On the Use of Focussing Constructions by Bulgarian Students of English
On the Use of Focussing Constructions by Bulgarian Students of English
Author(s): Yana Chankova, Krassimir SpasovSubject(s): Social Sciences, Education, Preschool education, School education, Vocational Education, Adult Education, State/Government and Education, Inclusive Education / Inclusion, Distance learning / e-learning, Pedagogy
Published by: Национално издателство за образование и наука „Аз-буки“
Keywords: focussing constructions; information packaging; information structure; debates; Bulgarian learners of English
Summary/Abstract: This paper focusses on the use of specific information packaging constructions, based on data extracted from seven recordings of the speech and debate tournaments that the Bulgarian English Speech and Debate Tournaments Foundation organizes at a high-school level. The main aim is to describe and discuss examples of negative inversions, clefts, passives, existentials, and extrapositions by applying qualitative and quantitative methods. The analysis of the data shows that participation in debates can encourage students to make use of focussing constructions in argumentative discourse and help them showcase their mastery of the English language. Moreover, the study offers valuable insight into the communication patterns used by Bulgarian teenagers as speakers of English as a foreign language.
Journal: Чуждоезиково обучение
- Issue Year: 50/2023
- Issue No: 3
- Page Range: 231-243
- Page Count: 13
- Language: English
- Content File-PDF