PHRASEOLOGY IN LEARNER ACADEMIC ENGLISH: CORPUS-DRIVEN APPROACHES

Markéta Malá

doi:10.5817/DI2020-2-75

PHRASEOLOGY IN LEARNER ACADEMIC ENGLISH: CORPUS-DRIVEN APPROACHES

Vol.13,No.2(2020)

Markéta Malá

https://doi.org/10.5817/DI2020-2-75

PDF

Abstract

The paper combines learner corpus research with contrastive analysis to test the applicability of corpus-driven methods to the study of phraseology in learner academic English. It explores phraseological patterns in English L2 academic texts written by Czech university students in comparison with English L1 novice and expert writing. Three corpus-driven approaches are employed: frequency lists, keywords and lexical bundles. The results indicate that a combination of corpus-driven methods can indeed serve as an effective starting point for the contrastive study of phraseology, highlighting potential
areas of under- and overuse of multi-word patterns in English L2 novice academic texts. However, in order to give a more comprehensive picture of learner academic English, quantitative methods have to be combined with qualitative contrastive analysis.

Keywords:
learner corpus research; academic English; corpus-driven methods; contrastive analysis; phraseology

References

Ädel, A. and Erman, B. (2012) ‘Recurrent word combinations in academic writing by native speakers and non-native speakers of English: A lexical bundles approach.’ English for Specific Purposes 31(2), 81-92. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.esp.2011.08.004

Anthony, L. (2019) AntConc (Version 3.5.8) [Computer Software]. Tokyo: Waseda University. Available from https://www.laurenceanthony.net/software.

Biber, D. and Gray, B. (2010) ‘Challenging stereotypes about academic writing:
Complexity, elaboration, explicitness.’ Journal of English for Academic Purposes 9, 2-20.

Biber, D. (2006) University Language: A Corpus-based Study of Spoken and Written Registers. Amsterdam: John Benjamins. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1075/scl.23

Biber, D., Johansson, S., Leech, G., Conrad, S. and Finegan, E. (1999) Longman Grammar of Spoken and Written English. Harlow: Pearson.

Biber, D., Conrad, S. and Cortes, V. (2004) ‘“If you look at...”: Lexical bundles in university teaching and textbooks.’ Applied Linguistics 25, 371-405. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/applin/25.3.371

Callies, M. (2015) ‘Learner corpus methodology.’ In: Granger, S., Gilquin, G. and Meunier, F. (eds) The Cambridge Handbook of Learner Corpus Research. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 35-55. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781139649414.003

Čermák, F. (2008) Frazeologie a idiomatika česká a obecná. Prague: Karolinum.

Chen, Y. H. and Baker, P. (2010) ‘Lexical bundles in L1 and L2 academic writing.’ Language Learning and Technology 14(2), 30-49.

Cortes, V. (2004) ‘Lexical bundles in published and student disciplinary writing: Examples from history and biology.’ English for Specific Purposes 23(4), 397-323. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.esp.2003.12.001

Cowie, A. P. (ed.) (1998) Phraseology: Theory, Analysis, and Applications. Oxford: Clarendon Press.

Culpeper, J. and Demmen, J. (2015) ‘Keywords.’ In: Biber, D. and Reppen, R. (eds) The Cambridge Handbook of English Corpus Linguistics. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 90-105. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781139764377.006

Ebeling, S. O. and Hasselgård, H. (2015a) ‘Learners’ and native speakers’ use of recurrent word-combinations across disciplines.’ LCR2013 Conference Proceedings. BeLLS 6, 87-106. DOI: https://doi.org/10.15845/bells.v6i0.810

Ebeling, S. O. and Hasselgård, H. (2015b) ‘Learner corpora and phraseology.’ In: Granger, S., Gilquin, G. and Meunier, F. (eds) The Cambridge Handbook of Learner Corpus Research. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 207-230. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781139649414.010

Gledhill, C. (2000) Collocations in Science Writing. Tübingen: Gunter Narr.

Granger, S. and Rayson, P. (1998) ‘Automatic profiling of learner texts.’ In: Granger, S. (ed.) Learner English on Computer. London and New York: Longman. 119-131. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315841342-9

Granger, S. and Bestgen, Y. (2014) ‘The use of collocations by intermediate vs. advanced non-native writers: A bigram-based study.’ IRAL - International Review of Applied Linguistics in Language Teaching 52(3), 229-252. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/iral-2014-0011

Granger, S. (1998) ‘Prefabricated patterns in advanced EFL writing: Collocations and formulae.’ In: Cowie, P. (ed.) Phraseology: Theory, Analysis, and Applications. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 145-160.

Gray, B. and Biber, D. (2015) ‘Phraseology.’ In: Biber, D. and Reppen, R. (eds) The Cambridge Handbook of English Corpus Linguistics. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 125-145. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781139764377.008

Groom, N. (2005) ‘Pattern and meaning across genres and disciplines: An exploratory study.’ Journal of English for Academic Purposes 4(3), 257-277. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeap.2005.03.002

Groom, N. (2010) ‘Closed-class keywords and corpus-driven discourse analysis.’ In: Bondi, M. and Scott, M. (eds) Keyness in Texts. Amsterdam and Philadelphia: John Benjamins. 59-78. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1075/scl.41.05gro

Hasselgård, H. (2019) ‘Phraseological teddy bears Frequent lexical bundles in academic writing by Norwegian learners and native speakers of English.’ In: Wiegand, V. and Mahlberg, M. (eds) Corpus Linguistics, Context and Culture. Berlin: De Gruyter. 339-362. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110489071-013

Hasselgård, H. (2015) ‘Lexicogrammatical features of adverbs in advanced learner English.’ International Journal of Applied Linguistics 166(1), 163-189. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1075/itl.166.1.05has

Huddleston, R. and Pullum, G. K. (2002) The Cambridge Grammar of the English Language. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781316423530

Hunston, S. (2002) Corpora in Applied Linguistics. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781139524773

Hyland, K. (2004) Disciplinary Discourses: Social Interactions in Academic Writing. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press.

Hyland, K. (2005) Metadiscourse. London: Continuum.

Hyland, K. (2008) ‘As can be seen. Lexical bundles and disciplinary variation.’ English for Specific Purposes 27(1), 4-21. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.esp.2007.06.001

Hyland, K. and Tse, P. (2004) ‘Metadiscourse in academic writing: A reappraisal.’ Applied Linguistics 25(2), 156-177. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/applin/25.2.156

Kjellmer, G. (1991) ‘A mint of phrases.’ In: Aijmer, K. and Altenberg, B. (eds) English Corpus Linguistics. Studies in Honour of Jan Svartvik. London and New York: Longman. 111-127.

Nesselhauf, N. (2005) Collocations in a Learner Corpus. Amsterdam: John Benjamins. Paquot, M., Hasselgård, H. and. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1075/scl.14

Ebeling, S. O. (2013) ‘Writer/reader visibility in learner writing across genres. A comparison of the French and Norwegian components of the ICLE and VESPA learner corpora.’ In: Granger, S., Gilquin, G. and Meunier, F. (eds) Twenty Years of Learner Corpus Research: Looking Back, Moving Ahead. Louvain-la- Neuve: Presses universitaires de Louvain. 377-387.

Sinclair, J. M. (1966) ‘Beginning the study of lexis.’ In: Bazell, C. E., Catford J. C., Halliday, M. A. K. and Robins, R. H. (eds) In Memory of J. R .Firth. London: Longman. 410-430.

Sinclair, J. M. (1991) Corpus, Concordance, Collocation. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Tomešová (Cilcová), K. (2017) Result/inference Discourse Connectives in Academic Texts. Unpublished Mgr. thesis. Prague: Filozofická fakulta. Univerzita Karlova.

Metrics