A Corpus-Based Comparison of Syntactic Complexity in Spoken and Written Learner Language

Despite writing and speaking being related activities, their end-products are entirely different. However, previous studies have not shown consistency in terms of grammar use in these two modes. Accordingly, in the present study, I aim to define the syntactic characteristics in these two modes with...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Canadian journal of applied linguistics 2022-01, Vol.25 (2), p.47-70
Main Author: Park, Shinjae
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Accuracy
College students
Comparative Analysis
Computational Linguistics
Coordination
Discourse Analysis
English (Second Language)
English as a second language
English as a second language learning
English Language Learners
Essays
Foreign Countries
Grammar
Korean language
Language proficiency
Language Usage
Nouns
Oral Language
Phrase Structure
Relative clauses
Research design
Second Language Instruction
Second Language Learning
Second language writing
Sentences
Speech Communication
Spoken language
Student writing
Subordination (Grammatical)
Syntactic complexity
Syntax
Undergraduate Students
Verbal communication
Verbs
Writing (Composition)
Writing Skills
Written language
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Description
Summary:Despite writing and speaking being related activities, their end-products are entirely different. However, previous studies have not shown consistency in terms of grammar use in these two modes. Accordingly, in the present study, I aim to define the syntactic characteristics in these two modes with large-scale data and organized research designs. This study examined 14 indices of syntactic complexity and specific grammar factors in 224 monologues and 139 writings of Korean EFL undergraduates. The results revealed that learners tended to use more finite complement clauses and relative clauses while writing but used because- fragments independently and ‘and’ sentence-initially more frequently while speaking. When compared with previous studies, the characteristics of syntactic complexity of Korean EFL learners, regardless of age, are defined by the use of coordination in speaking and the use of subordination in writing.
ISSN:1481-868X
1920-1818
DOI:10.37213/cjal.2022.32477