A Corpus-Based Study of Malaysian ESL Learners' Use of Modals in Argumentative Compositions

Autor/inn/en	Kader, Mohamed Ismail bin Abdul; Begi, Neda; Vaseghi, Reza
Titel	A Corpus-Based Study of Malaysian ESL Learners' Use of Modals in Argumentative Compositions
Quelle	In: English Language Teaching, 6 (2013) 9, S.146-157 (12 Seiten) PDF als Volltext kostenfreie Datei Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	1916-4742
Schlagwörter	Foreign Countries; English (Second Language); Second Language Learning; College Students; Persuasive Discourse; Writing (Composition); Instructional Improvement; Teaching Methods; Computational Linguistics; Discourse Analysis; Statistical Analysis; Grammar; Morphemes; Verbs; Language Usage; Computer Software; Second Language Instruction; Malaysia + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Ausland; English as second language; English; Second Language; Englisch als Zweitsprache; Zweitsprachenerwerb; Collegestudent; Persuasion; Persuasive Kommunikation; Schreibübung; Unterrichtsqualität; Teaching method; Lehrmethode; Unterrichtsmethode; Linguistics; Computerlinguistik; Diskursanalyse; Statistische Analyse; Grammatik; Morphem; Sprachgebrauch; Fremdsprachenunterricht
Abstract	This study attempts to examine the use of English modals in terms of their frequency and functions. For this purpose, Form 4 and College students' argumentative compositions were extracted from the Malaysian Corpus of Students' Argumentative Writing (MCSAW). In order to analyze the data, this study employed discourse analysis and some descriptive statistics by using the WordSmith Tools Version 4.0. The findings of the study showed that Form 4 and College students used "can" and "will" more frequently in argumentative compositions compared to other modals. Moreover, the result illustrated the exploitation of present tense form of modal than the past tense form. Finally, it was also revealed that the modals of ability were the most frequent modals found in Form 4 and College students' compositions in terms of their appropriate function. In order to improve the teaching, learning and effective usage of modal auxiliaries among ESL learners, all the central modals must be emphasized repetitively to enhance students' understanding of modals and their functions. (As Provided).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2020/1/01