基于语言学英文学术论文可比语料库的复杂名词短语研究

A comparable-corpus-based study of phrasal complexity in academic writing in applied linguistics

本文基于语料库研究方法,对语言学英文论文中17类复杂名词短语的使用进行了横向中西学者间的比较和纵向不同写作水平作者间的对比(硕士生和中西作者)。研究结果显示,中国硕士生、中国学者、西方学者三个群体的论文中复杂名词短语使用频数无显著差异,高频使用的复杂名词短语型式相似,均为形容词+名词、名词+名词和名词+介词短语(抽象意义)型式。三类复杂名词短语型式在三组文本间使用差异显著,五类复杂名词短语型式在中国硕士生文本中与中西学者论文中的使用差异显著。学术写作水平似乎是影响学术论文复杂名词短语使用的一个重要因素。本文还对学术英语(English for Academic Purposes,简称EAP)教学和学术论文写作提出了建议。

This study analyzes the use and distribution of 17 complex noun phrases in L1 Chinese graduate students’theses and L1 Chinese and English expert writers’research articles in applied linguistics using a corpus-based approach.The results show that:(i)There is no significant difference in the use of 17 complex noun phrases among the three writer groups(ii)the most frequent complex noun phrases used by the three writer groups are the same;(iii)the use of three complex noun phrases is significantly different among the three writer groups;and(iv)L1 Chinese graduate students’use of five complex noun phrases is significantly different from both L1 Chinese and English expert writers.The use of complex noun phrases is a better indicator of the complexity of academic writing.Pedagogical implications are provided for academic writing and EAP teachers.