The Properties and Use of English Spoken by Non-English Majors in China Inaugural-Dissertation Zur Erlangung Der Doktorwürde De
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The Properties and Use of English Spoken by Non-English Majors in China Inaugural-Dissertation zur Erlangung der Doktorwürde der Fakultät für Sprach-, Literaur- und Kulturwissenschaften der Universität Regensburg vorgelegt von Xiaoyun Zhang aus Hubei, China Regensburg September 2018 1 Gutachter (Betreuer): Prof. Dr. Edgar W. Schneider Gutachter: Prof. Dr. Roswitha Fischer 2 Abstract At present, China enjoys the largest number of English learners in the world. Moreover, English is used in a variety of domains. There are even signs that English used in China distinguishes itself from Standard English at different linguistic levels. However, the overall low level of competence in the learners’ speech and the limited use of English in intranational communication are at odds with the spread of English in this age of globalization. The complex sociolinguistic profile of English in China raises questions regarding the degree of nativization and the variety status of English within the framework of World Englishes. To answer these questions, this study has adopted the corpus linguistic approach. Oral data and questionnaires were collected from 96 undergraduate students from Wuhan University and the Wuhan University of Science and Technology between September 2014 and December 2014. This study applies the sociolinguistic approach to describe the sociolinguistic profile of English in China and is orientated on the four modified parameters of Schneider’s Dynamic Model (2003, 2007, 2014) for the Expanding Circle. The sociolinguistic profile of English from the Qing Dynasty to the People’s Republic of China demonstrates that English has been alternatively promoted and demoted for either economic or political reasons. Attitudes towards English have been ambivalent throughout China’s history, though at present it is viewed more positively than before. However, even though learning and teaching English have benefited from changes to the sociolinguistic conditions, English has not reached the depth and range to qualify as an ESL. The different sociolinguistic conditions have had different structural effects on English, for example: Chinese Pidgin English, educated varieties of English, and a potential Chinese variety of English. A wide range of features can be identified at the levels of phonology, morphosyntax, and lexico- semantics in 46 transcribed interviews and 46 recordings of a reading passage (The Boy Who Cried Wolf). Due to the infrequent occurrence of the majority of the identified phonological features, it can be said that these features have not nativized or entrenched. The data collected from the attitudinal and supplementary questionnaires show that English is valued highly, even though English is not used frequently outside the educational environment. Moreover, while the importance of different varieties is acknowledged, the preferred teaching model is still oriented towards exonormative models. I With respect to the variety status of English in China, reading the findings from the sociolinguistic profile, the oral data, and the questionnaires with the help of the major models of World Englishes, it is found that English in China is neither strictly an EFL nor an ESL, though it has more similarities with an EFL. Therefore, the ENL-ESL-EFL distinction and the Three Circles Model cannot accurately define the current status of English in China. The application of the Dynamic Model to English in China shows that English in China has undergone the foundation phase (1664-1895) and lies at the stabilization phase (1895-present). However, the regression of English (1949-1990s) points to the fact that English does not strictly follow a linear development. In addition, events such as the introduction of English in formal education during the Qing dynasty and the promotion of English in the 1990s show that the evolution of English is not necessarily initiated by exonormative forces alone. The application of Buschfeld and Kautzsch’s (2017) Model of Extra- and Intra-territorial Forces addresses the problems of initiators for the development of English in the expanding-circle countries such as China and unearths other important extra- and intra-territorial forces such as political and cultural factors in the development of English in China, but the model fails to explain the untypical “linear” development of English in China. The examination of the linguistic features and the assessment of the variety status of English contribute to our understanding of the complex sociolinguistic profile of English in China from both a diachronic and a synchronic perspective. The enquiry of the extent to which the major models of World Englishes are applicable to China demonstrates the limitations of the major models of World Englishes to explain the spread of English in China, and this calls for more research on English in the expanding-circle countries. Keywords: English in education; language attitudes; nativization; features; sociolinguistic profile; variety status; World Englishes II Acknowledgments The completion of my research on English in China is attributed to the coordination and help that I have gained from a lot of people. The first person to whom I am greatly indebted is my supervisor Prof. Dr. Edgar W. Schneider. His work on the features of English learners’ spoken English kindled my initial interest in the description of English in China, and ever since our first personal contact, he has provided me with many valuable suggestions for my research. On the one hand he has helped keep my research focused, and on the other his words of encouragement far outweigh his correction of my faults. He has constantly and patiently offered detailed feedback on my writings. In addition, he has helped to make my life easier, such as supporting my application for a scholarship from the China Scholarship Council. Professor Schneider is not hesitant to share his own experiences and continues to encourage me in my endeavor to overcome personal and research crises. Without his continued support and help, I would certainly not have finished this research. I also wish to express my special thanks to Dr. Sarah Buschfeld. In the course of completing my dissertation, she has given me much constructive advice and has played a key role in clarifying things I did not understand. She took great pains to read through all the chapters of my dissertation and point out places that need improvement. Her constructive comments have directly impacted on the formation of my dissertation. A third person to whom I would like to express my great appreciation is Dr. Petrus Maritz. His help in reviewing my questionnaires and interview questions made my task of data collection more coherent. His critical viewpoints on my dissertation have greatly strengthened my arguments and helped improve the structure of my dissertation. His encouragement throughout the whole process of writing my dissertation has made me more confident in myself and my work. As a friend, he has offered me countless help and valuable suggestions in relation to my work and future career. Next I want to extend my special thanks to Dr. Brunner Thomas. He kindly guided me through the complex registration procedures during my first stay here in Regensburg. His critical mind and profound knowledge about the quantification of data have motivated me to look at things from different perspectives rather than accept what authorities have said, and he has taught me how to search for specific data by using linguistic expressions. III I am grateful to the China Scholarship Council, which generously funded my research project and has monitored my progress. Their support has enabled me to concentrate on my research, which included a field trip to collect essential data. A group of people whom I wish to thank a million times over includes the participants in my empirical research. Without their trust and interest in my research, I would not have been able to collect the required data for my research, nor gain insight into how students at universities in China speak English. My friends and acquaintances in China and Germany form another group of people to whom I would like to express my gratitude. My special thanks go to Chen Ziliang, Kong Fei, Wu Yuanjin, Xiang Ying, Dr. Yu Songxin and Dr. Jiang Bo, who always lent a hand whenever I needed help to obtain documents or reference books. I also want to thank my friends Han Fang, Huang Feiwu, Li Na, Rao Shuting, Wang Xue, who have helped me through my difficult time and have continued to care about me during my stay in Germany and in China. Thanks go to the friends I have made in Germany: Biju Benjamin, Junko Yabuta, Dr. Luciana Pujol Lereis, Dr. E Axel Gorostiza and Gael Gorostiza, Mariko Shiohara, Moises Medrano, Elisabeth Meißner and Amaya Medrano, Olga Zitova, Jirka and Eduard, Dr. Saad AI-Baddai, Dr. Sara Granafei, and Assoc. Professor Dr. Shafiq Siddique. They have introduced me to different cultures, shared many interesting stories with me and have brought many joys to my life. Their company has considerably expanded my viewpoints about the world. It was also a great pleasure to make acquaintance with my colleagues in Regensburg: Dr. Liu Yuning, Lu Jing, Dr. Yao Changjiang, and Yu Fangzhen, who kindly participated in the pilot collection of my data. Their participation has enabled me to adjust some questions in the interviews and make them more appropriate. I owe a great debt to Hilde Schwarzfischer, Tscharly Rosner, Joris Rosner, Oscar Rosner, and Hajo Drießle, who have shown me a lot of care, tried to introduce German culture to me and make me feel at home during my stay in Germany. I am also grateful to Mrs. Sonja Schmidt-Zeidler and the staff at the International Office: April Points, Birgit Hahn, Elli Wunderlich, Irina Goß, Lorena Zander, and Sibylle Hackl, who have organized so many colorful activities and have helped me apply for the visas and arrange accommodation here in Regensburg.