Proceedings of the 2022 8th International Conference on Humanities and Social Science Research (ICHSSR 2022)

Noun Phrase Complexity in Independent and Source-Based Writing

A Case Study of Chinese EFL Students

Authors
Yao Peng1, Xilin Liu2
1Faculty of Languages and Linguistics, University of Malaya.
2Faculty of Languages and Linguistics, University of Malaya
*Yao Peng. Email: 15940894281@163.com
Corresponding Author
Yao Peng
Available Online 1 June 2022.
DOI
10.2991/assehr.k.220504.460How to use a DOI?
Keywords
Integrated writing; independent writing; noun phrase complexity; noun phrase modifiers
Abstract

A growing body of scholars have explored noun phrase complexity according to the hypothesized noun modifier development sequence of Biber et al. (2011). Nevertheless, few researchers have investigated how this linguistic variable vary in different writing types. In response, the study has compared the noun modification by three Chinese EFL students of different writing proficiency in integrated writing (writing based on a source text while responding to a prompt) and independent writing (writing based on personal experience and knowledge, without reference to any reading materials). Following manual coding and descriptive analysis, the authors observed overall positive role of integrated writing for improving noun complexity. In the integrated writing, the highest-proficiency writer modified the nouns in a more varied way, the writer of intermediate level reduced frequent repetition of the same chunks or collocations, and the lowest-proficiency writer employed certain advanced language features (of phrases as postmodifiers - abstract meanings and multiple prepositional phrases as postmodifiers) more frequently. The findings can inform writing test designers and instructors of the necessity to adopt integrated writing as a way to measure the phrasal complexity of students or test takers.

Copyright
© 2022 The Authors. Published by Atlantis Press SARL.
Open Access
This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC 4.0 license.

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Volume Title
Proceedings of the 2022 8th International Conference on Humanities and Social Science Research (ICHSSR 2022)
Series
Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research
Publication Date
1 June 2022
ISBN
978-94-6239-580-0
ISSN
2352-5398
DOI
10.2991/assehr.k.220504.460How to use a DOI?
Copyright
© 2022 The Authors. Published by Atlantis Press SARL.
Open Access
This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC 4.0 license.

Cite this article

TY  - CONF
AU  - Yao Peng
AU  - Xilin Liu
PY  - 2022
DA  - 2022/06/01
TI  - Noun Phrase Complexity in Independent and Source-Based Writing
BT  - Proceedings of the 2022 8th International Conference on Humanities and Social Science Research (ICHSSR 2022)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 2537
EP  - 2543
SN  - 2352-5398
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/assehr.k.220504.460
DO  - 10.2991/assehr.k.220504.460
ID  - Peng2022
ER  -