Korean ESL Writers' Vocabulary Usage Patterns in Cultural Comparison : A Corpus-Based Analysis

Abstract

Writing activity generally requires multiple levels of language performance, from the grammar or vocabulary knowledge to the organization of thoughts, ideas, and views on topics. Therefore, writing samples can be good sources for researchers and practitioners to investigate the L2 writers' thoughts on certain topics. Twenty-four college-level Korean ESL learners’ expository writing samples, comparing the cultural differences between Korea and the U.S., are analyzed to identify the patterns and characteristics of the ESL writings. A corpus-based text analysis method is employed to investigate the writing samples both quantitatively and qualitatively with word frequency list, key words, and concordance. The results reveal that: (1) the writers use pronouns selectively depending on how they view and position themselves in the context of their own writings; (2) the writers show limited productive vocabulary in writing when expressing their thoughts; and (3) the Korean ESL writers tend to use gender-biased examples when comparing the Korean and American cultures. Implications of the findings and suggestions for writing instructions are also discussed.