An Investigation into the Developmental Features of Chinese EFL Learners’ Use of Amplifier Collocations Wang Haihua School of Foreign Languages Dalian Maritime University Dalian, 116026

1 Introduction Amplifier

Focus of the present research The focus of the present research is on investigating the accurate use of amplifier collocations at three different proficiency levels. Intensified items involve adjectives, adverbs and verbs, with the amplifiers functioning as adverbs.

2 Research related to amplifier collocations Studies in 1970s and 1980s Greenbaum 1970; Bolinger 1972; Bäcklund 1973; Quirk et al. 1985; Allerton 1987 Corpus-based studies Altenberg 1991; Paradis 1997; Granger 1998; Lorenz 1998, 1999; Biber et al. 1999; Kennedy 2003

Learner corpus based studies Granger (1998) compared writing of native English speakers with that of French advanced learners of English in terms of the amplifiers ending in –ly and functioning as modifiers Lorenz (1998, 1999) studied the adjective intensifications in argumentative writing by NSs and NNSs

3 Method Corpora used WordSmith Tools 31 amplifiers investigated Basic corpus: CLEC – HS(st2), NM(st3-4), EM(st5-6) Reference corpora: BNC and COBUILD WordSmith Tools 31 amplifiers investigated selected with reference to the lists in Bolinger (1972), Quirk et al. (1985), and Kennedy (2003)

4 Results and discussion 4.1 Overall frequency of amplifiers in the corpora Normalized frequency of amplifier tokens in HS, NM, and EM (per 100,000 words) Amplifiers HS NM EM Maximizers 5.2 24.68 48.75 Boosters 958.4 448.72 415.42

Normalized frequency of booster tokens in HS, NM, and EM (so, very, and very much excepted ) Corpora HS NM EM Boosters 39.2 67.02 78.13

4.2 Booster collocations Normalized frequency of tokens of six boosters in HS, NM, and EM (per 100,000 words) Boosters HS NM EM badly 4 5.96 5.21 deeply 10.8 6.81 7.08 greatly 13.6 22.98 14.79 so 148.8 86.38 118.96 very 684.4 274.89 196.04 very much 86 20.43 22.29

Reasons for more frequent use of so, very, and very much by learners at HS level Syntactically and semantically simple, with readier and more direct equivalents in Chinese – 如此 for so, 很 for very, and 非常 for very much Possibly considered by learners as core words with frequent exposure in daily communication

Accuracy rate of five boosters

Discussion There is a “backsliding” in the accurate use of badly, deeply, and greatly. Learners’ accuracy and varieties of amplifier collocations are influenced by their overall language proficiency. The greatest difference in performance appears to be between HS and EM.

5 Conclusion Chinese EFL learners’ production of maximizers is influenced by their overall language proficiency. The more proficient learners have a wider vocabulary at their disposal.

The number of collocational tokens of boosters decreases as the learners become more proficient. Yet the learners at EM level are more productive after so, very, and very much are filtered out, revealing that the three “all-rounders” are acquired earlier, and the more proficient learners use more challenging and versatile amplifier collocations.

In respect of the accuracy rate of collocational types and tokens, the greatest differences seem to be between HS and EM and between NM and EM. L1-L2 differences influence the acquisition of amplifier collocations.

Thank you!