Particle Placement in English L1 and L2 Academic Writing


Book Description

This study seeks to contribute to a better understanding of how syntactic variation is affected by probabilistic factors in English as a foreign language (EFL, L2), exemplified by the effect of weight on the syntactic variation with English transitive verb-particle constructions (e.g. look up, sort out) and transitive verb-prepositional phrase (PP) constructions (e.g. take into account, bear in mind). With these constructions, the particle/PP may occur either adjacent to the verb or separated from the verb by a direct object noun phrase (DO NP). Being highly influenced by the weight of the DO NP in native (L1) English, little is known about the factors, including syntactic weight, that govern this variation in L2 English. Against the background of possible native-language transfer, this study examines whether advanced L1-German EFL learners are sensitive to the probabilistic effect of weight on syntactic choices with verb-particle/PP constructions and whether there are differences when compared to English native speakers. Triangulating comparative corpus data and experimental data, i.e. elicited production and elicited assessment, the study provides converging evidence from language production and intuition that the learners have acquired a near-native awareness of weight effects in verb-particle/PP constructions, with differences indicating a tendency to more conservative choices.




Translating and Comparing Languages: Corpus-based Insights


Book Description

The present volume contains selected proceedings from the fifth edition of the Using Corpora in Contrastive and Translation Studies (UCCTS) international conference held at the University of Louvain in September 2018. It brings together thirteen chapters that all make use of electronic comparable and/or parallel corpora to inform contrastive linguistics, translation theory, translation pedagogy, translation quality assessment and multilingual terminology. The volume is structured in five thematic sections, devoted to learner-focused descriptive translation studies, corpus use in translator training, studies of translated and edited language, contrastive linguistics, and terminology. Together, the contributions in the volume reflect recent developments in corpus-based cross-linguistic studies, such as the compilation and analysis of learner translation corpora to identify the typical features of learner translated language and inform translator training, the comparative analysis of translation and other forms of mediated communication, such as editing, the compilation of new multilingual corpora and the analysis of under-researched linguistic phenomena, such as punctuation. The volume also testifies to the growing cross-fertilization between contrastive linguistics and translation studies, both in terms of methodology (e.g. the combined use of different types of corpora and the exploration of corpus-driven methods) and theory (e.g. the role played by source language influence and cross-linguistic contrasts in translation).




Twenty Years of Learner Corpus Research. Looking Back, Moving Ahead


Book Description

This proceedings volume covers issues of learner corpus design, collection and annotation and contains reports on various aspects of (written and spoken) learner interlanguage as well as design of learner-corpus-informed tools.




Advancing Quantitative Methods in Second Language Research


Book Description

Advancing Quantitative Methods in Second Language Research is the first hands-on guide to conducting advanced research methods in the fields of applied linguistics and second language studies. While a number of texts discuss basic quantitative research methodology, none focus exclusively on providing coverage of alternative advanced statistical procedures in second language studies from a practical approach. The text is bookended by discussions of these advanced procedures in the larger context of second language studies, debating their strengths, weaknesses, and potential for further research; the remaining chapters are how-to sections, each chapter following the same organization, on a wide variety of advanced research methods. By offering much-needed coverage on advanced statistical concepts and procedures, with an eye toward real-world implementation, Advancing Quantitative Methods in Second Language Research enhances the methodological repertoire of graduate students and researchers in applied linguistics and second language studies. For additional content, visit: http://oak.ucc.nau.edu/ldp3/AQMSLR.html




Pragmatics of Chinese as a Second Language


Book Description

This book brings together a collection of high-quality empirical studies which examine multiple aspects involved in the acquisition, teaching and assessment of pragmatics in Chinese as a second language (L2). The studies collectively address some of the most cutting-edge issues in the field of L2 pragmatics, such as the acquisition of key pragmatic features, methodological innovations in pragmatics assessment, individual difference factors and virtual learning contexts. The majority of the chapters include detailed descriptions of the instruments used and additional material in the appendices, making it a truly valuable collection for researchers and students alike. Furthermore, the publication includes the most comprehensive, state-of-the-art review of empirical research in L2 Chinese pragmatics published bilingually (in English and Chinese) between 1995 and 2022, along with a supplemental annotated bibliography. While the empirical studies all focus on Chinese as the target language, the issues they address have implications for L2 pragmatics research in general and this book will appeal to those interested in the latest developments in the field.




The Routledge Handbook of Second Language Acquisition and Corpora


Book Description

The Routledge Handbook of Second Language Acquisition and Corpora is a state-of-the-art collection of cutting-edge scholarship at the intersection of second language acquisition and learner corpus research. It draws on data-driven, statistical analysis to outline the background, methods, and outcomes of language learning, with a range of global experts providing detailed guidelines and findings. The volume is organized into five sections: Methodological and theoretical contributions to the study of learner language using corpora – setting the scene Key aspects in corpus design, annotation, and analysis for SLA Corpora in SLA theory and practice SLA constructs and corpora Future directions This is a ground-breaking collection of essays offering incisive and essential reading for anyone with an interest in second language acquisition, learner corpus research, and applied linguistics.







Particle Verbs in English


Book Description

This book offers a new account of the transitive particle verb construction in English. The main emphasis is on the alternation between the two word orders possible in English (continuous: hand in the manuscript vs. discontinuous: hand the manuscript in). The central aim is to show that the choice of the word order is not optional as has often been claimed in related literature on the topic and that a syntactic analysis should thus not be based on optional movement operations or optional feature selection. The author argues in some detail that the choice of the word order is determined to a great extent by the information structuring of the context in which the relevant construction is embedded. The syntactic structure she develops is based on a substantial combination of empirical facts, evidence from theoretical research and the results of two experimental studies on the intonation patterns of the construction.




Current Approaches in Second Language Acquisition Research


Book Description

Offers the most up-to-date coverage of research methods and best practices in the study of second language acquisition, edited by two of the leading figures in the field Current Approaches in Second Language Acquisition Research provides an up-to-date overview of both traditional and cutting-edge techniques and methods in the field. Bringing together contributions from an international team of experts, this authoritative volume covers the qualitative, quantitative, survey-based, interdisciplinary, statistical analysis, and data replication methods that students and early-career researchers need to know when developing their projects and experiments in second language acquisition research. Each chapter includes best practices, case studies, and research questions, together with suggested readings which exemplify a wide range of contemporary methodologies. Current Approaches in Second Language Acquisition Research builds on the foundation of Research Methods in Second Language Acquisition, the first volume in the Wiley Blackwell Guides to Research Methods series to cover the field of SLA. Eleven new chapters and four revised chapters address classroom research methods, qualitative approaches to data, collecting introspective second language (L2) data, L2 data on brain and articulatory mechanisms, problematic terminology in the SLA community, and more. Covers theory-based methodologies, synthetic and meta-analytic work, mixed methods, coding, and statistical analysis Describes and evaluates recent methodological advances and experimental approaches in SLA research Includes study questions, links to additional resources, and example study boxes that summarize methodological principles and connect them to real-world research studies Current Approaches in Second Language Acquisition Research is an essential resource for advanced undergraduate and graduate students in SLA and applied linguistics programs, novice researchers studying SLA research methods, and more established scholars looking for a concise and up-to-date overview of SLA methodology.




The Routledge Handbook of Second Language Acquisition and Writing


Book Description

This unique state-of-the-art volume offers a comprehensive, systematic discussion of second language (L2) writing and L2 learning. Led by experts Rosa Manchón and Charlene Polio, top international scholars synthesize and contextualize the salient theoretical approaches, methodological issues, empirical findings, and emerging themes in the connection between L2 writing and L2 learning, and set the future research agenda to move the field forward. This will be an indispensable resource for scholars and students of second language acquisition (SLA), applied linguistics, education, and composition studies.