Representation Of The Way Construction In English-Chinese Learners’ Dictionaries

The way construction is extremely complex in structure and meaning and poses agreat challenge for learners of English as a foreign language (EFL). As an importantreference tool, English-Chinese learners dictionaries (ECLDs) should have takenChinese EFL learners needs into consideration. However, current ECLDs pay littleattention to learners needs in the representation of the way construction. Therefore,the present study is carried out from the perspective of the construction grammar,which pays more attention to constructions in the process of language acquisition,with an aim of improving the representation of the way construction in ECLDs andhelping Chinese EFL learners to better acquire the way construction.First, the semantic constraints of the way construction, its three interpretationsand connections of these interpretations are analyzed. Then through the ana lysis of thesemantic judgment test and translation errors as well as the actual use of the wayconstruction collected from a questionnaire, Chinese EFL learners difficulties inacquisition of the way construction are identified and their needs are detected. Finally,by conducting a survey of the way construction in four major ECLDs, a tentativemodel of representation of the way construction as well as specific samples targetingat the deficiencies in current ECLDs has been proposed under the guidance ofconstruction grammar and multidimensional definition theory.Through the above analysis, major findings include:1) Chinese EFL learnershave difficulties in acquisition of the way construction. Their comprehension andproduction of the way construction are affected by four factors: insufficient secondlanguage input, negative transfer of Chinese, overgeneralization and expressionaldifference of motion in English and Chinese;2) the investigated English-Chineselearners dictionaries are deficient in the representation of the semantic constraints onthe way construction, its overall interpretations and connections of theseinterpretations and they cannot satisfy Chinese EFL learners cognitive needs;3) the construction grammar and multidimensional definition theory will help to improve therepresentation of the way construction from macro and micro perspective respectively.In addition, noticing hypothesis will highlight the significant parts of the wayconstruction, thus facilitating Chinese EFL learners acquisition of this construction.