Abstract
The purpose of this study was to explore factors that affect the use of GAs (General Adverbs) in L2 writing by focusing on L2 proficiency levels and L1 backgrounds. For data collection, this study utilized the Yonsei English Learner Corpus (YELC) consisting of 3,286 English essays written by high-school graduates, accepted to Yonsei University. The data analysis showed that there was a significant relationship between the use of L2 GAs and L2 proficiency levels: L2 learners at a higher proficiency level tended to use more and various GAs than L2 learners at a lower proficiency level. In addition, the frequency of the use of certain GAs varied depending on L2 proficiency levels. From the comparison of YELC and Contemporary American English (COCA), the pattern of the use of GAs among Korean EFL learners was mostly similar to that of L2 learners with Chinese L1 background. This finding corresponds to the findings of previous studies on how GAs are used differently across participants with varying language backgrounds.
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