English L2 connectives in academic bilingual discourse
- aramhayr
- May 30
- 2 min read
A. Granados, F. Lorenzo. English L2 connectives in academic bilingual discourse: A longitudinal computerised analysis of a learner corpus
A Microsoft co-pilot summary
Goals
The article aims to analyze the longitudinal development of English as a second language (L2) writing proficiency among students in a bilingual Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) program in Andalusia, Spain. Specifically, it focuses on the use and evolution of connectives in academic historical texts over three years to evaluate their historical literacy and written linguistic competence.
Research Methods
- The study involved 20 high school students aged 14-15 at the beginning of the research, who were part of a bilingual English-Spanish program.
- A learner corpus of 75 academic texts, totaling 12,000 words, was collected across three years, with students producing historical narratives based on their classroom topics.
- Coh-Metrix, an automated linguistic tool, was used to analyze the incidence and categories of connectives, such as causal, logical, adversative/contrastive, temporal, and extended temporal connectives.
- The evolution of connectives was measured in three sampling periods, with statistical analysis conducted to interpret changes in their usage.
Usage of Corpus in the Study
· A learner corpus of 75 academic texts, amounting to 12,000 words, was collected over three years.
· The corpus consisted of historical narratives written by 20 high school students in a bilingual program.
· The texts were analyzed using Coh-Metrix, a computerized linguistic tool, focusing on the evolution of various categories of connectives.
· The corpus was divided into three sampling periods to observe longitudinal changes in writing proficiency.
· Findings from the corpus highlighted a 15‰ increase in the use of connectives, reflecting progress in both L2 writing proficiency and historical literacy.
Conclusions
- The overall use of connectives increased by 15‰ over three years, indicating progress in L2 writing proficiency.
- There was a particular rise in causal and adversative/contrastive connectives, reflecting improved historical literacy and a shift toward more expository writing.
- Extended temporal connectives decreased, signaling a movement away from narrative styles to more mature, academic expository texts.
- Irregular fluctuations in logical, temporal, and additive connectives suggested sensitivity to text topics and topic-specific writing demands.
- The study highlighted the importance of developing academic language structures for historical analysis, contributing to students' broader academic and cognitive development.
This comprehensive analysis provides insights into how bilingual education impacts students' linguistic and disciplinary learning.
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