A Corpus-based Study of the English Synonymous Adjectives: Focused on “able, capable, competent and qualified”

doi:10.18627/jslg.38.3.202211.307

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2022 Vol.38, Issue 3 Preview Page Next Page

Research Article

A Corpus-based Study of the English Synonymous Adjectives: Focused on “able, capable, competent and qualified” 코퍼스를 이용한 영어 동의 형용사 연구: “able, capable, competent and qualified”를 중심으로: 한인석¹, 한천영^2*
Hahn, In-Seok¹, Han, Chun-Young^2*; ¹충남도립대학교
²청운대학교

¹Chungnam State University
²Chungwoon University

30 November 2022. pp. 307-322

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Abstract

Synonyms are a problematic aspect of learning English as a foreign language. This corpus-based study aimed to explore the collations of four English synonymous adjectives: “able, capable, competent, qualified.” For collocation analysis, concordance lines of four adjectives were retrieved from the Corpus of Contemporary American English (COCA). It is quite a burdensome task for English learners to learn every synonym’s nuance. Using world-class corpus data could help English language learners learn synonyms by exploring and understanding synonyms’ collocation and syntactic patterns with accuracy in language use. The corpus-based data of the adjectives mentioned above were compared and investigated in order to see the similarities and differences. The results showed that the synonymous adjectives shared some core meanings and could be used interchangeably in some particular contexts. However, the collocation and syntactic patterns of the adjectives had various differences. The results of this study reveal that corpus can be used as an effective strategy to distinguish and understand the synonyms in EFL. The study recommends using corpus-based analysis in language teaching to clarify synonym use and enhance language learners’ vocabulary.

Keywords

Synonyms

Collocation

COCA

Corpus-based data

Concordancer

References

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Information

Publisher :The Modern Linguistic Society of Korea
Publisher(Ko) :한국현대언어학회
Journal Title :The Journal of Studies in Language
Journal Title(Ko) :언어연구
Volume : 38
No :3
Pages :307-322
DOI :https://doi.org/10.18627/jslg.38.3.202211.307

[1] Benson, M., Benson, E., and Ilson, R. 1997. The BBI Dictionary of English Word Combinations. Amsterdam: John Benjamins Publishing Co. 10.1075/z.bbi1(2nd)

[2] Biber, D., Conrad S., and Reppen R. 1998. Corpus linguistics: Investigating Language Structure and Use. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 10.1017/CBO9780511804489

[3] Collins, H. 2008. Collins Cobuild English Language Dictionary. London: Harcollins Pub.

[4] Crystal, D. 1992. The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Language. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

[5] Firth, J. R. 1957. Papers in Linguistics. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

[6] Halliday, M. and Hasan, R. 1976. Cohesion in English. London: Longman. PMC1333491

[7] Harley, H. 2006. English words: A Linguistic Introduction. Oxford: Blackwell.

[8] Lombard, R. J. 1997. Nonnative Speaker Collocation: A Corpus-driven Characterization from the Writing of Native Speakers of Mandarin. Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation, Arlington, Texas.

[9] Longman. 2016. Dictionary of English Language and Culture. London: Longman.

[10] Nation, I. S. P. 2001. Learning Vocabulary in Another Language. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 10.1017/CBO9781139524759 PMC90373

[11] Palmer, R. F. 1990. Semantics (2nd ed.). New York: Cambridge University Press.

[12] Partington, A. 1998. Patterns and Meanings: Using Corpora for English Language Research and Teaching. Amsterdam, Netherlands: John Benjamins. 10.1075/scl.2

[13] Sinclair, J. 1991. Corpus, Concordance and Collocation. Oxford : Oxford University Press.

[14] Wilkins, D. A. 1974. Reading in The Language Classroom. London: Macmillan Publishers Ltd.

[15] Yeh, Y., Liou, H., and Li, Y. 2007. Online Synonym Materials and Concordancing for EFL College Writing. Computer Assisted Language Learning 20.2, 131-152. 10.1080/09588220701331451

[16] Yoon, H. 2008. More than a Linguistic Reference: The Influence of Corpus Technology on L₂ academic Writing. Language Learning and Technology 12.2, 31-48.

The Journal of Studies in Language ISSN:1225-4770(Print) 2671-6151(Online) 언어연구

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