Operative use of sentence connectors in English writing skills: An experimental study based on the scaffolding technique

Writing is often regarded as the most intricate skill to acquire when learning a second or foreign language. From effective use of vocabulary to every grammatical concern, writing skill is assessed on all cohesion, coherence, fluency, and accuracy scales. Thus, students often face many problems including the usage of sentence connectors. The current study, experimental in nature, explores and resolves the challenges undergraduate students encounter while practicing the usage of sentence connectors in their writing. The study follows the tenets of the scaffolding language learning approach advocated by Vygotsky (1978). The participants of the study are 25 in number having 19 males and 6 females. Being quantitative research, the study comparatively measures the performance of the learners in pre and post-test activities. The results of the post-test reveal that students' performance improved concerning the use of connectors in creating effective sentences. The findings of the study strengthen the fact that if appropriate scaffolds are provided, the learners can use English more effectively concerning their writing skills. The study suggests that instructions through the scaffolding technique can assist the learners in grasping the functional use of connectors in writing.