Analyzing cohesion in language samples of college students: A diagnostic tool

This paper presents a clinically derived system of analyzing reading miscues of college students and comparing the observed patterns to a student's oral expressive language. By looking for consistencies and contrasting the observed patterns with what is now known about the cohesive development of language within and across its spoken and written forms, and by looking for places in which the expected continuity is not apparent in the individual case, we can identify many of the barriers to successful learning. An important attribute of the new technique is that it can be used in varied contexts. The contexts can be tailored to suit the actual coursework that a student does or will encounter and the analysis still provides comparative data. The method includes a system of giving assessment feedback to the students that allows for their input and therefore helps them identify with treatment recommendations that are being suggested to overcome long-standing learning blocks.