To What Extent Does the Rhetorical Function of Adding Information Differ in Use Between the Written Production of L1 and L2 Speakers of English? A Corpus-based Analysis

Details

Supervisors

Paquot, Magali

Faculty

Faculté de philosophie, arts et lettres

Degree label

Master [60] en langues et lettres modernes, orientation générale

Abstract

This thesis delves into a comparative analysis of the use of the rhetorical function of adding information in learner writing, specifically focusing on learners having French as mother tongue. The research study examines the nuanced utilization of adverbs and prepositions to convey additional information within academic texts. The investigation encompasses three distinct corpora: a native expert corpus (LOCRA), a native novice corpus (BAWE), and a learner corpus (VESPA). Employing the Contrastive Interlanguage Analysis method, the study undertakes both quantitative and qualitative analyses. Through quantitative analysis, the study identifies instances of overuse and underuse among learners. Complementary qualitative analysis centers on usage patterns, encompassing aspects such as punctuation, collocation, and sentence position. These meticulous analyses uncover potential misuse and illuminate the challenges encountered by learners. Notable findings encompass a range of difficulties, including frequency, positioning, register, semantics, and phraseology. An essential contribution of this study lies in its demonstration of the paramount importance of learner corpora in English for Academic Purposes (EAP). Insights gleaned from the learner corpus analysis offer the potential to enhance instructional materials and refine EAP courses. By identifying learners' specific needs and challenges, a learner corpus analysis can inform the development of tailored pedagogical resources. Among the key findings, the research underscores learners' tendencies to overuse both "besides" and "moreover," potentially due to an incomplete understanding of their precise meanings. Additionally, learners display instances of incorrect collocations, particularly concerning "besides" and "further." Learners’ use of “further” and “besides” might also indicate a lack of register awareness. By systematically investigating these linguistic phenomena, this thesis contributes to a deeper comprehension of learner difficulties and paves the way for the improvement of EAP instruction.