Contrastive Interlanguage Analysis Research Articles

Propositional Idea Density in the Writing of Native Speakers and Asian Learners of English: A Corpus-Based Contrastive Interlanguage Analysis

The present study is a contrastive interlanguage analysis of propositional idea density in the written language of native English speakers and Asian learners of English. The study adopted a quantitative method to analyse the ICNALE written essays v2.4 using CPIDR v5.1 software. The study aimed to identify the level of propositional idea density in the writing of English native speakers and Asian learners of English and to examine the effect of the type of English, the theme type, the proficiency level and nationality on propositional idea density. The study is one of the very few studies about propositional idea density in ESL and EFL contexts. Many statistical analyses were performed on CPIDR results using jamovi v2.3 software, and the results of the tests revealed that the propositional idea density in native speakers’ essays was higher than that in Asian learners’ essays. Moreover, the results showed that there was a statistically significant difference among all the participants based on the theme types of part-time jobs and smoking, among native speakers based on occupation type (students, teachers, others) and among Asian learners of English based on the type of English proficiency level and nationality. The findings of the study showed that propositional idea density is a psycholinguistic index of the amount of presupposed knowledge language users have on a specific topic. In other words, propositional idea density is a window to language users’ schemata. Additionally, the findings of the study can be considered an insightful contribution to contrastive interlanguage analysis.

영어권 한국어 학습자의 보조사 ‘도’ 사용 발달 연구A Study of English-Speaking Korean Learners’ Acquisition of the Particle to “also”

ABSTRACT English-speaking learners of Korean frequently have difficulty acquiring the Korean particle “to,” which is translatable as also. This study conducts two analyses: an error analysis of English-speaking learners’ use of “to” and a comparison of the use of “to” by advanced learners and native speakers. First, our error analysis of the learner corpus finds that beginners frequently make errors in positioning “to” and in combining “to” with other particles; intermediate learners also have difficulty with positioning “to” correctly, as well as with using “to” to make parallel connections. Advanced learners still struggle with parallel connections, but their overall error rate is significantly less. Second, the study’s contrastive interlanguage analysis investigates whether advanced learners can use diverse polysemous meanings of the particle “to” and whether they can use complex grammatical patterns, including “to,” as proficiently as native speakers. Compared to native speakers, advanced learners use two meanings less frequently: an “extreme presentation” meaning, where “to” can be translated as even; and an “emphasis” meaning, which lacks a single-word English translation. Our analysis also found that advanced learners use two grammatical patterns less frequently than native speakers: complex combinations of particles including “to,” and adding the meaning of “to” to a predicate.

The Use of Semi-automatic Annotation in Speech Acts Performed by Learners of English

Since rare research studied speech acts (SAs) from a macro perspective, this study used a semi-automatic annotation tool named Dialogue Annotation and Research Tool (DART) to examine the most frequently performed SAs by Chinese and Thai learners of English as a foreign language (EFL). It also attempted to reveal the reasons for the similarities and differences in the SA performances of EFL learners from discrete linguacultural backgrounds. This study involved 30 Chinese and 30 Thai EFL learners, totaling 60 participants. A total of 30 dyadic English interlanguage conversations were collected for this study. The learner corpus research with the contrastive interlanguage analysis was adopted for the analysis. The DART annotation revealed that both Chinese and Thai EFL learners most frequently performed the same six SAs. These SAs were labeled by DART as state, hesitate, reqInfo, answer, expressOpinion, and stateReason. Of the six listed SAs, both Chinese and Thai EFL learners most frequently performed the SA labeled state; both cohorts also presented the SA stateReason least often. Task requirements, the frequent use of certain types of formulaic language, and English proficiency levels were ascertained as factors causing the identical presentation of the six identified SAs. The English proficiency levels of Chinese EFL learners were determined as the principal reason for their discrete performance of SAs. Conversely, the influence of the Thai linguacultural background denoted the primary factor for discrepancies in the SA performance of Thai EFL learners.

Do Learners Acquire the Functions of the English Passive Along with Its Form? Case Study of Armenian Learners

The study investigates the impact of learners’ mother tongue (L1) on second language (L2) acquisition, with a focus on Armenian learners of English. By analyzing the use of the passive voice in both native English speakers’ and Armenian learners’ corpora, the study aims to address a research gap concerning the influence of L1 on the acquisition of form but not function in the Armenian context. The study hypothesizes that the pragmatic aspect of the passive voice in Armenian would influence its usage in English. Utilizing Contrastive Interlanguage Analysis, both quantitative and qualitative research methods were employed to analyze the Armenian learners’ corpus (compiled in line with International Corpus of Learner English (ICLE)) and a sub-corpus of the Louvain Corpus of Native English Essays (LOUVAIN). The analysis revealed that Armenian learners effectively utilized the passive voice without errors, and their pragmatic usage closely resembled that of native speakers. This finding contradicts the hypothesis that learners struggle with acquiring the functions of grammar issues.

A CASE STUDY OF ARGUMENT PATTERNS IN JAPAN AND KOREAN EFL LEARNERS’ ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAY

Argumentation is crucial in education in activating students’ critical thinking and increasing their ability in thinking reflectively. TAP model as an integrated assessment framework could be used to measure their critical thinking. Thus, the aims of the study are (1) to identify the elements of the argument structures in the Japanese and Korean EFL learners’ argumentative essays, based on the (adapted) Toulmin model, (2) to evaluate the quality of the Japanese and Korean EFL learners’ argumentative writing based on the uses of the Toulmin Argument Pattern (TAP), and (3) to determine whether female and male learners have the same or different quality of argument pattern. A qualitative descriptive research design and a library research approach were carried out on this study to answer the research questions. Library research was used to collect sources and evaluate the sources taken from the ICNALE and sophisticated contrastive interlanguage analysis of Asian learners of English. The data sources were the Japanese and Korean EFL learners’ argumentative writing. Based on the quality of arguments, all students covered 1–4 levels. The highest was level 2, and the lowest was level 4. It tends to be the majority of students who are still in level 2. It needs practice to write argumentatively in order to shape the writing ability to organize a good surface structure and acceptable arguments.

An Exploratory Analysis of Linking Adverbials Used by Filipino, Pakistani, and Thai Writers of English

The current study provides a Contrastive Interlanguage Analysis (CIA) of linking adverbials (e.g., furthermore, in conclusion, on the other hand) in the second language (L2) English academic writing of post-secondary students from three countries: the Philippines, Pakistan, and Thailand. This analysis makes use of 80 essays from each of these three first language (L1) groups by way of data sourced from the International Corpus Network of Asian Learner English (ICNALE); we eschew the use of a native speaker control group in response to recent critiques of the native speaker fallacy. Quantitative and qualitative analyses revealed several noteworthy production tendencies which distinguish each English variety. These include a generally low frequency of linking adverbial tokens by Filipino writers of English, as well as a comparatively narrow range of linking adverbial types by Pakistani writers of English. In terms of functional category differences, Thai writers displayed a relatively high frequency of listing devices while Pakistani writers showed a low frequency of appositional linking adverbials, and a high frequency of resultative linking adverbials. Methodological and pedagogical implications of these findings are discussed.

Editorial

In this first issue of Volume 33, we delve into the rich tapestry of linguistic diversity and academic discourse, showcasing a range of studies that shed light on various facets of language use, maintenance, and communication. The collection of articles in this issue offers valuable insights into the ever-evolving world of language. The first article in our lineup, Language Shift and Maintenance: A Case Study of the Telugu Community in Bagan Datoh, Perak (Malaysia), takes us to Bagan Datoh, Perak, where the Telugu language, despite being a minority language in Malaysia, continues to thrive in specific domains. This case study illuminates the dynamics of language choice among different generations and provides hope for the revitalization of Telugu among the younger generation. The second article, Metadiscourse Markers in Abstracts of Linguistics and Literature Research Articles from Scopus-Indexed Journals, shifts our focus to the world of academic writing, specifically the use of metadiscourse markers in abstracts. It highlights the crucial role these markers play in structuring and presenting research arguments. The comparative analysis between linguistics and literature abstracts provides valuable insights into disciplinary differences in the use of these markers. Our third article, An Exploratory Analysis of Linking Adverbials Used by Filipino, Pakistani, and Thai Writers of English, undertakes a contrastive interlanguage analysis, shedding light on how students from the Philippines, Pakistan, and Thailand use linking adverbials in their English academic writing. The importance of understanding the distinct production tendencies of various English varieties is emphasised in this article. Turning to a sensitive topic in the Malaysian context, the fourth article, Female Circumcision in Malaysia: Challenges and Lessons Learned in Using Focus Groups through an NGO-Academia Collaboration, explores female circumcision and the challenges faced in conducting research on this subject. It highlights the collaborative efforts between academia and a local NGO, offering valuable insights into data collection via focus group discussions. The fifth article, Prosodic Marking of New and Given Information in English and Mandarin by Chinese Speakers, ventures into the realm of prosody and its impact on language comprehension. Focusing on Chinese English as a Foreign Language learners, it investigates how Mandarin influences the prosodic marking of new and given information in English, shedding light on potential areas of misunderstanding. Our final article, Privacy Policy Pop-up: A Genre Analysis of Journal Websites’ HTTP Cookies, takes a dive into the world of online privacy and transparency. It analyses the communication of transparency through HTTP cookies on academic journal websites, uncovering the rhetorical strategies employed to inform users about data privacy. In this diverse collection of articles, we invite readers to explore the multifaceted world of language and academic discourse. Each study offers unique insights into the complexities of communication and the richness of linguistic diversity. We hope this issue serves as a valuable resource for scholars, researchers, and language enthusiasts alike, encouraging further exploration and understanding of these vital aspects of our academic and cultural landscape. Last but not least, I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to all the contributors, reviewers and readers of this Journal. My special thanks also go to all the members of the Editorial Board and Advisory Board for their significant contributions.

Corpus-based Analysis of the Use of the Passive Voice by Armenian Learners

The concept that learners' first language (L1) influences their second language (L2) acquisition and production is employed in a variety of studies on English language learners.However, so far, no research has been carried out on the Armenian learners of English. The fundamental question that this paper tries to answer is whether these theories apply for Armenian learners too, considering the specific features of the Armenian language. To this end I have identified the use pattern of the passive voice by Armenian learners in contrast to native speakers, aiming at revealing the influence of the Armenian language. The research is based on the contrastive interlanguage analysis of native speakers’ corpora (LOCNESS) and Armenian learners’ corpora (compiled by me in accordance with ICLE guidelines). The results yielded suggest that the pattern of Armenian learners’ use of the passive voice is drastically different from the native ones’ and that their L1 did have an impact on their production of passive voice.

A Contrastive Interlanguage Analysis of Lexical Bundles in English as a Foreign Language Writing: L1 Chinese, Japanese, and Korean

Correct and register-appropriate use of frequently recurrent word sequences (e.g., lexical bundles) plays an important role in proficient linguistic output. However, second language (L2) writers’ use of these multiword items is still insufficiently understood, particularly in relation to the influence of first language (L1) background. This exploratory study analyzed a learner corpus of 420 argumentative essays to determine how lexical bundles were used by L2 English academic writers from 3 L1 backgrounds (Chinese, Korean, Japanese) to identify intra-group tendencies and intergroup production differences. A contrastive interlanguage approach identified unique tendencies related to functional categories and individual lexical bundles for each L1 group. Findings include relative overuse of text-oriented bundles by L1 Chinese writers, overuse of participant-oriented bundles by L1 Japanese writers, and a general tendency to underuse of lexical bundle types and tokens by L1 Korean writers of L2 English. Methodological and pedagogical implications of these findings are discussed. Lexical bundles(単語連鎖)のように高頻度で使用される語の連続を、適切に、正しいレジスターで用いることは、熟練した言語の産出に不可欠である。しかし、第二言語学習者によるその使用の実態は、特に母語の影響との関連では十分に理解されていない。本研究では、420の学術的文章からなるコーパスの分析を通して、母語背景(中国語、韓国語、日本語)をもつ英語の第二言語学習者によるlexical bundlesの使用を調べ、母語集団内の傾向や集団間でのその産出の違いを明らかにする。対照中間言語分析によって、談話機能や個別のlexical bundlesに関して、各母語集団独自の傾向があることがわかった。研究の成果として、中国語母語の書き手がテキスト志向のbundlesを、日本語母語の書き手が参与者志向のbundlesを、それぞれ比較的多用する傾向があることや、一般に韓国語母語の書き手にはlexical bundlesのタイプやトークンの使用頻度が低い傾向がみられることを示す。これらの方法論的・教授法的含意についても論じる。

Strategies of clausal postmodification in learner English

AbstractThe difficulty of automatically extracting syntactic structures from authentic learner data has previously limited the kinds of questions addressed by meansof Contrastive Interlanguage Analysis(CIA;Granger, 2015), or has forced researchers to resort to manual analysis of smaller corpora. This study responds to the call for greater use of parsed corpora by using automated parsing and refined corpus analysis software to investigate advanced EFL learners’ use of relative and participial clauses for nominal postmodification. The use of clausal postmodifiers inside the noun phrase may be seen as a marker of proficiency and syntactic maturity in academic writing, but the proportional use of relative and participial clauses for nominal postmodification may also be subject to L1 transfer. To investigate the role of transfer and syntactic maturity in the use of nominal postmodification, we compare texts written by Dutch EFL learners with those produced by learners from typologically distinct L1s, i.e. Czech and French, and by native speakers of English. Use of participial clauses and relative clauses in Dutch learners’ EFL texts is then compared with their use in L1 Dutch. The high degree of L1-interlanguage congruity suggests that transfer plays an important role in the Dutch learners’ strong preference for relative clauses for nominal postmodification. Based on the comparison with both other learner groups, we hypothesize that such transfer effects in the use of clausal postmodification can only emerge once the learner has reached a sufficient level of syntactic maturity in the target language.

Forms and functions of self-repetitions in spoken discourse: A corpus linguistics analysis of L1 and L2 English

Abstract Self-repetitions as a compensation strategy potentially have a powerful influence on maintaining communication in L1 and L2 contexts. By subjecting two comparable corpora to contrastive interlanguage analysis, in the present study we explored the use of self-repetitions by L1 speakers of English and Turkish speakers of English and their structural and functional distributions. The results indicated that while L1 English speakers tended to utilize repetitions as fillers, L2 English speakers employed considerably more repetitions as self-initiated self-repairs. The results of the study suggest that, despite being used for different purposes, self-repetition occurs in L1 and L2 English speech indicating that self-repetitions cannot be associated with disfluency as long as they do not hinder the flow of speech. For this reason, raising L2 learners’ awareness might help them prevent breakdowns in L2 communication.

Funktionale und stilistische Merkmale gesprochener fortgeschrittener Lerner:innensprache: Methodische und konzeptionelle Überlegungen am Beispiel von GeWiss

AbstractThis article discusses some methodological and conceptual issues arising from the analysis of advanced-level spoken language corpora. This discussion is based onGeWiss,a corpus of spoken academic discourse comprising L1 and L2 data of German collected in academic settings in Poland, the UK, Bulgaria, and Germany, as well as L1 data of Polish, English, and Italian. The data were collected using an ethnographic comparative approach; a range of speech events with comparable institutional and functional features in the philologies (student presentations, research papers, and oral examinations) were identified, recorded, transcribed, and tagged. In addition to POS tagging and lemmatisation, in selected sub-corpora some pragmatic features were also annotated. These include metadiscursive actions as well as references and quotations. The corpus therefore comprises ‘natural data’, derived from various contexts, of speakers with varying degrees of academic socialisation and competence in academic German.The paper discusses the various factors that have to be taken into account when analysing and evaluating the GeWiss L2 data with regard to style and register of metadiscourse as well as references and quotations in L2 student presentations. It is argued that any attempt to assess these data needs to reflect upon the concepts of ‘norm’, ‘appropriateness of usage’, (stage and context of) academic socialisation, and the context of the speech event. This also applies to the evaluation of the L1 data, which is why they cannot be used as a simple reference point for the purpose of a (mainly quantitative) ‘contrastive interlanguage analysis’ (Granger 2015). A qualitative approach needs to be used at least initially to identify and assess specific features of L2 data. This is shown using examples of metadiscursive and referencing speech actions. While there seem to be some stylistic and register features that can be regarded as inappropriate irrespective of the context of the speech events, others seem to be more context-sensitive. The paper argues that in addition to linguistic analysis and the intuitions of the L1 researcher, some kind of rating procedure would help to establish better concepts of ‘norm’ and ‘appropriateness’ of such natural corpus data originating in different academic contexts and traditions.

Corpus-Based Error Analysis of Chinese Learners’ Use of High-Frequency Verb Take

This study investigated the erroneous use of the high-frequency verb TAKE by the Chinese college learners of English as a foreign language (EFL), aiming to identify the similarities and differences between Chinese EFL learners, aimed at finding out more effective ways for the teaching and researching of the high-frequency verbs. Corpus-based Contrastive Interlanguage Analysis and Error Analysis were carried out in the present study, with the subcorpora ST4 and ST6 of CLEC (Chinese Learner English Corpus) as the learner corpora. 
 The analyses involved the misuse of the verb TAKE by the Chinese EFL learners. The error analysis of TAKE was based on the classification in the corpus CLEC. From the perspective of the overall frequency, the ST6 learners commit fewer errors than the ST4 learners. From the perspective of error types, the ST6 learners and the ST4 learners have much in common. That is, the error types of “wd” and “cc” take up an overwhelming part of all the errors in both corpora. These errors are caused by some interlingual and intralingual factors such as language transfer, overgeneralization, and communication strategy. In comparison, in the process of EFL learning, the non-English majors are interfered by their mother tongue to a larger extend than the English majors.

CEDEL2: Design, compilation and web interface of an online corpus for L2 Spanish acquisition research

This article presents and reviews a new methodological resource for research in second language acquisition (SLA), CEDEL2 ( Corpus Escrito del Español L2 ‘L2 Spanish Written Corpus’), and its free online search-engine interface ( cedel2.learnercorpora.com ). CEDEL2 is a multi-first-language corpus (Spanish, English, German, Dutch, Portuguese, Italian, French, Greek, Russian, Japanese, Chinese, and Arabic) of L2 Spanish learners at all proficiency levels. It additionally contains several native control subcorpora (English, Portuguese, Greek, Japanese, and Arabic). Its latest release (version 2) holds material from around 4,400 speakers, which amounts to over 1,100,000 words. CEDEL2 follows strict corpus-design criteria (Sinclair, 2005) and L2 corpus-design recommendations (Tracy-Ventura and Paquot, 2021), and all subcorpora are equally designed to be fully contrastable, as recommended by Contrastive Interlanguage Analysis (Granger, 2015). Thanks to its design and web interface, CEDEL2 allows for complex searches which can be further narrowed down according to its SLA-motivated variables, e.g. first language (L1), proficiency level, self-reported proficiency level, age of onset to the L2, length of exposure to the L2, length of residence in a Spanish-speaking country, knowledge of other foreign languages, type of task, etc. These CEDEL2 features allow L2 researchers to address SLA questions and hypotheses.

A Computer Corpus-Based Study of Chinese EFL Learners’ Use of Adverbial Connectors and Its Implications for Building a Language-Based Learning Environment

This research adopts the methodology of corpus-based analysis and contrastive interlanguage analysis (CIA), using three corpora as the data source to analyze the adverbial connectors used by Chinese EFL (English as a foreign language) learners (i.e., university students in Guangzhou, China) in their written English. Major findings show that Chinese EFL learners have displayed a general tendency to overuse English adverbial connectors in terms of total tokens when compared with native speakers of English, and Chinese EFL learners deviate notably from the native speakers of English in the use of some individual English adverbial connectors. The research explores that Chinese EFL learners’ use of English adverbial connectors might be influenced by L1 transfer, writing handbooks’ and teachers’ instruction, learners’ lack of audience awareness, and lack of stylistic awareness. The research has some implications for language learning: a large collection of learner corpora, a target language's native speakers corpus, a learner's mother language corpus, and corpus software AntConc can complement textbooks in language learners’ deep learning process, constituting a language-based learning environment for human languages with reduced perplexity and increased accuracy.

CONTRASTIVE INTERLANGUAGE ANALYSIS OF EVIDENTIALITY IN PHD DISSERTATIONS

The present study investigates evidentiality in its broadest sense (Chafe 1986) in PhD dissertations as a genre of academic writing. For this purpose, Chafe’s taxonomy (1986), revised by Ifantidou (2001), has been used as a framework in order to analyze three different groups of datasets, including one group of native speakers of English and two groups of non-native speakers: a group of Turkish speakers of English and the other non-native speakers with diff erent L1 backgrounds. The texts of these three groups are examined in order to fi nd out whether the native language of the participants is a factor in the choice of evidential markers. The results show that the native speakers of English use evidential markers more frequently compared to the non-native authors. In terms of the Native Language/Interlanguage comparison in Contrastive Interlanguage Analysis (Granger 1996, 1998), the overall use of evidentiality reveals that non-native authors do not show native-like features in the use of evidentiality. In terms of the Interlanguage/Interlanguage comparison, Turkish authors of academic texts diff er from the authors with various native language backgrounds in terms of the use of evidentiality.

LEXICAL BUNDLES IN L1 AND L2 ENGLISH DOCTORAL DISSERTATIONS

Based on contrastive interlanguage analysis, this study explores the usage of lexical bundles occurring in doctoral dissertations produced in the English language related studies in the USA by L1 American English speakers and in Turkey by Turkish speakers of English in the last ten years between 2010-2019. In our analysis of the data, we identified a significant number of types of 4-word bundles from both corpora from a structural and functional perspective. The findings regarding the types of lexical bundles and their structural and functional dispersions revealed significant differences between the two corpora. While L1 English writers refrained from heavily utilizing formulaic sequences, the opposite could be observed in the works of L2 English authors. This study has significant implications for academic writers producing work in the English language since corpus-informed lists and concordances might be of great help to L2 speakers of English in identifying appropriate lexical bundles that are specific to their disciplines.

Discourse Markers in Learner Speech: A Corpus Based Comparative Study

Having a vital role in organizing conversational interaction, discourse markers (DMs) are considered to be a significant part of communicative competence. From a Relevance Theoretic perspective and combining insights from corpus linguistics and second language acquisition research, this study is an attempt to explore how non-native speakers of English (NNS) use the DMs in their spoken language. Following the framework of Contrastive Interlanguage Analysis (CIA), this study is based on two specific corpora: Turkish sub-corpus of The Louvain International Database of Spoken English Interlanguage (LINDSEI-TR) for NNS speech and The Louvain Corpus of Native English Conversation (LOCNEC) for native speech. The occurrences of DMs in both corpora were determined using inferential and descriptive statistics. The findings of the study are discussed in connection with implications for language practitioners and syllabus designers in the field of language teaching.

Evaluative stance in Vietnamese and English writing by the same authors: A corpus-informed appraisal study

Appraisal theory (Martin and White 2005), an approach to discourse analysis dealing with evaluative language, has been previously employed in analysing newspaper articles and spoken discourses in several earlier studies, although it is gaining in popularity as a framework for comparing first and second (L1/L2) writing. This study investigated 40 English majors’ Vietnamese and English paragraphs for evaluative language, a key component of successful academic writing, as realised under Appraisal theory. To this purpose, we collected L1 Vietnamese and L2 English data from the same student writers across the same topics and using a corpus-informed Contrastive Interlanguage Analysis approach to the annotation and analysis of appraisal. A range of commonalities were present in the use of appraisal across the two language varieties, while the results also suggest significant differences between students’ evaluative expressions in Vietnamese as a mother tongue and English as a second or foreign language. This variation includes the comparative under- and over-use of specific appraisal resources employed in L1 and L2 writing respectively, in particular, regarding writers’ employment of attitudinal features. The findings serve to inform future pedagogical applications regarding explicit instruction in stance and appraisal features for novice L2 English writers in Vietnam.

Concessive Connectors though and however in Writing of Native and Non-Native Speakers of English

This paper focuses on connectors though and however in Serbian EFL writing. The logical relationship established by the two connectors is concessive, the concept of concessiveness ranging from the very transparent cases, referred to as the strong ‘contrary-to-expectations’ implicature, to less transparent ones, referred to as the weak ‘contrary-to-expectations’ implicature. Besides, the two lexemes, though and however, can be used in other functional roles in the contemporary language; while though is more frequently used as a conjunction than as a connector, however is more frequently used as a connector than as an adverb.The research followed Contrastive Interlanguage Analysis (Granger, 2015). The data includes the three corpora of argumentative essays: a non-native one, ICLE-SE, belonging to the International Corpus of Learner English (ICLE, Université catholique de Louvain, Belgium), and two native ones, British English and American English subsets of the Louvain Corpus of Native English Essays (LOCNESS-BE and LOCNESS-AE, respectively). The research is mainly qualitative.The results have shown that though is almost never used as a connector in the non-native corpus—only 1.7% of the total number of uses occupy this functional role. In the native corpora, conversely, every second or third use is as a connector. The case of however is different. Although it is almost exclusively used as a connector in all the three corpora, there are striking differences in its uses. The initial position is strongly favoured by non-native writers, unlike native writers, who use the medial and the final positions considerably more frequently. Apart from the striking differences, there is also a similarity in the three corpora: there are cases of however directly following the so-called ‘run-on’ comma, which is seen as non-grammatical in the referential descriptive grammars.Finally, we conclude that logical connectors though and however are challenging for both descriptive linguistics and applied domains. It is quite expected, then, that they are a very demanding part of the language learning process, as the research has shown. It is suggested that the research results should be complemented by the classical contrastive analysis, focusing on the two connectors and their equivalents in Serbian.