Abstract:
The main purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of English for Ethiopian Grade 12
Students’ Textbook in cultivating students’ paragraph writing with particular emphasis on
cohesion and coherence at Bantu Preparatory. Descriptive research design was employed, to
conduct the study. Three EFL teachers and 20 students were selected in a systematic random
sampling technique. The study employed three data gathering tools: document analysis, semistructured interview and paragraph writing test. Document analysis was employed to identify
whether the textbook has adequate cohesive devices that help students to write coherent and
cohesive paragraph. Paragraph writing test was conducted to investigate the factors that affect
the cohesion and coherence of paragraph written by students. Moreover, semi- structured
interview was conducted with three English language teachers to identify what the English
language teachers used to do to help students in writing a coherent paragraph. All data collected
using different tools were analyzed qualitatively. The study indicated that the occurrences of
cohesive devices with their functions in Grade 12 Students’ English Textbook were not sufficient
and the paragraphs that the students wrote had problems of cohesion and coherence. The
paragraphs have problems of organization, unity of ideas and the students tend to use more
conjunctions and references due to insufficient provision of cohesive devices in the textbook that
helps students to write cohesive and coherence paragraph writing. In addition, the teachers’
activities designed to help students write coherent paragraphs were inadequate. Therefore, the
textbook should provide sufficient and appropriate cohesive ties that help learners to join
sentences together that keep the flow of ideas between sentences with varieties of activities.
