Abstract:The aim of this study was to explore intermediate Chinese EFL learners’ use of past tense of regular verbs, compare and analyze the different uses in spoken and written English, so as to explore the possible reasons for the differences. This study was carried out through a combination of research techniques, such as picture-cued productive task, think-aloud, retrospections, and interviews. This study collected forty-five English majors’ picture-cued productive task. The materials included twenty-one compositions of picture-cued written task and twenty-four compositions of picture-cued spoken task. This study also investigated another five English majors’ thinking process of this picture-cued productive task. All the fifty English majors were freshmen from School of Foreign Studies, Jiangnan University. Basically their English were in the same level. There were three main results in this study. Firstly, participants used more regular verbs and regular past in written English than in spoken English. However, the accuracy rate of regular past in written English was lower than that in spoken English. Secondly, the types and numbers of errors were different in different tasks. In spoken task, the main type of error was insufficiently used. It may be caused by the lacking of attention. Direct and indirect speech may also have influences on the occurrence of this error. In written task, the frequencies of three types of errors were almost the same. Comparatively, the type, misused, was higher. According to the think-aloud and interviews in this study, it may be because the participants hadn’t mastered the words’ usage. Thirdly, another factor, the limitation in vocabulary, may also influence the use of regular past.

Keywords: spoken and written English; regular verbs; past tense; acquisition

Contents

Abstract

中文摘要

Chapter 1 Introduction-1

Chapter 2 Review of Literature-3

2.1 Different Tasks and the Application of L2 Knowledge-3

2.1.1 Application of L2 Knowledge in Different Language Tasks-3

2.1.2 Distinctions of L2 Knowledge-6

2.2 L2 Acquisition of Past Tense-6

2.2.1 Introduction to Tense-aspect Studies-6

2.2.2 Morpheme Order Studies-7

2.2.3 Phonological Studies-8

Chapter 3 Research Methods-9

3.1 Research Questions-9

3.2 Subjects-9

3.3 Instruments-9

3.4 Data Analysis-10

Chapter 4 Results and Discussions-13

4.1 Results-13

4.1.1 General Analysis of Spoken and Written English: the Number of Regular Verbs and Regular Past-13

4.1.2 Accuracy of the Use of Regular past-13

4.1.3 Different Types of Errors in Spoken and Written English: the Use of Regular past-14

4.2 Conclusions-16

4.3 Limitations with the Present Studies and Further Directions-16

References-17

Acknowledgements-19

Appendix 1 Picture-cued Productive Task in this Study-20