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Article published In: Revista Española de Lingüística Aplicada/Spanish Journal of Applied Linguistics
Vol. 33:2 (2020) ► pp.505–535

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Linking or delinking of ideas?

The use of adversative linking adverbials by advanced EFL learners

 | Universidad Complutense de Madrid
 | Universitat Internacional de Catalunya
Published online: 10 February 2021
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https://doi.org/10.1075/resla.18020.nav
Abstract
This paper explores the use of adversative Linking Adverbials (LAs) in the academic writing of advanced English Foreign Language (EFL) learners with different linguistic backgrounds. The learner corpus used in this study consists of 50 argumentative essays which are contrasted with a native corpus: the American university students’ corpus (LOCNESS). Liu, D. (2008). Linking adverbials: An across-register corpus study and its implications. International Journal of Corpus Linguistics, 131, 491–518. Available online from: [URL] comprehensive list of adversative LAs has been used for the analysis. Findings reveal that both non-native (NNS) and native speakers of English (NS) use similar types of adversative LAs, but NNS place them regularly in sentence- and sometimes in paragraph-initial position, which often results in punctuation issues and misuse. A total of 9 LAs were found to be overused (e.g., nevertheless) and underused (e.g., actually) by NNS. The analysis performed according to L1 has yielded unexpected results in terms of preference, frequency, and placement of adversative LAs. The so-called ‘teaching effect’ is considered one of the main factors influencing the learners’ choices.
Resumen
¿Conectando o desconectando ideas? El uso de conectores adversativos por parte de estudiantes avanzados de inglés como lengua extranjera
Este artículo explora el uso de los conectores adversativos en textos académicos escritos por estudiantes avanzados de inglés como lengua extranjera, con diferentes L1s. El corpus utilizado consiste en 50 textos argumentativos, que se contrastan con un corpus nativo: el corpus de estudiantes universitarios americanos (LOCNESS). La lista de conectores adversativos de Liu, D. (2008). Linking adverbials: An across-register corpus study and its implications. International Journal of Corpus Linguistics, 131, 491–518. Available online from: [URL] se ha utilizado para el análisis. Los resultados revelan que ambos, hablantes nativos y no nativos de inglés, utilizan categorías similares de conectores adversativos, pero los estudiantes no nativos los colocan regularmente al principio de frase y, algunas veces, también de párrafo, lo que a veces resulta en problemas de adecuación y ortografía. Un total de 9 conectores han sido utilizados mucho más (e.g., nevertheless) o mucho menos frecuentemente (e.g., actually) en el corpus de estudiantes que en el corpus nativo. El análisis con respecto a las diferentes L1 muestra resultados interesantes en términos de preferencia, frecuencia y colocación de conectores adversativos. El llamado ‘efecto pedagógico’ se considera uno de los factores principales que ha podido influenciar las elecciones de los estudiantes.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Literature review
  • 3.The importance of adversative linking adverbials
  • 4.Corpus linguistics, learner corpora and contrastive methods
  • 5.Methodology
    • 5.1Context and corpus compilation
      • 5.1.1Equivalent type and similar stage of the learner
      • 5.1.2Comparable text type
    • 5.2Data and procedure
  • 6.Results
    • 6.1Overall frequency of adversative LAs
    • 6.2Overuse and underuse of adversative linking adverbials
    • 6.3Use of adversative linking adverbials by L1 groups
    • 6.4Difficulties in the use of LAs: Zooming in on five cases of misuse
      • 6.4.1Nevertheless
      • 6.4.2Although
      • 6.4.3In contrast
      • 6.4.4However
      • 6.4.5On the other hand
  • 7.Discussion
  • 8.Conclusion
  • Notes
  • References
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