Exploring Prepositional Usage in Argumentative Compositions of Korean EFL Learners
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In second language (L2) writing pedagogy, the pivotal role of prepositions is often overlooked, despite their significant impact on learners’ linguistic proficiency. This study explores how prepositions reflect developmental variations among Korean university students, providing a fresh perspective on L2 writing. Through an in-depth qualitative analysis of essays from 60 students, divided into high-proficiency and low-proficiency groups based on their language proficiency, this study identifies distinct patterns in the usage of the preposition “about.” The analysis reveals that high-proficiency group students utilize “about” with cognitive verbs like “think,” “study,” and “learn.” In contrast, low-proficiency group students rarely use “about,” indicating a limited lexical scope. Extended comparative analysis with essays from both native English speakers and Japanese and Chinese learners of English from the ICLE and LOCNESS corpora further enriches the findings, offering a broader comparative scope. These observations highlight the role of prepositions in understanding language competence and provide guidance for the development of specific teaching strategies to improve prepositional usage among L2 learners. The research supports a shift towards greater prepositional flexibility, advocating for teaching approaches that extend beyond mere vocabulary enhancement to include thoughtful integration of prepositions (i.e., prepositional frame). This study proposes and presents examples of learning activities that emphasize the use of prepositions based on these observations.
Abstract
In second language (L2) writing pedagogy, the pivotal role of prepositions is often overlooked, despite their significant impact on learners’ linguistic proficiency. This study explores how prepositions reflect developmental variations among Korean university students, providing a fresh perspective on L2 writing. Through an in-depth qualitative analysis of essays from 60 students, divided into high-proficiency and low-proficiency groups based on their language proficiency, this study identifies distinct patterns in the usage of the preposition “about.” The analysis reveals that high-proficiency group students utilize “about” with cognitive verbs like “think,” “study,” and “learn.” In contrast, low-proficiency group students rarely use “about,” indicating a limited lexical scope. Extended comparative analysis with essays from both native English speakers and Japanese and Chinese learners of English from the ICLE and LOCNESS corpora further enriches the findings, offering a broader comparative scope. These observations highlight the role of prepositions in understanding language competence and provide guidance for the development of specific teaching strategies to improve prepositional usage among L2 learners. The research supports a shift towards greater prepositional flexibility, advocating for teaching approaches that extend beyond mere vocabulary enhancement to include thoughtful integration of prepositions (i.e., prepositional frame). This study proposes and presents examples of learning activities that emphasize the use of prepositions based on these observations.
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