The prevalence of formulaicity in naturally occurring language use points to an important role in the way language is acquired, processed, and used. It is widely recommended that second-language instruction should ensure that learners develop a rich repertoire of formulaic sequences. If this is justified, it follows that learner failure to use formulaic sequences should present some barrier to communication. However, it seems that few researchers have sought to objectively evaluate how learner deviations from the target-language (formulaic or otherwise) impact on online processing. Operationalizing formulaic sequence through collocation, this article reports the combination of corpus-based approaches and psycholinguistic experimentation to investigate the processing by native speakers of learner collocations that deviate from target-language norms. Results show that such deviations are associated with an increased and sustained processing burden. These findings support the widely asserted claim that formulaic sequences offer processing advantages and provide empirical support for the importance of formulaic sequences in language learning. Usage-based models form the basis for some hypotheses concerning cognitive processes that underlie the increase in processing demands.
Key Points
Question
Has the use of “hype” (promotional language) in the abstracts of successful National Institutes of Health applications increased since 1985?
Findings
This cross-sectional study of 901 717 National Institutes of Health abstracts from 1985 to 2020 shows that applicants described their work in increasingly subjective terms and relied on promotional language and appeals to emotion (ie, 130 adjective forms identified as hype increased in frequency).
Meaning
This study suggests that applicants, reviewers, and funding agencies should be aware of the increasing prevalence of promotional language in funding applications.
Between the 1960's and 1990's the frequency of modal verbs in the Brown family of corpora fell substantially, a decline which Leech (2003: 96) suggests is indicative of a more "general and long lasting trend". Taking Leech's study as a starting point, this paper investigates twentieth century changes in modal verbs using the new and relatively unexplored TIME Magazine Corpus. Results show that while certain modal verbs have fallen in frequency, the overall pattern is one of growth. These changes may be accounted for by the increase of semi-modal verbs and shifts in usage. Results appear to lend support to the explanatory hypotheses of colloquialization, democratization and stylistic change. Investigation of discrepancies between results from the TIME Corpus and the Brown corpora yields important methodological implications. In particular, as a result of sampling variation, a diachronic comparison based on two data points may present an inaccurate picture of the overall trend.
This cross-sectional study examines changes from 1992 to 2020 in the use of promotional language in National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding opportunity announcements in comparison with trends reported in NIH grant applications.
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