中美学生论说文的立场名词表达——基于语料库的对比研究

Stance Nouns in Chinese and American Students' Argumentative Essays:A Corpus-based Comparative Study

本文以"名词+补足语从句"结构为研究对象,并将该结构中体现作者对从句信息的立场和评价的名词称为立场名词,对366篇中国学生和82篇美国学生的论说文进行基于语料库的对比,探讨中国学生与美国学生使用立场名词的差异。研究发现,中国学生显著少用"事件"、"言语"和"认知"类立场名词,却过多添加评价性和自我提及修饰语。研究认为,中国学生的使用偏好不仅与论说文体裁规约相悖,而且削弱了文章论说力度和劝谏效果。同时,作者也分析了造成上述问题的原因并提出了教学启示。

This study examines Noun Complement struc- ture as a stance construction, calling the noun ＂stance noun＂ as it expresses a writer＇s stance on the complement information. Drawing a corpus-based comparison between 366 argumentative essays of Chinese university students and 82 of American university students, this study ex- plores how Chinese learners differ in the use of this con- struction in argumentation from the American counter- parts. It was found that Chinese students used significantly fewer of this construction, especially in the event, dis- course and cognition types of stance nouns, while consig- ning more attitudinally evaluative and personal possessive pre-modifications to the stance nouns in the construction. Chinese students＇ preference in the use of stance nouns deviates from the generic conventions of argumentative essays and may also undermine the argumentative and persuasive effects of their essays. This paper also discus- ses the possible causes to the above problems and raises pedagogical implication for the teaching of academic writ- ing.