Keywords

1 Introduction

Listening, speaking, reading, and writing basic skills, English is an integral part of the teaching process, in this four session, are all requirements of the continuity of language, requiring convergence of natural language, semantic coherence. Any one chapter is an organic whole, and its integrity is by means of effective convergence and coherence to achieve. Among them, the convergence theory of discourse has been the focus of the research field of linguistics, linguistics and language teaching because of its impact is enormous, and to maintain coherence and cohesion of language has become the basic requirements in English language teaching. In recent years, how to effectively use the language of cohesion to the overall level of College English, foreign language teaching has become a research focus which has been widespread concern.

Due to the traditional teacher-centered teaching ideological influence, language, Cohesion, and Coherence Theory in the Teaching of College English has not been enough attention. Cohesion is an important semantic coherence in English means whole, for the internal components to seize the language and layout structure, efficient, and accurate understanding of the meaning of great significance, the traditional teaching of English by the translation impact of law theory, emphasizing the words and grammar, and can the exact phrases and sentences into their mother tongue has a measure of the standard level of understanding, language points explained scattered incoherent, difficult to bear the entire article centers. English teaching reform in the new form will shift the focus to the whole language teaching level up, efforts to train students in the overall semantic analysis, in English teaching on the entire article to understand the convergence and coherence analysis, to choose students who understand levels. Can make students more deeply understand and change the language of thinking, to stimulate student interest in learning, thus contributing to the improvement of English language proficiency.

2 Cohesion Theories

Cohesion and coherence in the field of discourse analysis is the two most basic concepts of discourse analysis is an important issue. Focus on cohesion and coherence of the studies undertaken has begun to appear. Jacobson in 1960 by the literary text and repetitive sentence structure formed in parallel to the phenomenon of convergence is the first study [1]. Halliday and Hasan in 1976 in the “convergence of English,” a book made: “The interpretation of some element in the discourse is dependent on that of another” [2, 3], a necessary condition for convergence as a coherent, has become an important basis for the theory of convergence between. In 2000, Geoff Thompson in “Introducing Functional Grammar”, a book that: “Cohesion refers to the linguistic devices by which the speaker can signal the experiential and interpersonal coherence of the text, which serve a cohesive function” [4].

China’s well-known scholar Huang Guowen that: convergence is an important part of textual features, the physical network of discourse [5]. He Shanfen integrated each of said three levels of analysis from the Cohesion means that the connection including the tense and grammatical forms, substitution, ellipsis, and with the structure relations (repetition, adding, alternating, and put together) in four ways. Logical connection is divided into time and space, cause and effect, turning, and delayed four [6].

Convergence theory: when an English-speaking people hear or read some English, he can easily determine this is a complete text or is not related to the sentence combination. Text is a semantic unit, not a grammatical sentence is greater than units. Not by sentences, discourse, but to achieve through the sentence or to decode the text message. Therefore, the sentence can become a group to see the sentence and the discourse between the existence of different sentences to constitute a link between stylistic rules and mechanisms.

Structural Cohesion and convergence can be divided into non-structural convergence. Structural Cohesion including Theme—thematic structure and information structure of known and unknown information. Rather than structural convergence in the specific discourse reflected reference (reference), omit the (ellipsis), alternative (substitution), connection (conjunction) and other grammatical cohesion and repetition (repetition), synonymous (synonymy), antisepses (antonym), hyponymy (hyponymy) and with (collocation) and other means of lexical cohesion, as well as tone and voice mode phonological layer connection means.

3 Non-Structural Convergences

3.1 Articulation Phonology

English is a very rich language rhythm; rhyme the use of cell in the language is very common. Phonology interface contains the language’s beauty and tidy the United States, making the language of sound and emotion blend, sound and meaning, with strong performance and appeal, the pursuit of beauty of form in English, Rhyme is an important performance. Convergence using the phonological approach, not only the vivid language to read, beautiful sounds, and the formation of the rhythm is like a line of convergence from various parts of the word, so that continuity before and after, easy to understand and remember the audience. Thus, the speech of English speakers is not only a little expression, but also render an important tool and highlight the theme.

For example, U.S. President George W. Bush as the “inaugural speech” also used a lot of phonological convergence. Such as:

Cases 1. Today, we affirm a new commitment to live out our nation’s promise through civility, courage, compassion and character.

(Civility, courage, compassion, and character) This group of highly alliterative rhythm, so do the American people in front of spirit.

Cases 2. It is the determined choice of trust over cynicism, of community over chaos.

This is the determined choice-of trust over cynicism; to seek unity in the chaos.

(Cynicism, of community over chaos) the same sound repeated, not only the expression of the indomitable American spirit of the people, and strengthens the appeal of the language and emotional expressiveness.

Example 3.

We must show courage in a time of blessing by confronting problems instead of passing them on to future generations.

(Blessing confronting passing) these three words ending in rhyme, not only embodies the pursuit of formal beauty in English, Rhyme, while making President Bush’s speech is more contagious.

3.2 The Original Word Cohesion

Lexical Cohesion is to achieve an important means of discourse coherence, lexical cohesion refers to the word repetition, synonyms, antisepses, hyponymy, complementary, and total and some other relations, to make the discourse semantic coherence.

Lexical Cohesion in the original word repetition is the most direct way to refer to the same language is repeated in the same unit of discourse, resulting in sentences of convergence within and between sentences, and play functions, such as statements or repeated generally more critical discourse words. Repeat the original words in the text plays a very important role, because people on the message can not be exactly the same degree of attention, it needs to highlight the repeated means one or some of the information. In addition, the structure from the text, starting the efficiency of the exchange of information, people need to use the original word repetition as Coherence, the statement means smooth. Also “inaugural speech” in the paragraph, for example, in this passage, through the story of the original words of the seven repeat, not only to the general audience about the glorious history of the United States, but also your opinions, ideas, and reached the final with the audience in the emotional resonance.

Example 1.

We have a place, all of us, in a long story—a story we continue, but those end we will not see. It is the story of a new world that became a friend and liberator of the old, a story of a slave-holding society that became a servant of freedom, the story of a power that went into the world to protect but not possess, to defend but not to conquer.

Example 2.

It is the American story—a story of flawed and fallible people, united across the generations by grand and enduring ideals.

The first thrust of the speech is to highlight, emphasize the theme of the speech, to stir the listener enough emotional reaction to the reasoning to the situation and moving. George W. Bush in this section of the original word on the seven story repeated, not only to the general audience about the glorious history of the United States, but also to explain his own views, ideas and, ultimately, to resonate emotionally with the audience.

3.3 Synonyms Bridging

Express the same concept or a synonym that is alleged the same thing in different language forms. Synonyms in text form before and after care of, with convergence and cross-sentence bridging the two functions. Synonyms appear in the same sentence, the sentence can sense two different components to link from, when they appear in different paragraphs, sentences where not only are linked from the sense, and a few small sentences can or sentence from the meaning linked to the relevant paragraphs of each interface. Lexical cohesion in the vocabulary of synonyms is a broad concept.

Cases 1. It is the American story—a story of flawed and fallible people, united across the generations by grand and enduring ideals.

Flawed and fallible have shortcomings and deficiencies of the mean. Repeat these two words, not only the listener are not bored, to better understand the colorful language and rhythm.

Example 2.

Through much of the last century, America’s faith in freedom and democracy was a rock in a raging sea. Now it is a seed upon the wind, taking root in many nations.

Lexical cohesion in the vocabulary of synonyms is a broad concept, that I have a little rock and seed are referring to “America’s belief in freedom and democracy”, by alleging the same thing—”America’s belief in freedom and democracy”, to express the same concept, so that rock, seed become synonymous, and in the sentence before and after the echo, vividly described to the audience’s belief in American freedom and democracy, the role of the different historical periods, while the political thinking of the abstract is very specific and vivid.

3.4 Antonyms Convergence

Opposite meaning of the word or phrase or a relative called antonyms. Opposite in the same sentence, paragraph or text appear before the formation of Reference so that the two different languages in the sense of composition in sharp contrast, from both positive and negative thing or two describing the phenomenon, so that where the sentence or Text back to back, to the listener or reader to a comprehensive and vivid impression.

Example 1.

The peaceful transfer of authority is rare in history, yet common in our country.

Both rare and common meaning of words before and after the care of the contrary, the process is stable in the current U.S. regime.

Example 2.

The story of a power that went into the world to protect but not possess, to defend but not to conquer.

Protect—possess, defend—conquer. Antonyms by these two groups form a significant control in the sense that Bush’s speech more passionate.

Example 3.

Where there is suffering, there is duty. Americans in need are not strangers; they are citizens, not problems, but priorities.

Strangers—citizens, problems—priorities. From both positive and negative descriptions of two things to make the audience on the incoming Bush administration’s policies have a more profound understanding of, and Bush, it also means that the American people their political outlook and strategies.

4 Measures

In college English teaching, teachers should be properly applied to the cohesion theory in college English teaching, so that students understand the convergence of the important role in the discourse to help students grasp the overall structure of the article chapter, and recognizing the text is written use of various tools and techniques of organizational language skillfully produced organic whole, in order to guide students to accurately grasp the topic, understanding of intentions.

Specific application of the theory of convergence, the authors believe should be the main infiltrate both reading and writing.

4.1 Reading

Students of English skills is the most common reading text to read in English class, extra-curricular materials, newspapers, and magazines to read, the CET is the subject of a large proportion of score reading. Convergence theory can effectively address the small vocabulary, new words, difficult words such as affect the reading speed of the problem, help students develop good reading habits, instantly find the topic sentence to read the article and seize articles framework.

Cohesion is the means to achieve semantic coherence of discourse, and English reading is to get real deep discourse semantic coherence between the various elements of the process. Therefore, there is convergence in a variety of surface text link, grasp the discourse within the language component for the layout of the structure, grasp of convergence reached by the deep semantics of discourse coherence, discourse analysis, and thus to make efficient and accurate understanding of a significance.

4.2 Writing

Writing in English, the students even if the usual accumulation of a certain vocabulary, clear grammatical structure, writing quality, and speed is still not improved. Therefore, the convergence theory can be appropriately applied to teaching English writing, so that students understand the important role of convergence, to help students grasp the overall structure of the article in the chapter so that students realize that writing articles is to use various means and techniques to organize the language generated organic whole, and guide students to the most common method applied to the lexical cohesion in English writing, when students understand the pure English chapter is how to use various means to generate the development of convergence, the teacher can be applied to further inspire students in the English writing mimic the interface between the use of certain means to make the article more prominent theme, fluent and smooth.

5 Conclusions

In this paper, as U.S. President George W. Bush’s “inaugural speech” for example, to bridge the theory-based, focused on the theory of non-structural convergence is important in the practical application value. Through my school proved in recent years, the application of convergence theory for English teaching on the one hand may stimulate interest in reading and writing students, improve student writing skills in English reading, thus contributing to the improvement of English language proficiency, language learning mindset change; the other hand, university teachers, teaching methods and means of providing a useful reference guide has a distinct meaning; same time, the application of convergence theory can help educators of language features, and then discuss the nature of language and generating mechanism.