Why Hedging Suffers in Formal Writing by Korean EFL Learners (Why Hedging Suffers in Formal Writing by Korean EFL Learners)

서지정보

· 발행기관 : 학습자중심교과교육학회
· 수록지 정보 : 학습자중심교과교육연구 / 25권 / 6호 / 181 ~ 195페이지
· 저자명 : 박태현

초록

Objectives The present study aimed to determine the kinds of hedge use issues that Korean college EFL learners encounter when writing formally and then investigate the causes of those issues. In order to find out why Korean English language learners use particular hedging devices, this qualitative study asked them what influences their decision-making.
Methods With 31 participants, this study employed two instruments: single-paragraph formal writing and one- on-one interviews. The single-paragraph writing assignment aimed to collect data that allows me to assess how appropriately the participants use hedging devices in formal writing. In the subsequent interviews, which were based on the writing task data, students were asked why they chose certain lexical items that hurt the formality of their writing.
Results The findings of the writing task are characterized as the overuse of indefinite pronouns, the underuse of modal verbs, and the misuse of adverbs of possibility. The interviews revealed that the students in the study had a limited understanding of the differences between spoken and written registers. They also had little under standing of how modal verbs function as a hedge in formal writing.
Conclusions One implication of this study is that the focus of EFL instruction should be to assist students in ex panding their usage repertoire of each modal verb so they can fully understand every possible job that modals can perform.

영어초록

Objectives The present study aimed to determine the kinds of hedge use issues that Korean college EFL learners encounter when writing formally and then investigate the causes of those issues. In order to find out why Korean English language learners use particular hedging devices, this qualitative study asked them what influences their decision-making.
Methods With 31 participants, this study employed two instruments: single-paragraph formal writing and one- on-one interviews. The single-paragraph writing assignment aimed to collect data that allows me to assess how appropriately the participants use hedging devices in formal writing. In the subsequent interviews, which were based on the writing task data, students were asked why they chose certain lexical items that hurt the formality of their writing.
Results The findings of the writing task are characterized as the overuse of indefinite pronouns, the underuse of modal verbs, and the misuse of adverbs of possibility. The interviews revealed that the students in the study had a limited understanding of the differences between spoken and written registers. They also had little under standing of how modal verbs function as a hedge in formal writing.
Conclusions One implication of this study is that the focus of EFL instruction should be to assist students in ex panding their usage repertoire of each modal verb so they can fully understand every possible job that modals can perform.

참고자료

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