The Application Of Vague Language In Questionnaires Employed In Foreign Language M.A. Theses

In foreign language teaching and research at home, the empirical type of article has become the mainstream of M.A. thesis writing, as well as papers of foreign language teaching. Questionnaire survey is widely used in academic study. The quality of the questionnaire often determines the quality of the research, mainly because high quality research depends on the high quality of the data. Questionnaire survey is widely welcomed by foreign language researchers for its convenience and easiness to collect and analyze the data, which may reflect the actual circumstances of the subjects accurately. Thus, the quantification, authenticity and convenience of the results from questionnaire have made it possible to be attached an extremely important methodological significance to academic research.Vague language is widespread in the human language, and people cannot ignore the influence of vague language on the social research. The research on vague language abroad has been fruitful. In the past two decades, vague language researches get rapid development in China (Wu Tieping,1979.1986,1999; Chen Zhi’an,1996; Chen Linhua&Li Fuyin,1994; Li Qianju.1996.2006.2007, etc.). Most studies are just done from the perspectives of semantic vagueness, pragmatic vagueness in theory, while very little work has been done on vague language applied in questionnaire based on corpus.This study has changed the traditional research methods, trying to do the research on vague language in questionnaires employed in foreign language M.A. theses by using corpus. Such study aims to investigate the use of vague language in questionnaires employed in foreign language M.A. theses, to analyze the realization and pragmatic functions of vague language in questionnaires, to prove the necessity of vague language used in the questionnaires and to discuss the restrictions of questionnaire context on the application of vague language, as well as the impact of vague language on the quality of questionnaire design.This research is mainly divided into two stages. The first stage is to collect a large number of materials from CNK.I by using Bibliometrics methods and sort out the materials later. The second stage is to establish a small corpus and make a deep analysis by using WordSmith Tools, etc.A self-compiled corpus of145questionnaires from105foreign language M.A. theses is formed in the study. Based on the analysis, findings can be drawn as follows:1. The use of vague language in questionnaires is obviously common for designers."很" is the most frequently used vague language. And vague language occurs more frequently in questionnaire items than in other parts of questionnaires.2. In consideration of the pragmatic functions and communicative needs, it is necessary to use vague language in questionnaire design.3. The indeterminacy and variability of vague language and the principles of questionnaire design are the unity of opposites.4. Proper uses of vague language are beneficial to the questionnaire design with positive effects; in contrast, improper uses lead to errors in questionnaire design with negative effects.The research can help researchers use vague language accurately in the course of questionnaire design in order to achieve the purpose of survey, so as to improve the quality of the questionnaire survey and ensure the quality of research data. Researchers should be improved their linguistic competence by strengthening the training of using research methods. In addition, the guides for the application of vague language in questionnaire can be regarded as a reference to questionnaire design.The framework of this thesis is as follows:Chapter One is the general introduction to the whole research concerning the research background, the research purpose and significance of the study, etc.Chapter Two makes literature review related to the research in two aspects. Firstly, it introduces the status quo of questionnaire survey in research at home and abroad, expounds the advantages and disadvantages of questionnaire survey, and summarizes the basic principles for researchers to comply in questionnaire design. Secondly, the status quo of vague language in research at home and abroad is introduced specifically. And then, it gives a generalized exposition of the necessity of this study.Chapter Three puts forward specific research methodology. In the light of the above research reviews, this study focuses on the following questions:1. What is the applied situation of vague language in questionnaires employed in foreign language M.A. theses?2. Is it necessary to use vague language in questionnaire design?3. Whether the use of vague language is inconsistent with the principles of questionnaire design or not?4. What influences vague language may have on questionnaire design? In order to answer these questions, the research collects the materials from CNKI, and establishes a corpus to gain the research data with the WordSmith Tools.Chapter Four presents the data results of the research and describes the domestic status quo of questionnaire survey in writing the foreign language M.A. theses in recent years and the current situation of the application of vague language in questionnaires employed in foreign language M.A. theses firstly. Then, through the analysis of data, the realization of vague language in questionnaires employed in foreign language M.A. theses can be explored. Chapter Five is the focus of this research, which puts emphasis on the relationship between vague language and questionnaires employed in foreign language M.A. theses. Namely, the chapter discusses the restrictions of questionnaire context on the application of vague language, as well as the pragmatic functions of vague language in questionnaires, and points out the contradiction and consistency between guidelines on questionnaire design and features of vague language. On the basis of the above discussion, the influences of vague language on the quality of questionnaire design can be elaborated upon. Finally, guides to the use of vague language in questionnaire design are proposed.Chapter Six provides a conclusion to the present thesis and makes helpful suggestions for foreign language researchers to design a questionnaire. The limitation of this study and potential directions for further study will also be indicated.