Lexical Bundles in Advanced Academic Writing Across Graduate Programs in a State University

Language Education

Academic writing is essential for graduate students, enabling them to express complex ideas, contribute to knowledge, and engage in scholarly discourse. One of the key linguistic features in thesis writing is the use of lexical bundles—recurrent word sequences that enhance coherence and idea development. This study examines the use of lexical bundles in thesis writing across graduate programs in a State University. Through a corpus-based approach, it identifies, categorizes, and analyzes lexical bundles in theses from various programs, including Master of Arts in Management Major in Administration and Supervision (MAM AS), Master of Arts in Management Major in Public Administration (MAM PA), Master of Arts in Education (MAED) (English, Mathematics, and Science), and Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT). Findings reveal discipline-specific variations in the frequency highlighting differences in writing conventions across fields. The study underscores the need for explicit instruction on lexical bundles to enhance coherence and fluency in research writing. Based on the findings, a writing guide is proposed to help students effectively integrate lexical bundles into their academic work.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.