新加坡英语口语语体特征的多维度分析

A corpus-based multi-dimensional analysis ofSingapore spoken English

本研究采用多维度分析方法(MDA),对新加坡英语口语和英国英语口语语体特征,相应的语域特征及实现特定交际功能的语言特征进行对比分析。结果显示:新加坡英语口语和英国英语口语的整体语体风格一致,都表现出了交互性、说明性、指代明确性和非抽象性语体特征。子语域层面,二者在'非即兴对白'语域无显著差异,而在'公共对话'、'私人对话'和'即兴对白'3个语域都显示出不同程度的差异。与交际功能相关语言特征层面,新加坡英语口语的个人动词、WH从句、被动结构、动词过去时和完成时态等频数标准值显著低于本族语者,情态动词的频数标准值显著高于本族语者。本研究为世界英语背景下英语变体研究提供新的研究视角,对于加深对其他国家的了解、加强交流合作具有社会学意义,对于教学实践中加强学生对英语变体的了解、转变传统外语教学观念具有启示作用。

The present paper presents a multi-dimensional analysis of the features of Singapore spoken English and its four sub-registers based on the comparable corpora of Singapore spoken English and British spoken English texts.The results show that both Singapore spoken English and British spoken English exhibit interactive,informational,explicit and non-abstract characteristics.At the sub-register level,Singapore and British spoken English show different degrees of variations in‘public dialogue’,‘private dialogue’and‘printed monologue’.At the functional level,Singapore spoken English shows the tendency of overusing modal verbs and underusing WH clauses,passives,past tense and past perfect tense.