LANGUAGE ORGANIZATION THROUGH THEME–RHEME STRUCTURE AND DISCOURSE COHERENCE IN ACADEMIC TEXTS BY MECHANICAL ENGINEERING STUDENTS

This study investigates language organization in academic texts by Mechanical Engineering students through the analysis of Theme–Rheme structures, focusing on how students structure their written discourse for coherence. Using a descriptive qualitative approach and content analysis grounded in Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL), the study examines the clause-level theme types and progression patterns in conceptual papers written by first-semester students, applying Daneš’s framework. The analysis shows that Unmarked Topical Themes dominate 57% of the clauses, followed by Textual Themes (19%) and Interpersonal Themes (10%). The constant theme progression pattern is the most prevalent (58%), with linear patterns in 31% of clauses and derived patterns in only 4%. These results suggest that students' academic writing reflects a stable yet rhetorically limited technical discourse. The findings offer theoretical insights for SFL research and practical implications for improving thematic-based academic writing instruction for vocational engineering students.