A Corpus-based Study of Connectors in Student Writing: A Comparison between a Native Speaker (NS) Corpus and a Non-native Speaker (NNS) Learner Corpus

Yuanyi Ma, Bo Wang

Abstract


The present study offers a corpus-based analysis of two written corpora, i.e. a native speaker corpus (part of the Louvain Corpus of English Essays) and a non-native speaker corpus, which is composed of several essays written by Hong Kong first year university students. It aims to find out the differences in the use of connectors. Altogether twenty-five connectors used in the two corpora have been examined, with the frequency of their usage being calculated. The reasons that have led to the variations in using these connectors are further discussed. This corpus-based study on connectors would have some pedagogic implications on writing teaching. As connectors have played a significant role in both sentence construction and coherence, based on our analysis, we hope that they should be taught explicitly, practiced extensively, and illustrated with learning materials given to students, so as to avoid the overuse and misuse in writing.

 


Keywords


Connector, Native speaker corpus, Non-native speaker corpus, Pedagogic implication

Full Text:

PDF

References


Bolton, K., Nelson, G., & Hung, J. (2003). A corpus-based study of connectors in student writing: Research from the International Corpus of English in Hong Kong ICEHK. International Journal of Corpus Linguistics, 7(2), 165-182. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1075/ijcl.7.2.02bol.

Cowan, R. (2008). The teacher’s grammar of English. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Field, Y., & Oi, Y. L. M. (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.

doi: 10.1177/003368829202300102, http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/003368829202300102.

Granger, S. (Ed.). (1998). Learner English on computer. London and New York: Longman.

Granger, S., Hung, J., & Petch-Tyson, S. (Eds.). (2002). Computer learner corpora, second language acquisition, and foreign language teaching (Vol. 6). Amsterdam: John Benjamins.

Halliday, M. A. K., & Hasan, R. (1976). Cohesion in English. London: Longman.

Halliday, M. A. K., & Matthiessen, C. M. I. M. (2014). Halliday’s introduction to functional grammar, (4th ed). London and New York: Routledge.

Rezvani Kalajahi, S. A. , Abdullah, A. N., Mukundan, J., & Tannacito, D. J. (2012). Discourse connectors: An overview of the history, definition and classification of the term. World Applied Sciences Journal, 19(11), 1659-1673. doi: 10.5829/idosi.wasj.2012.19.11.1990.

Liu, M., & Braine, G. (2005). Cohesive features in argumentative writing produced by Chinese undergraduates. System, 33(4), 623-636. doi: 10.1177/2158244013506715, http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/2158244013506715.

Matthiessen, C. M. I. M. (1995). Lexicogrammatical cartography: English systems. Tokyo: International Language Sciences Publishers.

Milton, J. C., & Tsang, E. S. C. (1993). A corpus-based study of logical connectors in EFL students’ writing: directions for future research. In Pemberton, R., & Tsang, E. S. C. (Eds.) Studies in Lexis. Hong Kong: The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Language Center.

Ringbom, H. (1998). Vocabulary frequencies in advanced learner English: A cross-linguistic approach. In S. Granger (Ed.), Learner English on computer (pp. 41-52). London and New York: Longman.




DOI: https://doi.org/10.7575/aiac.ijalel.v.5n.1p.113

Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


Bookmark and Share


Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

2012-2023 (CC-BY) Australian International Academic Centre PTY.LTD. 

International Journal of Applied Linguistics and English Literature

To make sure that you can receive messages from us, please add the journal emails into your e-mail 'safe list'. If you do not receive e-mail in your 'inbox', check your 'bulk mail' or 'junk mail' folders.