An examination of phrase-frames in L2 english academic writing: Exploring relationships with writing quality

Corpus research has increasingly highlighted the importance of formulaic language (e.g., lexical bundles, n-grams) in various genres and registers. However, less attention has been paid to the value of discontinuous formulaic sequences. The present study extends research of this kind by targeting the use of phrase-frames (multi-word sequences with an internal variable slot [e.g., the * of the]) in relation to proficiency differences in L2 English academic essays produced by L1 Japanese university students. All texts were written in response to a common prompt, composed under similar conditions, and graded by trained raters. These essays were then assigned to high or low proficiency groupings based on the rating they received. Phrase frames of 4 and 5-words were extracted and analyzed for type count, token count, variability, and predictability differences. Major findings included higher proficiency writers making more frequent use of 4 and 5-word phrase frames (types and tokens), as well as using less variable, more predictable frames. Methodological and pedagogical implications of these findings are discussed.