A comparative study on theme positioned poetic devices in effective school essays in English and German

This thesis identifies and compares theme positioned poetic devices in effective school essays in English and German. It reveals that themes in English as well as in German school essays contain poetic devices. Subsequent to an initial discussion on the school essay writer/reader relationship in chapter 1, a theoretical framework has been developed in chapter 2 that draws upon theories and literature from three distinct areas: the history of the school essay, rhetoric and systemic functional theory. The main research question presupposed the idea that effective school essays in English and German have persuasive power, which was confirmed in chapter 4 and defined as new markedness. The research method itself is divided into two parts: whereby the initial method of analysis is based on the Hallidayan concept of Theme identification, the second step identifies poetic devices in the theme position of English and German school essays. A consequent quantitative analysis is used as a comparative tool between essays written in the two languages. The data analysis shows clearly that poetic devices are positioned in Themes in effective school essays in English and German, which can be regarded as conscious or subconscious strategies to persuade examiners of the effectiveness of students' arguments in their essays. Most importantly though, what emerges from the thesis is that student culture and the classroom are tightly interlinked and this observation has to be taken into consideration when designing essay writing skills programmes, which focus on new markedness.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo