Article published in:
International Journal of Learner Corpus Research
Vol. 3:1 (2017) ► pp. 36–60

The distribution of reflexive intensifiers in learner English

| Vienna University of Economics and Business
This study investigates the use of reflexive intensifiers by L1 German-speaking learners of L2 English against the background of previous research which has identified non-target-like distribution of such features which are sensitive to discourse constraints and/or register variation. Occurrences of intensified NPs are compared between the Louvain Corpus of Native English Essays and the German component of the International Corpus of Learner English. In line with previous research, it is found that learners overuse this lexico-grammatical means of information highlighting. However, there is only significant overuse of a specific sub-type of intensifier, the inclusive adverbial intensifier. These results are discussed in terms of (i) general learnability considerations which may account for learners’ problems in mastering the use of register-sensitive information-structural patterns, and (ii) pedagogical issues which arise in connection with addressing residual non-target performance in written production beyond the stage at which target properties of lexico-grammar have generally been acquired.
Keywords: reflexive intensifier, advanced learner, English, ICLE, L2 writing


This article is currently available as a sample article.

Published online: 06 June 2017
https://doi.org/10.1075/ijlcr.3.1.02ran

Full-text

The distribution of reflexive intensifiers in learner English
References

[ p. 59 ]References

Barlow, M.
2002 MP 2.2. New Version of MonoConc Pro. Houston: Athelston.Google Scholar
Becher, V.
2010 “Differences in the use of deictic expressions in English and German texts”, Linguistics 48(4), 1309–1342.Google Scholar
Callies, M.
2009 Information Highlighting in Advanced Learner English. The Syntax-Pragmatics Interface in Second Language Acquisition. Amsterdam and Philadelphia: John Benjamins.Google Scholar
Chambers, A.
2015 “The learner corpus as a pedagogic corpus”. In S. Granger, G. Gilquin, & F. Meunier (Eds.), Cambridge Handbook of Learner Corpus Research. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 445–464 CrossrefGoogle Scholar
Cobb, T.
2003 “Analyzing late interlanguage with learner corpora: Québec replications of three European studies”, The Canadian Modern Language Review/La Revue canadienne des langues vivantes 59(3), 393–424.Google Scholar
Constantinou, H.
2014 Intensifiers. Meaning and Distribution. PhD Thesis. London: University College London.Google Scholar
Cotos, E.
2014 “Enhancing writing pedagogy with learner corpus data”, ReCALL 26(2), 202–224. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
Eckardt, R.
2001 “Reanalysing selbst ”, Natural Language Semantics 9(4), 371–412. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
Gast, V.
2006 The Grammar of Identity. Intensifiers and Reflexives in Germanic Languages. London: Routledge.Google Scholar
Granger, S.
2015 “The contribution of learner corpora to reference and instructional materials design”. In S. Granger, G. Gilquin, F. Meunier (Eds.), Cambridge Handbook of Learner Corpus Research. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 485–510. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
Granger, S., Dagneaux, E., Meunier, F., & Paquot, M.
(Eds.) 2009 The International Corpus of Learner English. Version 2. Handbook and CD-ROM. Louvain-la-Neuve: Presses universitaires de Louvain.Google Scholar
Gülzow, I.
2006 The Acquisition of Intensifiers. Emphatic Reflexives in English and German Child Language. Berlin: Mouton De Gruyter.Google Scholar
Hinkel, E.
2003 “Adverbial markers and tone in L1 and L2 students’ writing”, Journal of Pragmatics 35(7), 1049–1068. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
2004 “Tense, aspect, and the passive voice in L1 and L2 academic texts”, Language Teaching Research 8(1), 5–29. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
König, E.
1991 The Meaning of Focus Particles. A Comparative Perspective. London: Routledge. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
2001 “Intensifiers and reflexives”. In M. Haspelmath, E. König, W. Oesterreicher, & W. Raible (Eds.), Language Typology and Language Universals – An International Handbook. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter, 747–760.Google Scholar
König, E. & Gast, V.
2009 Understanding English-German Contrasts. Berlin: Erich Schmidt Verlag.Google Scholar
Lijffijt, J., Nevalainen, T., Säily, T., Papapetrou, P., Puolamäki, K., & Mannila, H.
2016 “Significance testing of word frequencies in corpora”, Digital Scholarship in the Humanities 31(2), 374–397. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
Lorenz, G.
1998 “Overstatement in advanced learners’ writing: stylistic aspects of adjective intensification”. In S. Granger (Ed.), Learner English on Computer. London & New York: Addison Wesley Longman, 53–66.Google Scholar
1999 Adjective intensification – learners versus native speakers: A corpus study of argumentative writing. Amsterdam: Rodopi.Google Scholar
[ p. 60 ]
Martinez-Garcia, M. T. & Wulff, S.
2012 “Not wrong, yet not quite right: Spanish ESL students’ use of gerundial and infinitival complementation”, International Journal of Applied Linguistics 22(2), 225–244. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
McCrostie, J.
2008 “Writer visibility in EFL learner academic writing: A corpus-based study”, ICAME Journal 32, 97–114.Google Scholar
Neff-van Aertselaer, J.
2015 “Learner Corpora and Discourse”. In S. Granger, G. Gilquin, & F. Meunier (Eds.), Cambridge Handbook of Learner Corpus Research. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 255–280. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
Pérez-Paredes, P., & Díez-Bedmar, M. B.
2012 “The use of intensifying adverbs in learner writing”. In Y. Tono, Y. Kawaguchi, & M. Minegishi (Eds.), Developmental and Crosslinguistic Perspectives in Learner Corpus Research. Tokyo University of Foreign Studies: John Benjamins, 105–124. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
Petch-Tyson, S.
1998 “Writer/reader visibility in EFL written discourse.” In S. Granger (Ed.), Learner English on Computer. London and New York: Longman, 107–118.Google Scholar
Siemund, P.
2000 Intensifiers in English and German. A Comparison. London: Routledge.Google Scholar
Verheijen, L., Los, B., & de Haan, P.
2013 “Information Structure: The final hurdle? The development of syntactic structures in (very) advanced Dutch EFL writing”, Dutch Journal of Applied Linguistics 2(1)–, 92–107. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
Cited by

Cited by 2 other publications

Hendrikx, Isa, Kristel Van Goethem & Stefanie Wulff
2019. Intensifying constructions in French-speaking L2 learners of English and Dutch. International Journal of Learner Corpus Research 5:1 ► pp. 63 ff. Crossref logo
Sperlich, Darcy
2020.  In Reflexive Pronouns: A Theoretical and Experimental Synthesis [Language, Cognition, and Mind, 8], ► pp. 97 ff. Crossref logo

This list is based on CrossRef data as of 28 october 2021. Please note that it may not be complete. Sources presented here have been supplied by the respective publishers. Any errors therein should be reported to them.