A corpus-based analysis of the paradigmatic development of semi-polite verbs in Chinese and Korean learners of Japanese

Abstract

Abstract Using a longitudinal spoken learner corpus called C-JAS, this research examined the use of semi-polite forms of verbs, which are made up of plain forms of verbs followed by the polite form of copula desu, by learners of Japanese. Findings demonstrate that over a period of time, L2 learners develop not only individual semi-polite verbs but also their paradigms, which consist of affirmative non-past, affirmative past, negative non-past, and negative past. The study also compared the use of semi-polite verbs with that of standard polite forms of verbs and revealed their usage rates. Based on the results, I propose a hypothesis that L2 learners have a general tendency of preferring analytic operations to synthetic operations in order to develop their own grammar.