The Effect of Academic Level on the Use of Deictic Expressions in ESL Learners' Writing: A Corpus Driven Investigation

Abstract

Deictic expressions are essential linguistic elements that facilitate communication by anchoring utterances to specific temporal, spatial, and personal contexts. However, mastering deixis presents challenges for ESL learners due to its reliance on pragmatic competence. This study examines how academic level influences the use of deictic expressions among first-year and fourth-year ESL students through a corpus-driven analysis. The findings indicate that first-year students rely heavily on explicit deictic markers, particularly personal and temporal deixis, while fourth-year students demonstrate a shift toward more grammaticalized and indirect reference strategies. The results suggest that advanced learners develop alternative means of maintaining discourse coherence, reducing their dependence on overt deixis. These insights highlight the importance of tailored pedagogical interventions that address both explicit and implicit deixis usage. The study provides valuable implications for ESL instruction, emphasizing the need for corpus-based approaches to enhance learners’ pragmatic competence in referential cohesion and discourse structure.