Anaphora and Cataphora in Narrative Texts of Albanian EFL Students

Writing competence is considered one of the most important and difficult skills when studying English as a foreign language. On the other hand, narratives are the most used type of writing. Although it may seem easy to put your thoughts into words, the connectedness and coherence of texts are crucial during the writing process, and their absence can disrupt the intelligibility of the text (Malmkjaer, 2001). Using cohesive devices, such as references, helps writers maintain coherence and cohesion in their texts. Anaphora and cataphora are two important terms of cohesion in Linguistics. Students struggle to comprehend these concepts, leading us to further investigate and research the topic. This study investigates the use of anaphora and cataphora in narrative texts by Albanian students studying English as a foreign language. It focuses on the frequency of these usages, the most common mistakes students make and their causes, and how we can improve the use of these elements. It gives practical conclusions and recommendations about the topic.