الفهرس 
Statement of the ProblemOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
The purpose of this study is to investigate the use of discourse markers (DMs) by Libyan learners of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) and find out the relationship between the pragmatic fossilization of DMs and writing quality. The current study focuses on the use of DMs in written discourse. By investigating Libyan’s texts, it evaluates the quality of English writing of graduate Libyan learners in Mansoura University. The research questions addressed in this paper are (1) Do Libyan learners face difficulty in acquiring DMs and using them appropriately? (2)To what extent does pragmatic fossilization affect students’ writing quality? (3)What are the most frequent DMs used by Libyan learners and why? (4)How and why Libyan learners use DMs the way they do? 15 essays written by the subjects were analyzed following Fraser’s (1999) taxonomy. The findings of the study reveal inability to use a variety of DMs appropriately, misinterpretation of the texts, and low writing quality. Also, it could be figured out that the most frequently used DMs are the collateral (elaborative) ones, especially ”and”. The paper concludes with some recommendations and suggestions for further studies that could participate in improving this critical area of language studies.