1.

Record Nr.

UNINA9910464335703321

Autore

Howarth Peter Andrew

Titolo

Phraseology in English academic writing : some implications for language learning and dictionary making / / Peter Andrew Howarth

Pubbl/distr/stampa

Tübingen : , : M. Niemeyer, , 1996

ISBN

3-11-093792-1

Edizione

[Reprint 2013]

Descrizione fisica

1 online resource (238 p.)

Collana

Lexicographica. Series Maior ; ; 75

Disciplina

420/.1/41

Soggetti

English language - Discourse analysis

English language - Study and teaching

English language

English language - Lexicography

Academic writing

Electronic books.

Lingua di pubblicazione

Inglese

Formato

Materiale a stampa

Livello bibliografico

Monografia

Note generali

Description based upon print version of record.

Nota di bibliografia

Includes bibliographical references (pages [225]-230).

Nota di contenuto

Front matter -- Contents -- Abstract -- Résumé -- Zusammenfassung -- Introduction -- Chapter One. The Classification of Word Combinations -- Chapter Two. The Processing of Conventional Language -- Chapter Three. The Analysis of Native-speaker Academic Writing -- Chapter Four. The Phraseology of Non-native Academic Writing -- Chapter Five. Collocational Dictionaries for Learners of English -- Conclusion -- Appendices -- References

Sommario/riassunto

This study examines the use of one category of prefabricated language (restricted lexical collocations) in native and non-native academic English in the social sciences, in an attempt to throw light on a neglected aspect of learner competence. It first surveys the existing theoretical viewpoints on word combinations and then reviews experimental research into the psycholinguistic processing of prefabricated language, which suggest that the role of conventional expressions is to facilitate fluent production and rapid comprehension. A computer-based corpus of native academic writing is analyzed to discover to what extent and how such collocations are used in formal written English. Conventionality of style, it is suggested, aids precision



of expression, clearly a quality highly valued in academic argument. A corpus of non-native writing is then subjected to a similar analysis. While the collocational errors learners make do not on the whole seriously destroy intelligibility, they can lead to a lack of precision and obscure the clarity of expression required in academic communication. Pedagogical implications are then considered, and it is seen that for the most part published teaching materials have failed to recognize the nature of collocations in general and offer little help. The final part of the study examines the treatment of restricted collocations in both general and phraseological dictionaries for learners. These are evaluated on their selection and presentation of collocations shown by the preceding research to be problematic for advanced learners. The conclusion suggests that, for such learners, who are mostly studying the language independently, good reference works are needed in the form of specialist collocational dictionaries. The results of this research help to establish principles for the design of such dictionaries.