A Corpus-Based Study On The Structural Distribution Of Attribute By Chinese EFL Learners

The present study focuses on the structures and placement of noun phrases used by Chinese EFL learners. A corpus-based Contrastive Inter language Analysis (CIA) approach was adopted in the study. Through quantitative contrastive analyses of the structural distribution of attribute in noun phrases between the samples chosen from Chinese English Learner Corpus (CLEC) and British National Corpus (BNC), the study reveals the grammatical characteristics of attributive distribution pattern employed by Chinese EFL learners and shows differences compared with that of English natives, and main causes to these grammatical features and differences are also explored.The study shows that, the general model of the distribution between pre-modifiers and post-modifiers of Chinese learners is similar to that of English natives, i.e. they all tend to take single pre-modifiers as primary modifying way, while post-modifiers as auxiliary way. However, they are significantly different in the X~2 value, which shows the structural distribution of the characteristic concerned. By examining factors resulting in these grammatical features and differences embodied in using nominal modifiers, 'L1 transfer' is found out to be the main cause leading to these structural phenomena.The further investigation indicates that Chinese learners, affected by patterns in their mother tongue, tend to take pre-modifiers as primary and post-ones as auxiliary among which attributive clauses are given overwhelming preference to phrases. The strategies of language transfer, avoidance and over-generalization, etc. were preferred by Chinese EFL learners. In the study, a proof-test to the relation between L2 input and L1 transferability is also explored.The findings suggest that during the teaching process, teachers should emphasize the importance of phrasal expressions as post-modifiers in formal wring style. They could also help the students weaken the impact of L1 negative transfer by formal instruction and typical practice, helping them raise their awareness of target language-thinking model as well as obedience to the rules of target language.