英语专业学生议论文中情态序列使用频率的年级表征

A study of the developmental features of modal sequences in Chinese English majors' argumentative writing

以LOCNESS和BNC语料库中本族语者大学生议论文为参照语料，本文探讨了WECCL（2.0）语料库中中国英语专业四个年级大学生议论文中情态（动词）序列使用的年级特征。研究发现：（1）总体而言，我国英语专业大学生四个年级议论文语料库中过多或过少使用情态（动词）序列的趋势明显；（2）过多使用的情态（动词）序列的主题性均值总体上随年级升高而降低，而过少使用的情态（动词）序列的主题性均值基本上随年级升高逐步上升，但都在二年级时有所逆转，出现反复；（3）中国英语专业大学生大多数情态序列的使用，在高年级时基本趋近本族语者的使用范式；（4）有些情态（动词）序列的使用随年级的上升出现波动现象；（5）过多使用的情态序列中表义务情态的较多，而过少使用的情态序列中大多数是表认知情态的。这些发现凸显了二语学习者中介语的不完备、系统、不稳定等特性。文章最后从中介语特征理论，并结合笔者的情态语言习得实践，探究了造成这种现象的具体原因。

Using LOCNESS and BNC as reference corpora, this study explored the developmental features of modal sequences in Chinese English majors' argumentations in the corpus of WECCL (2.0). The results showed that: (1) Overall, it was obvious that Chinese English majors' tended to overuse or underuse modal sequences (including modal verbs); (2) the average keyness of overused modal sequences tended to descend while the average keyness of underused modal sequences tended to rise with the progness of students' grade level, although there was some reverse in the second grade; (3) the use of most modal sequences by Chinese English majors generally approached the use pattern of native speakers; (4) while the development of some modal sequences undulated with the rising of grade level; (5) most overused modal sequences were deontic ones, while most underused modal sequences were epistemic ones. These findings revealed the incomplete, systematic and unstable characteristics of Chinese English majors' interlanguage. Finally, based on the interlanguage features theory and the author's modality acquisition practice, the paper discussed the possible causes of the above phenomena.