Diachronic Evolution of Subordinate Clause Use by French-Speaking Learners of English. A Comparative Learner Corpus Study Based on ICLE and ICLE+30

Details

Supervisors

Gilquin, Gaëtanelle

Faculty

Faculté de philosophie, arts et lettres

Degree label

Master [60] en langues et lettres modernes, orientation germaniques

Abstract

This thesis investigates the diachronic evolution of subordinate clause use among French-speaking Belgian learners of English, based on a comparison of two learner corpora collected thirty years apart: ICLE and ICLE+30. Anchored in learner corpus research, the study analyses the frequency, functional and formal distribution, as well as grammatical errors associated with subordinate clauses. Results show an overall increase in the frequency of subordinate clause use, a diversification of clause types (particularly a greater use of non-finite structures) and a decrease in grammatical errors, although some persistent difficulties, such as L1 influence in the choice of infinitival structures, remain. The qualitative analysis highlights shifts in syntactic strategies and error patterns, contributing to a deeper understanding of long-term interlanguage development in advanced learners.