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28 March 2016, Volume 16 Issue 02 Previous Issue    Next Issue

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Semantic Constraints of Animacy and Event Structure on Anticausativization of Verbs ZHAO Lixia, LIU Zhenqian 2016, 16 (02):  5-10.  DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1674-8921.2016.02.001 Abstract ( 265 )   PDF (2267KB) ( 53 )   Both of animacy and event structure are core semantic elements of anticausativization of verbs. Event structure determines the eventual types that verbs express, and animacy influences the semantic roles of verbs' arguments. One of essential semantic conditions of anticausativization is verbs' complex event structural representation, which must consist an external causal sub event and a state change sub event. Then, the subject argument should not be constrained by animacy, for it refers to either human or other animals of high agency or such inanimate objects as natural forces; while the theme argument should refer to inanimate objects which include concrete physical objects and abstract things confirmed by COCA corpus. The modifiers in anticausative structures also confirm the constraint of animacy on the choice of verbs' arguments. References | Related Articles | Metrics

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Herder's Concept of Language in his Masterpiece Fragments on Recent German Literature PANG Wenwei 2016, 16 (02):  11-16.  DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1674-8921.2016.02.002 Abstract ( 343 )   PDF (2478KB) ( 73 )   “Fragments on Recent German Literature” (1766 1768) is the first published collection of works of the German thinker Johann Gottfried Herder (1744 1803). Its content and writing style shows the Herder's basic concept of language. Herder believed that there was a close link between language and thought and pointed out the limits of language. These are the topics of traditional philosophy of language in Continental Europe. He analyzed different languages and the historical development of the language, which promoted the formation and development of Historical and Comparative Linguistics. Meanwhile, he proposed the importance of everyday language, and thus became a pioneer of modern British and American analytic philosophy. Herders writing style of “schöne Prose” played a huge role in the development of the period of “Sturm und Drang” and romanticism. References | Related Articles | Metrics

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Approach to Cultivating neo Humanism in Foreign Language Education: Utilizing Australian Aboriginal “Dreaming” Worldview LENG Hui, LIN Tong 2016, 16 (02):  17-20.  DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1674-8921.2016.02.003 Abstract ( 260 )   PDF (1624KB) ( 68 )   Neo humanism advocates the ecological awareness, accepts the varied culture forms and respects the pluralized values of life. As one of the most ancient nations in the world, Australian Indigenous people enjoy an uninterrupted civilization of over 40,000 years. Surrounded by their unique geographical features, Australian Indigenous people have developed their unusual “Dreaming” worldview and life style. However, most Chinese university students are unfamiliar with this live fossil primordial civilization, and they often judge it according to their predetermined one dimensional value system, lacking the neo humanism notions of respecting the other, and respecting the difference and seeking for the multi culture complement. This article discusses a research oriented college foreign language teaching approach which takes the perspective of Aboriginal “Dreaming” worldview, encourages students to collect data to form a new understanding of Aboriginal people so as to enhance their qualities of understanding, accommodating and tolerating people of unconventional culture. This process also complemented by Aboriginal literature works to enable the students to break their stereotype of thinking and to gain implications from Aboriginal “Dreaming” worldview for this modern material world while the students are appreciating and experiencing the beauty of literature works. References | Related Articles | Metrics

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A Study of Evidentiality in Master's Graduation Theses by Chinese and American MA Students WANG Shuwen 2016, 16 (02):  21-27.  DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1674-8921.2016.02.004 Abstract ( 232 )   PDF (2336KB) ( 149 )   Evidentiality is a linguistic coding of the sources of information stated and the attitude towards the information. Based on a comparative analysis of the evidentials and their language presentations in 90 empirical MA graduation theses in China and the USA, the study finds: (1) graduates in both countries make use of sensory evidential, reporting evidential, belief evidential and inferring evidential with similarity and imbalance; (2) research method adopted by the theses may influence the frequency of evidentials; (3) the Chinese MA students overuse sensory evidential and underuse inferring evidential and reporting evidential, indicating the feature of Chinese reader responsible discourse pattern; (4) there is difference in language presentations and variety in both graduation theses and the Chinese MA students show the tendency of interlanguage. The findings may have some pedagogical implications for MA education and academic English writing as well as its teaching in China. References | Related Articles | Metrics

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Several Queries about Locating College English Course as ESP ZHAO Liang 2016, 16 (02):  28-32.  DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1674-8921.2016.02.005 Abstract ( 216 )   PDF (1802KB) ( 48 )   Against a certain scholar's viewpoint that college English course should be located as ESP, the author, choosing the two papers written by the scholar and published in Guangming Daily and Foreign languages in China, tries to challenge the papers' main points with their arguments and illustrate the following viewpoints: ①Higher education is not an equivalence to undergraduate education. ②The situation of some key universities with their students can not represent the overall situations of colleges with their students in China. ③EAP study requires a foundation of intermediate EGP proficiency. ④ EGAP covers English proficiency in different levels. ⑤ EGP course functions in many dimensions of undergraduate education. ⑥Cultivating EAP proficiency is not the sole target of college English course. The author attempts to clarify some fundamental issues of college English education through his illustration. References | Related Articles | Metrics

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Research on Speech Self repair from the Perspective of Second Language Acquisition YAO Jianpeng 2016, 16 (02):  33-37.  DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1674-8921.2016.02.006 Abstract ( 244 )   PDF (1881KB) ( 79 )   The present paper reviews the research abroad on the speech self repair in the learners' second language acquisition process. It first discusses and comments on the research in terms of self repair initiation, taxonomy, strategies, influential factors, cognitive features and effectiveness, then introduces the main research methodology that includes classroom data, experimentation and comparative study, etc. and finally points out the drawbacks in the present research and the implications for the EFL teaching and the related study in China, holding that the future research shall focus on the multi faceted approach by combining the theories of pragmatics, sociolinguistics and computational linguistics, strengthen the empirical exploration to verify the relationship between self repair and input and output and noticing, etc. and builds the L2 classroom corpus of comparatively larger size. References | Related Articles | Metrics

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A Micro Study on L2 Motivation in Classroom Context from the Perspective of Dynamic Systems Theory XU Zhixin, FENG Xinhua 2016, 16 (02):  38-43.  DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1674-8921.2016.02.007 Abstract ( 239 )   PDF (2404KB) ( 114 )   From the perspective of the Dynamic Systems Theory, this study conducted a dynamic micro inspection of four non English major college students' L2 classroom motivation by the use of the instruments of motometer, classroom observation and semi structured interview. The study affirmed that L2 motivation can be successfully explored by using a dynamic systems framework. The results showed that (1) the overall average of the experimental linear results cannot accurately reflect the actual situation of individual learners, and individual difference cannot be viewed as background noise during the dynamic development of L2 motivation; (2) attractor factors exist, especially the learners' goal orientation which acts as the higher order attractor in L2 classroom; (3) butterfly effect occurs in L2 motivation, since different L2 learners may show distinct reflections towards the same classroom activity; and (4) the classroom context is an organic component in the L2 motivation system. The learner's self organization ability interacts with the classroom context, therefore contributing to the development of L2 motivation. References | Related Articles | Metrics

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A Study on English Learners' Motivational Types Based on Cluster Analysis XUE Fen 2016, 16 (02):  44-51.  DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1674-8921.2016.02.008 Abstract ( 198 )   PDF (3003KB) ( 62 )   Within the theoretical framework of Dörnyei's L2 MSS and Higgins' regulatory focus, the current study, by adopting cluster analysis, explores the dynamic construction of five types of learners' L2 motivational selves (426 college freshmen as subjects) by their ideal L2 self, ought to L2 self, L2 learning experience, and the interaction between learners' regulatory focus and their motivational factors. The results indicate that (1)cluster analyses, with an emphasis on learners rather than variables, are conducive to revealing the dynamic complexity of L2 self; (2) five types of learners demonstrate distinct motivational configurations, i.e., the ideal self being associated with strong motivation and less anxiety, and the ought to self being associated with weak motivation and more anxiety; (3) while the promotion focus motives are associated with motivated behavior of both the promotion and prevention oriented learners, the prevention focus factors only works for the prevention oriented learners. The study suggests that there are learners of different motivational types and orientations who approach the learning process through different motivational paths. References | Related Articles | Metrics

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On the Application of WordNet and BNC in the Study of Second Language Mental Lexicon LI Xiaosa, KE Ping 2016, 16 (02):  52-57.  DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1674-8921.2016.02.009 Abstract ( 198 )   PDF (2216KB) ( 43 )   Mental lexicon is the representation of lexical knowledge in human mind. One way to explore the organization of the mental lexicon is the use of word associations. After reviewing the paradigmatic/syntagmatic dichotomy in the classification of response words from word association tests, the authors point out that it is problematic for researchers to merely rely on their own intuition in classifying response words, which is common practice among word association researchers. The authors then suggest the possibility of applying WordNet and BNC into identifying paradigmatic and syntagmatic responses respectively and discuss such a possibility in detail. References | Related Articles | Metrics

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A Study on the Acquisition of the English Causative Psyche Verbs ZHOU Anqin 2016, 16 (02):  58-62.  DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1674-8921.2016.02.010 Abstract ( 186 )   PDF (1681KB) ( 58 )   Adopting phrase combining tasks, this research attempts to explore the acquisition of causative psyche verbs by Chinese English learners. The result shows that Chinese learners can overcome native language transfer and use English causative verbs in their V+Experiencer structure; Higher level learners use more V+Experiencer structures than lower level learners in affixed causative psyche verbs, but no such difference appears in original and transfer causative psyche verbs; morphology affects usages of causative psyche verbs while meaning and word frequencies do not. References | Related Articles | Metrics

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The Status Quo of Corpus based Translation Studies in China: Retrospect and Prospect FENG Shaofeng, FENG Zhiwei 2016, 16 (02):  69-74.  DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1674-8921.2016.02.012 Abstract ( 281 )   PDF (2352KB) ( 178 )   Our research is based upon a survey about papers related to corpus based translation studies from 15 core Chinese linguistic journals (2005 2014), whereby we are able to investigate the status quo of corpus based translation studies. Our research findings are presented as follows. Firstly, although the development of corpus based translation studies have been not so smooth as expected in the past ten years, it still takes on a strong trend of further development. Secondly, corpus based translation studies can be divided into two types, namely, empirical studies accounting for a large proportion and non empirical studies accounting for a small proportion. Thirdly, corpus based translation empirical studies can be conducted at the following nine levels: lexical level, syntactic level, semantic level, textual level, the level of translation universals, the level of translating strategies, the level of language teaching and testing, the level of translated scripts as much as the level of translators. However, the defects of corpus based translation studies are also obvious. Firstly, its research scope is too narrow and its research content is lack of depth. Secondly, its quantitative studies are too simple. Thirdly, it is a pity that corpus driven translation studies have never been undertaken by domestic scholars so far. References | Related Articles | Metrics

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Manipulation beyond the Text: A Study on the Paratexts of the Translated Works in New Novel CHEN Xianghong 2016, 16 (02):  75-79.  DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1674-8921.2016.02.013 Abstract ( 241 )   PDF (2097KB) ( 46 )   The paratxts plays a decisive role in arousing the readers' interest and in “correctly” decoding a text. This paper analyzes the prartexts of the translated works in the Late Qing Journal named New Novel. The result shows that there mainly exist three types of paratexts: the translator's prefaces and postscripts, the translator's notes and the commenter's comments. In general, the paratexts in New Novel take the responsibility of enlightening the people and reforming the society and their artistic value is diminished. As a means of manipulation beyond text, the paratexts become the extension and complement of the text, manipulating the text and leading the readers to realize the goal of “the Novel Revolution”: the renewal of the people and the country. The political tendency of “the Novel Revolution” is perfectly embodied in the paretexts in New Novel. References | Related Articles | Metrics

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The Role of Translation and Adaptation in Dissemination of Foreign Literary Canon: A Case Study of Robson Crusoe ZHOU Hongmin 2016, 16 (02):  80-84.  DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1674-8921.2016.02.014 Abstract ( 264 )   PDF (2145KB) ( 44 )   In translation study adaptation has been taken as one of translation strategies. However, when investigated in terms of the transmission of foreign literature, adaptation can be done completely free from the translational act, contributing to the dissemination of foreign literature. Based on the fact that the act of translation can move foreign classics into the periphery of target culture, but far from asserting the finality of the classics, it begins to constitute and expand its own system, variously furnished by re translators, authors, critics, booksellers, teachers, librarians, and readers at large, the paper singles out translation and adaptation for a study, compounded with the case of Robinson Crusoe and attempts to make sure about their relevance and distinctive features so that we might have a clear picture of what translation and adaptation can do in the formation and transmission of foreign literature in the target culture. References | Related Articles | Metrics