Towards An Optimized Presentation Of Light Verbs In ECLDs

A light verb is a verb such as make in make a turn or take in take a look, whose contribution to the meaning of the whole is less specific than in make a table or take a sandwich. Lexicographers have long realized that it is a hard job to present those common but productive words efficiently in dictionaries, and previous researches revealed that Chinese EFL learners have difficulties in using the light verbs.The thesis focuses on optimizing the presentation of light verbs in English-Chinese learners' dictionaries (ECLDs). A comparative study of Chinese EFL learners' performance of light verbs with that exhibited by native English speakers suggests that Chinese EFL learners tend to overuse or underuse some light verb collocations. In addition, it is found that Chinese EFL learners have the following difficulties in using the light verbs: 1) The misuse of the singular form of the objects of some light verbs; 2) No or few modifiers used before the objects; 3) Lack of variety in the use of the tenses of light verbs; 4) Wrong interpretation of some light verb collocations; 5) Wrong selection of light verbs. Based on the examination of five popular English learners' dictionaries (ELDs) and two mainstream English Chinese learners' dictionaries (ECLDs), the presentation of three most frequently used light verbs, viz. have, make and take, is reviewed. It is discovered that the deficiencies mainly lie in the following aspects: 1) The treatment principle dealing with have, make and take is not consistent; 2) The status of light verbs is not highlighted; 3) The light verb collocations provided are not sufficient for readers' productive use of those words; 4) Sentence examples are too few to provide a rich context for readers' encoding of light verbs.A tentative model for optimizing the presentation of light verbs in ECLDs is proposed in the thesis in an attempt to promote Chinese FEL learners' productivity in using the light verbs. The principles are proposed from both macrostructure level and microstructure level. On the macrostructure level, it is maintained that ECLDs should provide the information about light verbs in the front matter and create study pages to help learners understand the light verbs, discriminate them and use them. Meanwhile, cross references are needed to link the related light verbs. On the microstructure level, it is argued that light verbs should be highlighted in the entry, and error warning messages should be incorporated into the entry. To help learners distinguish those words, discrimination boxes are needed. It is stressed in the thesis that sufficient collocations and example sentences should be provided in ECLDs to improve Chinese EFL learners' productivity of light verbs.