本研究旨在探討臺灣EFL學生於大學入學學科能力測驗英文寫作佳作中所使用的主題銜接（thematic linkage, TL）類型與主題推進（thematic progression, TP）模式。本研究提出兩項研究問題：一、佳作中各類TL的分布情形為何，不同TL類型如何組合運用？二、佳作中各類TL的分布情形為何，不同TL類型如何組合運用？研究語料取自大考中心公布之112至113學年度學測英文寫作佳作，共計29段說明文段落，採混合研究方法，結合量化統計與質性分析進行探討。
量化結果顯示，持續推進（Continuous TP）與線性推進（Simple linear TP）為最主要的TP類型，合計逾94%。詞彙重複（exact repetition）為最常見的TL類型，且上下義詞（hypernym/hyponym）與超主題推進（Hyper-Theme TP）及分裂述位推進（split Rheme TP）具顯著相關。質性分析則發現，程度較高之EFL學生能運用巢狀推進（nested TP）與多重主題銜接（multiple TL）撰寫層次化段落結構此外。TP分布分析顯示，全新主題（brand-new Theme）占相鄰句對之29%。進一步的質性分析顯示，近半數的全新主題確實造成段落連貫性的中斷，但其餘則具備結構邊界標記與語態轉換標記兩種修辭功能，顯示全新主題的出現並不一致地代表連貫性的破壞。
本研究結果對臺灣高中英語寫作教學具有實務上的意義。教師可引導學生留意句子間的主題流動，協助學生理解TP可作為組織想法、提升連貫性之工具。學生應被引導辨識主位與述位，並分析TP模式。TP可作為提升學生寫作篇章連貫性與凝聚力之鷹架策略。未來研究可嘗試以更大規模的語料庫驗證此研究結果，或比較程度較高之EFL學生與英語母語者所使用之TP模式，以獲得更具通則化之研究結果。

This study investigates the thematic linkage (TL) types and thematic progression (TP) patterns employed in exemplar English essays produced by Taiwanese EFL students for the guided writing section of the General Scholastic Ability Test (GSAT). Two research questions guide this study: (1) What are the distributions of each type of TL employed in the Taiwanese students’ exemplar expository writing from the GSAT and how do different types of TL occur in combination? (2) What are the distributions of each type of TP employed in the Taiwanese students’ exemplar expository writing from the GSAT and how do different types of TP occur in combination? The corpus comprises 29 exemplar expository paragraphs drawn from GSAT school years 112 and 113 published by the College Entrance Examination Center (CEEC). A mixed-methods approach combining quantitative and qualitative analyses was adopted.
The quantitative results reveal that Continuous TP and Simple linear TP are the dominant TP types, together accounting for over 94% of all TP occurrences. Exact repetition is the most frequent TL type, and hypernym/hyponym is found to be significantly associated with Hyper-Theme TP and split Rheme TP. The qualitative analyses further demonstrate that advanced EFL students can construct hierarchically organized paragraphs through nested TP and multiple TL. In addition, the analysis of TP distributions revealed that brand-new Themes accounted for 29% of adjacent sentence pairs. Further qualitative analysis showed that nearly half of the brand-new Themes impaired paragraph coherence, while the remainder served the rhetorical functions of structural boundary markers and voice shift markers, indicating that brand-new Themes do not uniformly signal a breakdown in coherence.
The findings carry practical implications for English writing instruction in Taiwanese senior high schools. Teachers can draw the student’s attention to the thematic flow between sentences and help them see how TP can serve as a tool for organizing ideas cohesively. Students should be guided to identify Theme and Rheme and analyze TP patterns. TP can be a scaffolding strategy to improve textual coherence and cohesion in student’s writing. Future research may seek to prove these findings with larger corpora or compare the TP patterns employed by advanced EFL students with those produced by native English speakers to produce more generalizable results.

Adiantika, H. N. (2015). Cohesive Devices In EFL Students’ Expository Writing. English review, 4(1), 94-102. https://doi.org/10.25134/erjee.v4i1.316
Arunsirot, S. (2013). An Analysis of Textual Metafunction in Thai EFL Students’ Writing. Novitas-ROYAL (Research on Youth and Language), 7(2), 160-174. https://research.ebsco.com/linkprocessor/plink?id=033923c2-ae15-36b9-b564-88d038b04760
Bahang, M. D., Nawun, A. R., Wutun, A. A., & Nurhusain, M. (2021). The Use of Thematic Progression in Writing: Hortatory Exposition Text at Second Grade Students of SMA Negeri 1 Elar. The Educational Review, USA, 5(10), 385-390. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.26855/er.2021.10.002
Bloor, T., & Bloor, M. (1995). The functional analysis of English : a Hallidayan approach / Thomas Bloor and Meriel Bloor. Arnold.
Chang, P. (2023). Reading Research Genre: The Impact of Thematic Progression. RELC Journal, 54(1), 129-148. https://doi.org/10.1177/00336882211013613
Chang, P., Chin-Chung, T., & Pin-ju, C. (2020). Organization Strategies in EFL Expository Essays in a Content-Based Language Learning Course. The Asia - Pacific Education Researcher, 29(2), 183-197. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1007/s40299-019-00464-2
Cheng, A., & Tsang, A. (2022). Use and understanding of connectives: an embedded case study of ESL learners of different proficiency levels. Language Awareness, 31(2), 155-174. https://doi.org/10.1080/09658416.2021.1871912
Daneš, F. (1974). Papers on functional sentence perspective / edited by F. Daneš. Academia.
Eggins, S. (2004). An introduction to systemic functional linguistics / Suzanne Eggins (2nd ed. ed.). Pinter Publishers.
Emilia, E., Habibi, N., & Bangga, L. A. (2018). AN ANALYSIS OF COHESION OF EXPOSITION TEXTS: AN INDONESIAN CONTEXT. Indonesian journal of applied linguistics, 7(3), 515-523. https://doi.org/10.17509/ijal.v7i3.9791
Fan, Z. (2022). A Study on Teaching Strategies of English Writing in Senior High School From the Perspective of Thematic Progression. Theory and Practice in Language Studies, 12(3), 591-595. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.17507/tpls.1203.20
Fang, D., & Li, S. (2015). Thematic Structure and Its Application to English Writing. PARIS.
Halliday, M. A. K., & Hasan, R. (1976). Cohesion in English / M. A. K. Halliday, Ruqaiya Hasan. Longman.
Halliday, M. A. K., & Matthiessen, C. M. I. M. (2014). Halliday's Introduction to Functional Grammar (4th ed. ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203431269
Hariyadi, H., Fitriati, S. W., & Haryanti, R. P. (2023). The Application of Thematic Progression to Enhance Coherence in Students’ Analytical Exposition Texts. English education journal, 13(1), 71-80. https://doi.org/10.15294/eej.v13i1.71665
Hawes, T., & Thomas, S. (2012). Theme choice in EAP and media language. Journal of English for academic purposes, 11(3), 175-183. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeap.2012.04.005
Jalilifar, A. (2010). Thematization in EFL Students’ Composition Writing and its Relation to Academic Experience. RELC Journal, 41(1), 31-45. https://doi.org/10.1177/0033688210362621
Kizil, M., & Kushch, E. (2019). THEMATIC PROGRESSION AND ITS TYPES IN ENGLISH LITERARY AND LEGISLATIVE TEXTS. Novìtnâ osvìta, 6(12), 181-187. https://doi.org/10.20535/2410-8286.142658
Kong, K. C. C. (2004). Marked Themes and thematic patterns in abstracts, advertisements and administrative documents. WORD, 55(3), 343-362. https://doi.org/10.1080/00437956.2004.12098204
McCarthy, M. (1991). Discourse analysis for language teachers / Michael McCarthy. Cambridge University Press.
Mustofa, M. I. K. (2023). Theme and Thematic Progression in a Recount Text by an Advanced Student. Indonesian Journal of English Language Teaching and Applied Linguistics, 7(2), p481-494. https://doi.org/http://dx.doi.org/10.21093/ijeltal.v7i2.1382
Paltridge, B. (2012). Discourse Analysis: An Introduction (2nd ed.). Bloomsbury Academic.
Pavavijarn, S. (2022). Influences of Thematic Progression on Quality of EFL Argumentative Writing. LEARN Journal: Language Education and Acquisition Research Network, 15(1), 282-319. https://research.ebsco.com/linkprocessor/plink?id=c0e72bd4-4594-320e-a277-66d7395ff19f
Rahmawati, R. V., & Kurniawan, E. (2017). THEMATIC PROGRESSION ANALYSIS IN INDONESIAN EFL STUDENTS THESIS ABSTRACTS. Indonesian EFL journal (Online), 1(1), 81-87. https://doi.org/10.25134/ieflj.v1i1.617
Saeideh, A. (2013). Thematic Organization in MA TEFL Students' Argumentative, Cause and Effect, and Process Types of Writing. The journal of applied linguistics. (Online), 6(12), 1-23.
Wahid, R., & Wahid, A. (2020). A Study on Cohesion in the Writing of EFL Undergraduate Students. i-Manager's Journal on English Language Teaching, 10(1), 57-68. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.26634/jelt.10.1.16591
Wei, J. (2015). Theme and Thematic Progression in English Writing Teaching. Journal of Education and Practice, 6. https://research.ebsco.com/linkprocessor/plink?id=033923c2-ae15-36b9-b564-88d038b04760
Wei, J. (2017). Effects of Instruction on Chinese College Students' Use of Thematic Progression in English Essays. Journal of Education and Practice, 8(8), 84-97. https://research.ebsco.com/linkprocessor/plink?id=32d08a9c-878b-3f47-baa8-bbd276bb9bfe
Wu, C.-Y. (2016). Thematic Progression and Cohesion in Higher-rated and Lower-rated Essays in High-intermediate GEPT Writing Test 國立臺灣師範大學]. 臺灣博碩士論文知識加值系統. 台北市. https://hdl.handle.net/11296/554nxs
Zhao, C. (2014). Lexical Cohesion of Sino-British College Students’ EAP Writing. Theory and Practice in Language Studies, 4(10), 2123-2128.
https://doi:10.4304/tpls.4.10.2123-2128