Theme and Thematic Progression in Chinese College Students English Essays

Focusing on the impact of instruction, this study examines how a ten-week program enhances Chinese college students' use of Theme and thematic progression in English writing. Utilizing a Systemic Functional Grammar approach, it compares students' essays before and after instruction against native-speaker benchmarks. The findings offer valuable insights for second-language acquisition researchers, curriculum developers, and foreign language teachers, presenting a detailed analysis of thematic choices and an instructional framework to improve learners' writing skills.