Written narratives as an index of L2 competence in Korean EFL learners

Abstract

This study investigated how linguistically determined Korean discourse strategies for establishing textual cohesion and marking written register in the Korean language may help explain the differences between the native English speakers’ and the Korean English learners’ written narratives in English. It employed quantitative methods of analysis to explore the use of specific linguistic features of written narratives. Participants were Korean adult EFL (English as a Foreign language) learners and American native English speakers in the U.S. The findings show that specifically Korean linguistic strategies were evident in the Korean English learners’ English narrative discourse rather than the preferred discourse style of the target language. For example, Koreans’ writing in English relied on some specifically Korean linguistic strategies, such as highly frequent use of demonstrative references and repetition. However, it is also observed that the Korean English learners’ English stories tended to diverge from their Korean stories in the direction of the target language norms. In other words, Koreans writing in English did show relative success in approaching English native speaker norms on the narrative and discourse dimensions such as reference, including pronominal reference. The findings hold important implications for L2 writing pedagogy and L2 training in discourse production.