication

Lexical Cohesion: A Brief Review on Theoretical Emergence, Development and Practical Application in Discourse Studies
Zubairu Malah

Abstract
Following the seminal publication of Halliday and Hasan’s Cohesion in English (1976), lexical cohesion became a major source of prolific inquiries among discourse analysts. Through the decades, this field of research has made tremendous advances in terms of newer frameworks and the data being explored. Lexical cohesion studies have applied different models to investigate different registers and genres (spoken and written) and reported findings which significantly advanced knowledge on the relation between lexical resources and different properties of discourse. Adopting the review method, this paper attempts to provide a brief account on lexical cohesion as an approach to discourse analysis. It endeavors to capture some appreciable impression of description, emergence, development and practical application of lexical cohesion in discourse studies. The paper is generally structured into four major sections as: (1) emergence and nature of cohesion in discourse analysis, (2) scholarly rhetoric and debate on cohesion and textuality in discourse, (3) approaches to lexical cohesion analysis, and (4) insights from lexical cohesion studies. Therefore, this study reviews the theory of (lexical) cohesion and its significance as a field of researching discourse. It is hoped that the study would be of help to students and researchers interested in applying lexical cohesion to analyze discourse.

Full Text: PDF     DOI: 10.15640/ijlc.v8n2a6