Konjunksiemerkers: 'n Indeling in Afrikaans vir die gebruik in geskrewe akademiese argumente op universiteit

Abstract

At university level, written arguments serve as the medium through which knowledge is communicated and as the basis on which academic progress and success are assessed. A written argument should therefore be structured in such a manner that it testifies of logical inherence, in other words coherence. Coherence is established by among other things creating explicit relationships between the different parts of the argument. Such relationships are established by words and phrases that fulfil conjunctive functions, known as conjunction markers. However, writing a coherent argument is a complex task, especially for Afrikaans-speaking first-year students who have never before, or very seldom, been exposed to writing arguments and who therefore do not necessarily have knowledge of the different conjunction markers that can be used to establish coherence. No classification of Afrikaans conjunction markers for specific use in establishing argument structure is available in the current body of literature. The aim of this article is therefore to provide a classification of Afrikaans argumentative conjunction marker categories and the different markers that resort under each category for the purpose of providing students with a guideline for writing coherent academic arguments.