口语能力描述语的语体分析:基于中国英语能力等级量表的研究

Investigating the register features of oral proficiency descriptors:A study based on the China's Standards of English

制定语言能力量表需要使用描述语来描述语言能力水平,而描述语的语体分析研究十分鲜见。本研究采用语料库方法对中国英语能力等级量表的口语能力描述语进行语体分析。研究建立了口语能力描述语库,编制程序对描述语进行查重筛选,考察了筛选所得描述语的词汇特征、高频词、词类分布和名词化等方面,并分析了3类口语描述语的高频词分布和N元序列特征。研究发现,英语口语能力描述语在词汇运用、词语搭配、语法结构选择等方面具有典型特征,这能为中国英语能力等级量表的口语描述语撰写、修订和翻译提供一定指导。

One of the major tasks in developing language proficiency scales is to profile language users＇ level of profi- ciency with descriptors. Few empirical studies, however, have been conducted to investigate the register features of the descriptors frequently used in language proficiency scales. In this study, a corpus-based approach was adopted to analyze the register features of oral proficiency descriptors in the China＇s Standards of English. A descriptor pool was constructed, and statistical programs were used for duplicate screening. The remaining descriptors were examined in terms of lexical features, high frequency words, distribution of word types by part-of-speech, and nominalization. The high frequency words and the N-gram structure of descriptors from three different categories were further analyzed. The findings of the study revealed that the descriptors have some typical features in use of words, collocation patterns and grammatical structures, which will provide useful guidance for the writing, editing and translation of the speaking scale descriptors in the China＇s Standards of English.