研究生: |
魏峰帆 Feng-Fan Wei |
---|---|
論文名稱: |
學術英文片語動詞使用分析 An analysis of the use of phrasal verbs in English academic writing |
指導教授: |
陳浩然
Chen, Hao-Jan |
學位類別: |
碩士 Master |
系所名稱: |
英語學系 Department of English |
論文出版年: | 2010 |
畢業學年度: | 98 |
語文別: | 英文 |
論文頁數: | 109 |
中文關鍵詞: | 片語動詞 、學術寫作 、語料庫分析 、學習者語料庫 |
英文關鍵詞: | phrasal verbs, academic writing, corpus analysis, learner corpus |
論文種類: | 學術論文 |
相關次數: | 點閱:276 下載:41 |
分享至: |
查詢本校圖書館目錄 查詢臺灣博碩士論文知識加值系統 勘誤回報 |
片語動詞(phrasal verbs)在英文中,被視為是較不正式的語言結構,因此學術英文寫作教材中常建議寫作者避免使用片語動詞,然而近來有學者認為,大部分的片語動詞在語域上(register)皆屬中性,僅有少數片語動詞較不正式,因而主張在英文學術論文中,不需刻意避免使用片語動詞。針對片語動詞於學術英語寫作中的使用情形,在過去少有學者從事相關實證研究,因而引發研究者對於這項議題進行進一步的探討。
本研究探討母語人士與非母語人士在學術英文寫作中片語動詞的使用情形。研究主要目的為:(1)探討母語人士是否在學術英文寫作中使用片語動詞;(2)分析母語人士是否偏好在學術英文寫作中使用單字動詞(one-word verbs);(3)比較母語人士與非母語人士在片語動詞使用上的差異。
研究者蒐集二百篇由母語人士撰寫且發表於應用語言學期刊的文章,以及一百篇由台灣應用語言學領域碩士生所撰寫的論文,運用這些語料建立約一百三十萬字的母語人士學術英文語料庫與約一百八十萬字的非母語人士語料庫。透過語料庫的分析,找出學術英文寫作中常用的片語動詞,並且從語料中分析母語人士與非母語人士在片語動詞使用上的差異。
研究結果顯示,母語人士不常於學術英文寫作中使用片語動詞,在每一百萬字中,片語動詞僅出現約一千一百次,其頻率與其他母語人士的語料庫相比,低了四倍多。而本研究中的非母語人士亦不常於學術英文中使用片語動詞,在每百萬字中,出現約一千六百次,其頻率約為其他語料庫片語動詞頻率的三分之一。比較本研究中兩個語料庫的片語動詞出現頻率,發現其頻率在統計上呈現顯著性的差異,亦即應用語言學領域的台灣碩士生比母語人士更常使用片語動詞。
本研究也整理出母語人士與非母語人士語料庫中,常見的二十五個片語動詞,研究者發現這些片語動詞在母語人士語料庫中,佔了所有片語動詞出現頻率的七成,在非母語人士的語料庫中,這些動詞更佔了所有片語動詞出現頻率的八成,顯示只有少數的片語動詞經常運用於學術論文中。在片語動詞及同義單字動詞的使用頻率方面,母語人士與非母語人士皆偏好於學術英文寫作中使用單字動詞。然而與母語人士相較,非母語人士使用片語動詞的頻率較高。
除使用頻率分析外,本研究進一步透過語料分析,找出母語人士與非母語人士在片語動詞使用上的差異。在四十九個片語動詞中,經由統計結果發現非母語人士過度使用了十三個動詞,其可能原因為:(1) 未注意某些動詞在語域方面,比較常出現於口說語言中;(2) 未注意某些動詞在搭配詞(collocation)方面的限制;(3) 因母語的影響而誤用某些動詞。研究中也發現非母語人士較少使用四個母語人士常使用的片語動詞,其可能原因為:(1)非母語人士較少於語言學習資料中看到這些動詞;(2) 非母語人士為減低犯錯機會,避免使用這些動詞。
本研究結果顯示,母語人士與非母語人士於片語動詞的使用上,在使用頻率以及在用法上皆有差異,研究者建議於學術英語教學者能建立常用片語動詞表,並且提供學生真實語料,增進台灣學生對片語動詞的認識。
Phrasal verbs are usually considered as an informal feature in English. Textbook writers of English academic writing often suggest learners to avoid using phrasal verbs and to replace them with one-word verbs. Recently some researchers hold different views on the issue. They suggest that most phrasal verbs are neutral in tone and the use of the structure should not be discouraged. Such inconsistent opinions arouse the researcher’s interest to empirically examine the issue.
The study set out to investigate the use of phrasal verbs by native speakers and by non-native speakers in English academic writing in the field of applied linguistics. The purposes of the study are: (1) to determine whether native speakers frequently used phrasal verbs in academic writing, (2) to explore whether native speakers preferred to use one-word verbs rather than synonymous phrasal verbs, and (3) to examine whether Taiwanese learners used phrasal verbs in ways different from native speakers.
The researcher built two corpora by collecting 200 research articles written by native speakers and 100 theses by Taiwanese graduate students majoring in applied linguistics or English language teaching. After the compilation of the corpora, the researchers further conducted quantitative analysis to examine the use of phrasal verbs in the two corpora.
The analysis yielded several interesting findings. First, phrasal verbs were not frequently used in the two corpora of the study. The native speakers and the non-native speakers used the structure around 1100 and 1600 times per million words respectively. The frequencies were all lower than those of the other written corpora. Second, although both native speakers and non-native speakers did not use the structure frequently, the non-native speakers used it significantly more than native speakers. Third, both native speaker and non-native speakers only used a few phrasal verbs in academic writing. The 25 most frequent phrasal verbs in the NS corpus accounted for 70% of the occurrence of all phrasal verbs in the corpus. In the NNS corpus, the 25 most frequent phrasal verbs even accounted for 80% of the occurrence of all phrasal verbs. Third, both native speakers and non-native speakers preferred to use one-word verbs rather than their two-word counterparts. However, the non-native speakers used phrasal verbs more than the native speakers.
The comparison of the use of phrasal verbs in the two corpora showed that out of 49 phrasal verbs occurring more than five times in either the NS or the NNS corpus, non-native speakers overused 13 and underused four phrasal verbs. The overuse suggested that the non-native speakers were not aware of the register and the collocational restrictions of some phrasal verbs. In addition, the overuse could also be attributed to the influence of the speakers’ first language. The underuse, on the other hand, may result from the insufficient language input or the avoidance strategy adopted by the learners to avoid making mistakes.
Based on the findings in the present study, the researcher proposed some pedagogical implications and offered some possible directions for future studies.
Ädel, A. (2008). Metadiscourse across three Englishes: American, British, and advanced-learner English. In U. Connor, E. Nagelhout & W. Rozycki (Eds.), Contrastive rhetoric: reaching to intercultural rhetoric (pp. 45–62). Amsterdam: John Benjamins.
Altenberg, B., & Tapper, M. (1998). The use of adverbial connectors in advanced Swedish learners’ written English. In S. Granger (Ed.), Learner English on computer (pp. 80–93). Harlow: Addison Wesley Longman Limited.
Armstrong, K. (2004). Sexing up the dossier: A semantic analysis of phrasal verbs for language teachers. Language Awareness, 13 (4), 213–224.
Barlow, M. (2004). MP 2.2. Houston, TX: Athelstan Software.
Bennet, K. (2009). English academic style manuals: A survey. Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 8, 43-54.
Biber, D., Johansson, S., Leech, G., Conrad, S., & Finegan, E. (1999). Longman grammar of spoken and written English. London: Longman.
Boulton, A. (2008). Looking for empirical evidence of data-driven learning at lower levels. In B. Lewandowska-Tomaszczyk (Ed.), Corpus linguistics, computer tools, and applications: State of the art (pp.581–598). Frankfurt: Peter Lang.
Brannan, B. (2006). A writer's workshop: crafting paragraphs, building essays. (2nd ed.). Boston: McGraw-Hill.
Burke, E., & Wyatt-Smith, C. (1996). Academic and non-academic difficulties: Perceptions of graduate non-English speaking background students. TESL-EJ, 2, 1–19.
Carrió, M. L. (2002). The use of phrasal verbs by native and non-native writers in technical articles. In G. Cortese & P. Riley. (Eds.) Domain-specific English: textual practices across communities and classrooms (pp. 233–246). Bern: Peter Lang.
Carter, R., & McCarthy. M. (2006). Cambridge grammar of English: a comprehensive guide: spoken and written English grammar and usage. Cambridge; New York: Cambridge University Press.
Celce-Murcia, M., & Larsen-Freeman, D. (1999). The grammar book. An ESL/EFL teacher’s course. Boston: Heinle & Heinle.
Chafe, W. (1982). Integration and involvement in speaking, writing, and oral literature. In D. Tannen (Ed.), Spoken and written language: Exploring orality and literacy (pp. 35–53). Ablex: Norwood.
Chang, Y. Y., & Swales, J. (1999). Informal elements in English academic writing: Threats or opportunities for advanced non-native speakers. In C. Candlin and K. Hyland (Eds.), Writing: Texts, processes and practices (pp. 145–167). London and New York: Longman.
Chen, C. W. (2006). The use of conjunctive adverbials in the academic papers of advanced Taiwanese EFL learners. International Journal of Corpus Linguistics 11(1), 113–130.
Christison, M. A., & Krahnke, K. J. (1986). Student perceptions of academic language study. TESOL Quarterly, 20, 61–68.
Cho, D. W. (2009). Science journal paper writing in an EFL context: The case of Korea. English for Specific Purposes, 28, 230–239.
Cobb, T. (2003). Analyzing later interlanguage with learner corpora: Quebec replications of three European studies. Canadian Modern Language Review 59 (3), 393–423.
Condon, N., & Kelly, P. (2002). Does cognitive linguistics have anything to offer English language learners in their efforts to master phrasal verbs? ITL Review of Applied Linguistics, 137-138, 205-231.
Cornell, A. (1985). Realistic goals in teaching and learning phrasal verbs. IRAL, 23(4). 269–280.
Cowie, A. P. & Mackin, R. (1993). Oxford dictionary of phrasal verbs. Oxford: Oxford University Press
Crewe, W. (1990). The illogic of logical connectives. ELT Journal, 44 (4), 316–325.
Davies, M. (2008-). The Corpus of Contemporary American English (COCA): 400+ million words, 1990-present. Available online at http://www.americancorpus.org.
Dagut, M., & Laufer, B. (1985). Avoidance of phrasal verbs- a case for contrastive analysis. Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 7, 73–80.
Darwin, C. M., & Gray, L. S. (1999). Going after the phrasal verbs: An alternative approach to classification. TESOL Quarterly, 33, 65–83.
De Cock, S. (2005). Learners and phrasal verbs. In Rundell, M. (Ed.), Macmillan phrasal verbs plus (LS pp.16–20). Oxford: Macmillan.
Dempsey, K.B., McCarthy, P.M. & McNamara, D.S.(2007). Using phrasal verbs as an index to distinguish text genres. In D. Wilson and G. Sutcliffe (Eds.), Proceedings of the Twentieth International Florida Artificial Intelligence Research Society Conference (pp. 217–222). Menlo Park, California: The AAAT Press.
DiYanni, R., & Hoy, P. (2008). The writer’s handbook. New York: Pearson Longman.
Evans, S., & Green, C. (2007). Why EAP is necessary: A survey of Hong Kong tertiary students. Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 6, 3–17.
Field, Y., & Yip, L. (1992). A comparison of internal conjunctive cohesion in the English essay writing of Cantonese speakers and native speakers of English. RELC Journal, 23 (1), 15–28.
Fletcher, B. (2005). Register and phrasal verbs. In Rundell, M. (Ed.), Macmillan phrasal verbs plus (LS pp.13–15). Oxford: Macmillan.
Folse, K. S. (2004). Vocabulary myths: Applying second language research to classroom teaching. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press
Gardner, D., & Davies, M. (2007). Pointing out frequent phrasal verbs: a corpus-based analysis. TESOL Quarterly, 41, 339–359.
Gilquin, G., Granger, S., & Paquot, M. (2007). Writing sections. In M. Rundell (Ed.), Macmillan English dictionary for advanced learners (2nd ed., pp. IW1–IW29). Oxford: Macmillan Education.
Gilquin, G., & Paquot, M. (2008). Too chatty: Learner academic writing and register variation. English Text Construction, 1 (1), 41–61.
Granger, S. (1996). From CA to CIA and back: An integrated approach to computerized bilingual and learner corpora. In K. Aijmer, B. Altenberg & M. Johansson (Eds.), Languages in contrast. Text-based cross-linguistic studies (pp. 37–51). Lund: Lund University Press.
Granger, S. (1998). The computer learner corpus: a versatile new source of data for SLA research. In S. Granger (Ed.), Learner English on computer (pp. 3–18). New York; London: Longman.
Granger, S. (2002). A bird's-eye view of computer learner corpus research. In S. Granger , J. Hung & S. Petch-Tyson (Eds.), Computer learner corpora, second language acquisition and foreign language teaching (pp. 3–33). Amsterdam & Philadelphia: Benjamins.
Granger, S. & Rayson, P. (1998). Automatic lexical profiling of learner texts. In S. Granger (Ed.), Learner English on computer (pp.119–131). New York; London: Longman.
Granger, S., & Tyson, S. (1996). Connector usage in the English essay writing of native and non-native EFL speakers of English. World Englishes, 15 (1), 17–27.
Hägglund, M. (2001). Do Swedish advanced learners use spoken language when they write in English? Moderna Språk, 95 (1), 2–8.
Hinkels, E. (2002). Second language writers’ text: linguistic and rhetorical features. London: Routledge.
Hinkel, E. (2003). Simplicity without elegance: Features of sentences in L1 and L2 academic texts. TESOL Quarterly, 37, 275–301.
Hinkel, E. (2005). Hedging, inflating, and persuading in L2 academic writing. Applied Language Learning, 14 (2), 29–54.
Huddleston, R. & Pullum, G. (2002). The Cambridge grammar of the English language. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press..
Hulstijn, J. H., & Marchena, E. (1989). Avoidance: Grammatical or semantic causes?
Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 11, 241–255.
Hyland, K. (1997). Is EAP necessary? A study of Hong Kong undergraduates. Asian Journal of English Language Teaching, 7, 77–91.
Hyland, K. (1999a). Disciplinary discourses: Writer stance in research articles. In C. N. Candlin & K. Hyland (Eds.), Writing: Texts, processes and practices (pp. 99–120). London: Longman.
Hyland, K. (1999b). Academic attribution: citation and the construction of disciplinary knowledge. Applied Linguistics, 20, 341-367.
Hyland, K. (2002a). Authority and invisibility: Authorial identity in academic writing. Journal of Pragmatics, 34, 1091–1112.
Hyland, K. (2002b). What do they mean? Questions in academic writing. Text, 22, 529-557.
Hyland, K. (2008). As can be seen: Lexical bundles and disciplinary variation. English for Specific Purposes, 27 (1), 4–21.
Hyland, K., & Milton, J. (1997). Qualification and certainty in L1 and l2 students’ writing. Journal of Second Language Writing, 6 (2), 183–205.
Jalali, H., Rasekh, A.E., & Rizi, M.J. (2008). Lexical bundles and intradisciplinary variation: the case of applied linguistics. Iranian Journal of Language Studies, 2 (4), 447–484.
Johns, T. (1991). Should you be persuaded: Two samples of data-driven learning materials. In T. Johns, & P. King (Eds.), Classrooom concordancing (pp. 1–16). Birmingham: ELR University of Birmingham.
Koprowski, M. (2005). Investigating the usefulness of lexical phrases in contemporary coursebooks. ELT Journal, 59 (4), 322–332.
Kuo, C. H. (1999). The use of personal pronouns: role relationships in scientific journal articles. English for Specific Purposes 18 (2), 121–138.
Laufer, B., & Eliasson, S. (1993). What causes avoidance in L2 learning: L1–L2 difference, L1-L2 similarity, or L2 complexity? Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 15, 35–48.
Leech, G. & Svartvik, J. (2003). A communicative grammar of English. (3rd ed.). London, Longman.
Liao, Y. D., & Fukuya, Y. J. (2004). Avoidance of phrasal verbs: the case of Chinese learners of English. Language Learning 54, 193–226.
Lorenz, G. (1999). Learning to cohere: Causal links in native vs. non-native argumentative writing. In W. Bublitz, U. Lenk, & E. Ventola (Eds.), Coherence in spoken and written discourse: How to create it and how to describe it (pp.55–75). Amsterdam: John Benjamins.
Luzón, M. J. (2009). The use of we in a learner corpus of reports written by EFL Engineering students. Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 8 (3), 192–206.
Marcus, M. P., Santorini, B., Marcinkiewicz M. A. (1993). Building a large annotated corpus of English: The Penn Treebank. Computational Linguistics, 19 (2), 313–330.
McCarthy, M., & O’Dell, F. (2004). English phrasal verbs in use: Advanced. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
McCrostie, J. (2008). Writer visibility in EFL learner academic writing: A corpus-based study. ICAME Journal, 32, 97–114
Milton, J. (1999). Lexical thickets and electronic gateways: Making text accessible by novice writers. In C. Candlin and K. Hyland (Eds.), Writing: Texts, processes & practices (pp. 221–243). Harlow: Longman.
Moon, R. (1997). Vocabulary connections: Multi-word items in English. In N. Schmitt & M. McCarthy (Eds.), Vocabulary: Description, acquisition and pedagogy (pp. 40–63). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Oxford Phrasal Verbs Dictionary. (2001). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Paquot, M. (2008). Exemplification in learner writing: a cross-linguistic perspective. In S. Granger & F. Meunier (Eds.). Phraseology in foreign language learning and teaching (pp. 101–119). Amsterdam: John Benjamins.
Parrot, M. (2001). Grammar for English language teachers. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Petch-Tyson, S. (1998). Writer/reader visibility in EFL written discourse. In S. Granger (Ed.), Learner English on computer (pp. 107–118). New York; London: Longman.
Pickard, V. (1995). Citing previous writers: what can we say instead of "say"? Hongkong Papers in Linguistics and Language Teaching, 18, 89-102.
Quirk, R., Greenbaum, S., Leech, G., & Svartvik, J. (1985). A comprehensive grammar of the English language. New York: Longman.
Ringbom, H. (1998). Vocabulary frequencies in advanced learner English: A cross-linguistic approach. In Granger S. (Ed.), Learner English on computer (pp. 41–52). New York; London: Longman.
Rundell, M. (Ed.). (2007). Macmillan English dictionary for advanced learners (2nd ed.). Oxford: Macmillan Education.
Sansome, R. (2000). Applying lexical research to the teaching of phrasal verbs. IRAL, 38, 59–69.
Schleppegrell, M. J. (1996). Conjunction in spoken English and ESL writing. Applied Linguistics, 17 (3), 271–285.
Shen, T. C. (2005). Advanced EFL Learners' use of conjunctive adverbials in academic writing. Unpublished master’s thesis, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC.
Side, R. (1990). Phrasal verbs: Sorting them out. English Language Teaching Journal, 44, 144-152.
Sinclair, J. (Ed.). (2003). Collins Cobuild advanced learners’ English dictionary. (4th ed.). Glasgow: HarperCollins Publishers.
Siyanova, A., Schmitt, N., (2007). Native and nonnative use of multiword vs. one-word verbs. IRAL 45, 119–139.
Sjöholm, K. (1995). The influence of crosslinguistic, semantic, and input factors on the acquisition of English phrasal verbs. A comparison between Finnish and Swedish learners at an intermediate and advanced level. Åbo: Åbo Akademi University Press.
Swales, J. M. (1990). Genre Analysis. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Swales, J. M., & Feak, F.B. (2004). Academic writing for graduate students: essential tasks and skills. (2nd ed.). Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan Press.
Trebits, A. (2009). The most frequent phrasal verbs in English language EU documents – A corpus-based analysis and its implications. System, 37 (3), 470–481.
Virtanen, T. (1998). Direct questions in argumentative student writing. In S. Granger (Ed.), Learner English on Computer (pp. 94–118). New York; London: Longman.
Waibel, B. (2007). Phrasal verbs in learner English: A corpus-based study of German and Italian students. Doctoral dissertation, Freiburg: Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Germany.
Yeung, L. (2009). Use and misuse of “besides”: A corpus study comparing native speakers’ and learners’ English. System, 37 (2), 330–342.