The occurrence of a nonstandard modal perfect construction in the writing of Finnish English speakers and its correlation with the use of English social media
Västilä, Aliisa (2022)
Västilä, Aliisa
2022
Englannin kielen, kirjallisuuden ja kääntämisen kandidaattiohjelma - Bachelor's Programme in English Language, Literature and Translation
Informaatioteknologian ja viestinnän tiedekunta - Faculty of Information Technology and Communication Sciences
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Hyväksymispäivämäärä
2022-12-12
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:tuni-202212129094
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:tuni-202212129094
Tiivistelmä
Global social media platforms connect English speakers of various proficiency levels, which means that the users are exposed to a wide range of English vocabulary and constructions, some of which may be perceived as grammatically incorrect. Prior research on incidental learning and EFL speakers has demonstrated that the use of social media leads to vocabulary gains, which inspires the following question: does social media use also entail the acquisition of prescriptively incorrect constructions?
This bachelor’s thesis attempts to provide insight into this question by examining the occurrence of a particular nonstandard modal perfect construction among Finnish EFL speakers. This construction has been referred to as the “must of” phenomenon (Coates 1989), but no official term exists. The phenomenon has received relatively little attention in the field of linguistics, despite being relatively frequent in written contexts. The construction is particularly interesting in that it has been found in native English speakers, who often act as a model for EFL speakers.
This bachelor’s level research has the aim of identifying the prevalence of the nonstandard modal perfect in the writing of Finnish EFL speakers and to examine whether exposure to English on social media correlates with the production of the construction. The study applied a quantitative approach in order to provide a generalized statement of the phenomenon in Finland. 426 native Finnish speakers participated an online survey, which functioned as the data collection method.
The results showed that the nonstandard modal perfect rarely occurs in Finnish EFL speakers’ writing, due to which a correlation with social media use could not be determined. Additionally, it was found that Finnish EFL speakers are generally well-acquainted with the standard modal perfect. The primary finding was interpreted to result from a combination of factors related to insufficient input, reactivation, and attention, as well as the comparatively high proficiency of Finnish EFL speakers. The findings led to a hypothesis that the prescriptive knowledge of some Finnish speakers might lead to the rejection of the nonstandard construction, and that the rejection might be reinforced by certain features in their L1.
Through a focused perspective, this bachelor's thesis sought to contribute to incidental learning in the SLA field in an effort to inspire further research in the future. On the basis of this project, a qualitative or a mixed methods approach is suggested, should the hypothesis or a similar topic be investigated.
This bachelor’s thesis attempts to provide insight into this question by examining the occurrence of a particular nonstandard modal perfect construction among Finnish EFL speakers. This construction has been referred to as the “must of” phenomenon (Coates 1989), but no official term exists. The phenomenon has received relatively little attention in the field of linguistics, despite being relatively frequent in written contexts. The construction is particularly interesting in that it has been found in native English speakers, who often act as a model for EFL speakers.
This bachelor’s level research has the aim of identifying the prevalence of the nonstandard modal perfect in the writing of Finnish EFL speakers and to examine whether exposure to English on social media correlates with the production of the construction. The study applied a quantitative approach in order to provide a generalized statement of the phenomenon in Finland. 426 native Finnish speakers participated an online survey, which functioned as the data collection method.
The results showed that the nonstandard modal perfect rarely occurs in Finnish EFL speakers’ writing, due to which a correlation with social media use could not be determined. Additionally, it was found that Finnish EFL speakers are generally well-acquainted with the standard modal perfect. The primary finding was interpreted to result from a combination of factors related to insufficient input, reactivation, and attention, as well as the comparatively high proficiency of Finnish EFL speakers. The findings led to a hypothesis that the prescriptive knowledge of some Finnish speakers might lead to the rejection of the nonstandard construction, and that the rejection might be reinforced by certain features in their L1.
Through a focused perspective, this bachelor's thesis sought to contribute to incidental learning in the SLA field in an effort to inspire further research in the future. On the basis of this project, a qualitative or a mixed methods approach is suggested, should the hypothesis or a similar topic be investigated.
Kokoelmat
- Kandidaatintutkielmat [8709]