DATA ANALYSIS 1

Data Analysis

Shuting Shen & Yini Chen

Colorado State University

DATA ANALYSIS 2

Data Analysis

In this data analysis, the analysis subject is a native speaker of Teochew (a dialect

of Chinese). The data context is an English oral interview conducted by a native

speaker of English. Our group has identified two nonstandard features in this

speaker’s interlanguage. The first nonstandard feature is subject pronouns, which

include missing subject pronouns or overuse of the subject pronouns. The second one

is an omission of past tense. The reason why we chose these two nonstandard features

is that although the adult subject began to contact the English language at the age of

six, it is apparent that in English oral expression the subject has these two primary

nonstandard features as components of their interlanguage. Therefore, we want to

analyze the possible causes. After understanding the causes of the nonstandard

features, we may help Chinese language learners avoid interlanguage problems in

future English instruction.

Table 1:

This table summarizes all instances and totals of nonstandard features and standard

features.
Subject pronouns Tense (omission of past
(omission/overuse) tense)
Nonstandard • Is small. • Then I transfer myself

Features • Is government school. to Tomlin School.

• Ya, is.
• Speak little Cantonese.
• Have soup, have praw,
mee.
• Depends on what type of
things you eat.
• Geyland Methodist School
is called.
• We speak English.
• They take two types.
• Ya, we have.
• When I am schooling
in Primary Two to Six
we studying mostly
from bibles.
DATA ANALYSIS 3

• Some of them they take • Actually from Primary

Malays as one dialect and
some they take two
dialect.
• Mostly Singaporeans they
understand Hokkien.
• Some of them they tell us
abou’ their life.
• Then become porridge.
• Some of them they have
pork and spice.
Standard • I am Methodist.
One we don’t do that
lah.
• We get lesson about
scripture.
• So we studying we
sing songs---sometime
we learn gospel.
• I go Chinese Church
when I was small.
• We go to Chinese
restaurant.
• Two three month back
I have dinner with a
group of friend ah.
• We wen’ to a---you

Features • Then I transfer myself to know where is ah-

Tomlin School. Hoices?
• We speak English.
• I am Teochew.
• Hong Kong is only
Cantonese.
• My father know English.
• So we usually mix dialect.
• Sometime we speak
English, sometime we
speak Hokkien, sometime
we speak Teochew.
• We get lesson about
scripture.
• Sometime we learn gospel.
• They use rice.
DATA ANALYSIS 4

• They add more water than

usual.
• Jus’ add more water on
rice.
• I go ou’---mos’ly with
some friend.
• Usually we go t’ dinner in
restaurant.
• They usually have dishes
on big tray---round tray.
• Two three month back I
have dinner with a group
of friend ah.
• There’s a number of
coffee house there.
Total 42

We consider systematic nonstandard features as the problems that occur

repeatedly and frequently and are sustained over the course of the interview. In the
oral interview, the participant often fails to use the past tense when it is necessary to
use the past tense. Thus, the omission of past tense in this context is a systematic
nonstandard feature. In Chinese, time is expressed through time-order words and
never by inflecting verb tense to indicate the time. The analysis subject may be
transferring this system of thinking and speaking about time from their native
language, thus making this feature a part of their interlanguage. In addition, variable
nonstandard features are random errors. For example, the analysis subject sometimes
uses subject pronouns in the interview process and sometimes does not use subject
pronouns. Thus, the participant’s subject pronouns issue is a variable nonstandard
feature in this context. The reason for these errors may be that the subject pronouns
are not necessary to express a sentence clearly in Chinese spoken language so long as
the subject is known by all interlocutors, whereas in English every verb needs a
subject complement.
DATA ANALYSIS 5

Teochew is a Chinese dialect. In Chinese sometimes the speaker can express a

sentence clearly without using subject pronouns. In addition, Chinese does not inflect

verbs to indicate time or aspect. Thus, the two nonstandard features are likely to be

affected by their first language which is a dialect of Chinese. In order to avoid the

occurrence of this kind of interlanguage issue, teachers can help students improve this

aspect by using self-correction or peer-correction in future English teaching classes.

One of the first ways to begin correcting can come from the students themselves.

When students realize they have made mistakes, they can often correct themselves.

Sometimes mistakes are just "slips," and they know the correct version. Teachers

should give students a chance and time to correct themselves. A teacher can usually

recast the correct form or repeat the students’ form in a way that indicates that they

need to correct it, the students will understand what is meant and then correct

themselves. Some teachers create various gestures to indicate an error. According to

Swain, Brooks, and Tocalli-Beller (2002), teachers may use a classic gesture of

pointing at their back to tell students that they should use the past tense. If these

methods work for teachers and their students, then teachers can create their corrective

indicators (Swain, Brooks & Tocalli-Beller, 2002). In addition, students can also

correct each other's mistakes. Peer correction often helps to create a positive

classroom atmosphere because students realize that teachers are not the only source of

correction and that they can learn from each other (Swain, Brooks & Tocalli-Beller,

2002).

Reference
Swain, M., Brooks, L., & Tocalli-Beller, A. (2002). 9. Peer-peer dialogue as a means
of second language learning. Annual Review of Applied Linguistics, 22, 171.