A Corpus-based Study of the Passive Construction ErrorsMade by Chinese EFL Learners

Li Rui

1．  Significance of the Present Study

2．  Literature Review

3．  Research Questions

4．  Theoretical Framework

5．  Methods and Results

6． Conclusion

1.Significance of the Present Study

Making errors is natural and inevitable in language learning, particularly in L2 /FL. As common phenomenon of language acquisition and learning, language errors always arouse the great interest and attention of language researchers and teachers. Consequently, the study of errors has ling been conducted in SLA with a view to uncovering the process of learning and exploring the causes for making errors in the course of L2 /FL.

The present study focuses on three types of English passive construction errors committed by Chinese EFL learners, aims to reveal the developmental pattern of the interlanguage of Chinese EFL learners reflected in the typical patterns of passive construction errors, and hopefully shed some light on English language teaching.

2. Literature Review The achievements of the previous studies are the good point of departure of

the present study; the limitations of previous studies justify the necessity for further research in the present study

Researchers and time

Studies Subject Methods

Zobl 1989 the structure of unaccusative verbs used by FL learners

114 university-age FL learners (90 Japanese) of variety of L1 background in Canada and the United states

analyzing the compositions produced by the learners

Yip 1995 Unaccusative verbs and learnablility

20 advanced English learners with Chinese L1 (the learners come from Taiwan)

grammaticality-judgment

Hirakawa 1995 The usage of English unaccusative verbs in Japanese-speaking learners

22intermediate English learners with Japanese L1 and 14 English native speakers

Grammaticality-judgment

Oshita 2000 The phenomenon of passivized unaccusative structures and the causes for it

Longman Learners’ Corpus (a database of written English produced by learners with a variety of L1s)

Corpus-based approach

Montrul 1999 Causative errors with unaccusative verbs in SL

A group of SL learners with Spanish L1

Error analysis

蔡金亭 2000 The usage of unaccusative verbs in the interlanguage of Chinese EFL learners

25advanced and 25 intermediate English majors in the PLA Foreign Language Institute

Error analysis; grammaticality-judgment; interview

limitations:

(1) in terms of subjects

(2) in terms of study perspectives

(3) in terms of approach

3. Research Questions

(1) What is the overall presentation of the Three types of passive construction errors committed by Chinese EFL learners?

(2) What are the typical patterns of errors in terms of under-used , over-used and malformed passives characterized by Chinese EFL learners from the description of three types of passive errors?

(3) What might be the causes for different types of errors committed by Chinese EFL learners

4. Theoretical Framework

(1) The theoretical foundation in terms of IL and EA

(2) The theoretical foundation in terms of English passive construction

(3) The theoretical foundation in terms of Chinese passive construction

(4) Unaccsative verbs and English passive construction

5. Methods and Results (1) Corpus-based approach data——sub-corpus St3, St4, St5 and St6 in CLEC

Group Sub-corpus Proficiency Total Words

G1 ST3 Non-English Major College Students

(grade1 and grade 2)

209043

G2 ST4 Non-English Major College Students

(grade3 and grade 4)

212855

G3 ST5 English Major College Students

(grade1 and grade 2)

214510

G4 ST6 English Major College Students

(grade3 and grade 4)

226160

Version ——error-tagged version of CLEC

Error type——Vp7 (errors in the usage of voice)

Tool——Mancintosh ConcApp （ 2.0 version ）

(2) Procedures and findings

[1]Retrieving data from computer

<1> Opening the file ST3

<2> Running the concordance

<3> Making concordance selection

<4> Creating the concordance

<5> Frequency of Vp7 errors in initial analysis

  Vp7 errors

Group G1(ST3)

G2(ST4)

G3(ST5)

G4(ST6)

Total

Frequency 121 119 76 58 374

<6> Frequency of Vp7 errors in re-analysis

  Vp7 errors

Group G1(ST3)

G2(ST4)

G3(ST5)

G4(ST6)

Total

Frequency 108 108 63 55 334

<7> The raw frequency of each type of passive errors

Vp7 G1 G2 G3 G4 Total

Vp7-O 25 38 25 15 103

Vp7-U 76 59 25 29 189

Vp7-M 7 11 13 11 42

  108 108 63 55 334 

[2] Data-analysis and results

<1> General study and findings Making the inter-group comparison and the intra-group comparison a. inter-group comparison

(raw frequency counts/ words of the corpus)×100000 = normed frequency counts per 100000 words

(Biber et al., 2000:263)

The raw and normed frequency of each sub-type of passive errors under the inter-group comparison

Vp7   G1 G2 G3 G4

 Vp7-O

Raw Frequency 25 38 25 15

Normed Frequency

11.5 17.9 11.7 6.6

 Vp7-U

Raw Frequency 76 59 25 29

Normed Frequency

36.4 27.7 13.2 11.9

 Vp7-M

Raw Frequency 7 11 13 11

Normed Frequency

3.4 4.2 6.1 4.9

General tendency of each type of passive errors

General Tendency of Three Types of Passi veErrors

05

10152025303540

G1 G2 G3 G4

Vp7- OVp7- UVp7- M

b. intra-group comparison

The distribution of three types of passive errors in each group

Vp7 G1 G2 G3 G4 Total

F P F P F P F P F P

Vp7-O

25 23.1%

38 35.2%

25 39.7%

15 27.3%

103 30.8%

Vp7-U

76 70.4%

59 54.6%

25 39.7%

29 52.7%

189 56.6%

Vp7-M

7 6.5%

11 10.2%

13 20.6%

11 20% 42 12.6%

  108 100%

108 100%

63 100%

55 100%

334 100%

General distribution of three types of passive errors

1 = Vp7-O 2 = Vp7-M 3 = Vp7-U

General Di strui buti on of Three Types ofPassi ve Errors

31%

0%

56%

0%13% 0% 1

2

3

<2> Specific study and finding

Vp7

Sub-type Vp7-U Vp7-O Vp7-M

Tokens 189 103 42

Total 334

Vp7-U G1 G2 G3 G4 Total Corpora

Vp7-U1 10 (13%)

4(7%)

1(4%)

1(3.45%)

16(8%)

Vp7-U2 63(83%)

45(76%)

15(60%)

27(93.1%)

150(79%)

Vp7-U3 3(4%)

10(17%)

9(36%)

1(3.45%)

23(13%)

  76(100%)

59(100%)

25(100%)

29(100%)

189(100%)

a. Frequency counts and relate percentages of specific errors in under-used passives

(1) Under-used passivization happens when the verb shares both intransitive and transitive features. This type of error is labeled as Vp7-U1.(2) Under-used passivization appears when the passivable transitive verb is not passivized. This type of error is labeled as Vp7-U2(3) Last, errors of under-used passives occur in semi-passives, which is labeled as Vp7-U3.

b. Frequency counts and relate percentages of specific errors in over-used passives

Vp7-O G1 G2 G3 G4 Total Corpora

Vp7-O1 10(40%)

16(42%)

10(40%)

3(20%)

39(38%)

Vp7-O2 13(52%)

19(50%)

15(60%)

10(67%)

57(55%)

Vp7-O3 1(4%)

3(8%)

— 2(13%)

6(6%)

Vp7-O4 1(4%)

— — — 1(1%)

  25(100%)

38(100%)

25(100%)

15(100%)

103(100)

 

(1) The passivization of unaccusative verbs is labeled as Vp7-O1. (2) The passivization of well-formed actives is labeled as Vp7-O2 (3) The passivization of non-passive expressions is labeled as Vp7-O3 (4) Vp7-O4 means that in BE(link verb)+PP.(adj.) structure, the link verb be is wrongly passivized.

Vp7-M G1 G2 G3 G4 Total

Vp7-M1 2 2 4 5 13

Vp7-M2 2 5 9 6 22

Vp7-M3 3 4 — — 7

  7 11 13 11 42

c. Frequency counts of specific errors in malformed passives

the omission of auxiliary be (Vp7-M1);the omission of the morphological change in the past participle (vp7-M2); the simplification of BE+PP. (vp7-M3).

(3) Major causes for three types of Vp7 errors

[1] causes for under-used passives a. English verbs and underpassivization verbs intransitive v. transitive v. causative v. stative v. * dical facility also improved [vp7-U1,4-] [vp1,-4] to a high level.

* ls and the state will surely [vp7-U1,-1] reduce, and more other p *ss rivers and lakes polluted [vp7-U2,s-]; no more clear sky, no mo *s are possible ways to adopt [vp7-U2,-]. Supervison [fm1,-] by o

b. L1 Transfer and underpassivization TL---subject-prominent language (English)

NL---topic-prominent language (Chinese)

Chinese passive construction the bei construction

the notional construction

* mes legal, the problems will [vp7-U2, -1] solve. The grandmother w

…… 问题将会得到解决。…… * dical facility also improved [vp7-U1,4-] [vp1,-4] to a high level.

…… 医疗设施也得到很大改善……

* se works [wd3,-s] , I moved [vp7-U3,-1] to tears. But for these f …… ，我感动的流下了热泪。……

c. Semi-passives and underpassivization agentless passive construction: BE (auxiliary) + PP. (past participle of v.)

semi-passive construction: BE (copula) + PP. (adjectivalized –ed participle)

• *re writing, we will surprise [vp7-U3,2-] to find that only a few

• *een incomplete and I myself [vp7-U3,2-0] [vp6, 9-1] paralyzed.

• *real friend will concern [vp7-U3,2-2] about you and give you

[2] causes for over-used passives

a. overpassivization and unaccusative verbs

intransitive verbs unaccusative v.

unergative v.

The vase was broken. (passive construction) The vase was broken (by the little boy). The vase broke. (unaccusative structure)

*The vase broke (by the little boy).

The window was broken (by the little boy).

theme agent

break: (x) and <y> (transitive verb)

The window broke.

theme

break: <y> (unaccusative verb)

•d days, people were suffered [vp7-O1,2-2] from warring [wd2,s-], f

•* efore the class is started [vp7-O1,4-] , you have to have everyt

•* and science is disappeared [vp7-O1,10-] . As an English major [

•* rld war would be happened, [vp7-O1,6-] which made me vexed beca

b. Overpassivization in well-formed active construction

S + V + O (active construction)

S + Vpass + (A) (passive construction)

* S + Vpass + O

* g [np6,-]reason.Tom was fail [vp7-O2,-] and went back.In his armch

* day as well as zongzi. It's [vp7-O2, 1-1] originated from that pe

*I will have been accumulated [vp7-O2,2-] many experiment [wd3,1-]

*gs and people. I am realized [vp7-O2,s-] the importance of learn [

*students should be respected [vp7-O2,1-2] each other [sn1,s-]. A g

C. Overpassivization in non-passive expression stative verbs and English passive cosntruction

He lacks confidence.

The coat does not fit you.

Will this suit you?

John resembles his father

*ns even if the job is suited [vp7-O3,2-] for them. My view on job-

*nd that the job isn't fitted [vp7-O3,2-] with him [pr3,s-], they'l

*o find a job which is fitted [vp7-O3,2-] himself mostly. So they c

[3] causes for malformed passives

a. characteristics of English passive construction

---BE is influenced by grammatical conditions and has morphological changes;

---PP. occurs in either regular or irregular forms;

b. characteristics of Chinese passive construction

--- no morphological and syntactical devices to indicate passive

*ts is quietly being practise [vp7-M2, 1-] in ill [wd7, 1-]some urb

*choice is [wd6, 1-] protect [vp7-M2, 1-] by the laws. If eu

*cipates [wd3,-] to respected [vp7-M1,-] by others and enter the

human history? They punished [vp7-M1,s-] by people after one night

6. Conclusion

(1) The learning patterns shown in this study are relable because they are generalizations based on the data obtained from the large-scale learner corpus (CLEC).

(2) Pedagogical remedies proposed in the light of the patterns shown in corpus analysis are more effective because they present a realistic picture of how an English construction is represented and develops in the Chinese-speaking EFL learners.

(3)The findings in this study are hopefully useful for the language teaching.

Thank You Very Much!