Identifying verb collocational patterns in a specialized medical journal corpus

2018 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 660-685
Author(s):  
Isabel Verdaguer ◽  
Judy Noguchi
Keyword(s):  
Medical Research ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Research Articles ◽  
Combinatorial Properties ◽  
Approximate Order ◽  
Native Speakers Of English ◽  
Professional Genres ◽  
Research Consortium ◽  
Efficient Learning ◽  
Recurrent Word

AbstractThis paper examines the collocational patterns of frequent verbs in medical research articles, and proposes a way to help non-native speakers of English learn word combinations frequently used in specific professional genres. We explore the correlations in the syntactico-semantic behavior and the collocational patterns of related verbs, in order to systematically teach recurrent word combinations.To this end, we present a corpus-based analysis of the collocational patterning of the verbs which belong to the same semantic frame inFrameNet, the frame EVIDENCE. These verbs were identified in 397 medical research articles from a pre-release version of the PERC (Professional English Research Consortium) corpus (3,155,118 tokens and 115,960 word types). The verbs examined, in approximate order of degree of increasing certainty, aresuggest, argue, show, reveal, prove, demonstrate, substantiate, verify, confirmandcorroborate. The results reveal that verbs that can be grouped into semantic and syntactic coherent sets also share combinatorial properties. We conclude that, rather than studying isolated verbs, making learners aware of these patterns of verb groups can greatly contribute toward efficient learning of the language of professional texts.

A Recurrent Word Combination Approachto the Study of Formulae in the Speech of Native and Non-Native Speakers of English

1998 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 59-80 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sylvie De Cock
Keyword(s):  
Pilot Study ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Native Speaker ◽  
Quantitative Comparison ◽  
Automatic Extraction ◽  
Word Combination ◽  
Full Discussion ◽  
Native Speakers Of English ◽  
Recurrent Word

This article reports on a pilot study into how corpus methods can be applied to the study of one type of phraseological unit, formulae, in native speaker and learner speech. Formulae, or formulaic expressions, are multi-word units performing a pragmatic and/or discourse-structuring function and have been characterised as being typically native-like. The methodology presented here is contrastive and involves the use of computerised corpora of both native and non-native speaker speech. It consists of two steps: (1) the automatic extraction of all recurrent word combinations to produce lists of potential formulae, and (2) a carefully specified manual filtering process designed to reduce these lists to lists of actual formulaic usage. The results of this process allow for the first genuine quantitative comparison of formulae in the speech of native and non-native speakers, which in turn has significant implications for SLA research. This paper focuses on methodology and does not present a full discussion of the results. However, selected example findings are presented to support the approach adopted.

scholarly journals A cross cultural analysis of conjuncts as indicators of the interaction and negotiation of meaning in research articles

2016 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 45-63 ◽  
Author(s):  
Renata Povolná
Keyword(s):  
Native Speakers ◽  
Academic Discourse ◽  
Cultural Analysis ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Research Articles ◽  
Cultural Variation ◽  
Negotiation Of Meaning ◽  
Academic Texts ◽  
Native Speakers Of English ◽  
Academic Communication

Abstract The role of English as a global lingua franca of academia has become indisputable in the on-going process of internationalization of all scholarship, even though the majority of writers and readers of academic texts are non-native speakers of English. Thus it is questionable whether there is any justification for imposing on international academic communication written in English the style conventions typical of the dominant Anglophone discourse community. Recommendations usually comprise qualities such as clarity, economy, linearity and precision in communication (cf. Bennett, 2015), which can be achieved, among other means, by certain overt guiding signals including conjuncts (Quirk et al., 1985). Accordingly, the aim of this paper is to reveal cross-cultural variation in the use of these important text-organizing means as it is believed that conjuncts can enhance the interaction and negotiation of meaning between the author and prospective readers of academic texts. The paper explores which semantic relations holding between parts of a text tend to be expressed overtly by conjuncts and which semantic classes, such as appositive, contrastive/concessive, listing and resultive conjuncts, contribute most to the interactive and dialogic nature of written academic discourse. The data are taken from research articles (RAs) selected from two journals, one representing academic discourse written by native speakers of English (Applied Linguistics) and the other representing academic texts written in English by Czech and Slovak scholars (Discourse and Interaction).

scholarly journals A Comparative Analysis of Lexical Bundles Used by Native and Non-native Scholars

2016 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 176 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fatih Gungor ◽  
Hacer Hande Uysal
Keyword(s):  
Language Learners ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Native Speaker ◽  
Research Articles ◽  
Lexical Knowledge ◽  
Formulaic Sequences ◽  
Lexical Bundles ◽  
Native Speakers Of English ◽  
Lexical Bundle ◽  
L1 And L2

<p>In the recent years, globalization prepared a ground for English to be the lingua franca of the academia. Thus, most highly prestigious international journals have defined their medium of publications as English. However, even advanced language learners have difficulties in writing their research articles due to the lack of appropriate lexical knowledge and discourse conventions of academia. Considering the fact that the underuse, overuse and misuse of formulaic sequences or lexical bundles are often characterized with non-native writers of English, lexical bundle studies have recently been on the top of the agenda of corpus studies. Although the related literature has represented specific genres or disciplines, no study has scrutinized lexical bundles in the research articles that are written in the educational sciences. Therefore, the current study compared the structural and functional characteristics of the lexical-bundle use in L1 and L2 research articles in English. The results revealed the deviation of the usages of lexical bundles by the non-native speakers of English from the native speaker norms. Furthermore, the results indicated the overuse of clausal or verb-phrase based lexical bundles in the research articles of Turkish scholars while their native counterparts used noun and prepositional phrase-based lexical bundles more than clausal bundles.</p>

Medical rhetoric: A contrastive study of Arabic and English in the UAE

English Today ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 38-44
Author(s):  
Abdullah Khuwaileh
Keyword(s):  
Medical Research ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Functional Information ◽  
Research Writing ◽  
Medical Rhetoric ◽  
Contrastive Study ◽  
Medical English ◽  
Native Speakers Of English ◽  
Arabic And English ◽  
Research Recommendations

THE AIM of this paper is to study the rhetorical use of tense and voice in research writing undertaken in both English and Arabic medical research. Six reports (three by native speakers of English, three by native speakers of Arabic) were analysed, all being typical of texts containing functional information. Moreover, several medical prescriptions were also analysed. The analysis showed important differences between medical English and medical Arabic, in terms of tense, voice and the use of modals. The study concludes with a number of practical and research recommendations.

scholarly journals A Corpus-based Study on the Use of Three-word Lexical Bundles in the Academic Writing by Native English and Turkish Non-native Writers

2017 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. 28 ◽  
Author(s):  
Serpil Ucar
Keyword(s):  
Quantitative Analysis ◽  
Academic Writing ◽  
English Language ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Lexical Bundles ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Native Speakers Of English ◽  
Lexical Bundle ◽  
Structure And Functions ◽  
Recurrent Word

The utilization of English recurrent word combinations –lexical bundles- play a fundamental role in academic prose (Karabacak & Qin, 2013). There has been highly limited research about comparing Turkish non-native and native English writers’ use of lexical bundles in academic prose in terms of frequency, structure and functions of lexical bundles (Bal, 2010; Karabacak & Qin, 2013, Öztürk, 2014). Therefore, this current research was conducted in order to investigate the most frequently used lexical bundles in the academically published articles of Turkish non-native and native speakers of English and to investigate whether there was a significant difference between native and non-native scholars with respect to the frequency, structures and functions of English language lexical bundles. The data were collected from two corpora; 15 scientific articles of native speakers and 15 scientific articles of Turkish advanced writers. The investigation included a quantitative analysis of the use of three-word lexical bundles and a qualitative analysis of the functions and structures they serve. To be more conservative, three-word lexical bundles which occur 40 times per million words and appear in 5 different texts were described a lexical bundle in this current research. The findings revealed that Turkish non-native writers showed underuse and less variation in the use of lexical bundles in their academic prose compared to native speakers.

scholarly journals A Comparative Analysis of Reporting Verbs in Research Papers authored by Pakistani and Native Writers

2020 ◽  
Vol V (I) ◽  
pp. 57-66
Author(s):  
Tayyabba Yasmin ◽  
Intzar Hussain Butt ◽  
Muhammad Naeem Sarwar
Keyword(s):  
Comparative Analysis ◽  
Academic Writing ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
The Other ◽  
Research Articles ◽  
Research Papers ◽  
Fundamental Component ◽  
Native Speakers Of English ◽  
Selection Of

Decorous exploitation of reporting verbs is a fundamental component of academic writing. It facilitates in constructing authors’ assertions as well as situating those assertions with the previously published literature in the field (Bloch, 2010). This study has been carried out to examine the phenomena of reporting verbs in the research articles of Education and English written by Pakistani and native speakers of English. A corpus-based approach has been adopted in this study. The corpus of the study comprises of 152 research articles, authored by native and Pakistani researchers in the fields of Education and English. The findings of the study exhibited dissimilarities in the ways the authors accredit the other sources in their work and demonstrate the reported statements in Pakistani and native corpora. This study will assist the research scholars to enhance their awareness regarding an appropriate selection of reporting verbs in their academic writings.

Metadiscourse Devices in English Scientific Research Articles Written by Native and Non- Native Speakers of English

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 46
Author(s):  
Hameed Yahya A. Al-Zubeiry
Keyword(s):  
Native Speakers ◽  
Scientific Research ◽  
Research Articles ◽  
Native Speakers Of English ◽  
Scientific Research Articles

The present study examined the frequently used metadiscourse devices in English scientific research articles written by native (English researchers) and non-native (Arab English researcher) and sought to determine whether differences exist in the use of these devices between Arab researchers of scientific research articles and Native English researchers of scientific research articles. Data was collected from forty research scientific articles written and published in international journals and Arab journals; analysis was done in accordance with Hayland’s model. The analysis revealed that frequently used metadiscourse devices in scientific articles written by native English writers and Arab English writers include evidentials code glosses, frame markers, and endophoric markers; and hedges; boosters; and attitude markers. The results also showed that native English writers of scientific articles embrace more metadiscourse resources than Arab English researchers of scientific academic articles. This confirms that native English writers of scientific articles are more proficient at English than Arab English researchers given the differences in the frequency of metadiscourse resources used. This finding has implication to Arab researchers of scientific research articles.

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