Un estudio comparativo de efectos de predisposicióncartas de petición

Abstract

This study is based on three premises. Research has shown that English as a foreign language (EFL) textbooks may simplify the language taught and, consequently, give a partial description of English as a first language (L1 English). It has also revealed that EFL learners find it difficult to convey modality in English as L1 English speakers do and, consequently, that they use English modal verbs differently from L1 English speakers. In this study, these three premises have been approached within the domain of requests. Indeed, research has also found that L1 Spanish speakers may be more direct than L1 English speakers when making requests. Based on this theoretical background, the objective of this research is to compare modal verb primings in a set of formal and of informal letters of request written by a sample of L1 Spanish B2 EFL learners, a sample of native teachers of EFL and in a sample of B2 EFL textbooks. The methodology consisted in comparing modal verb frequencies, the frequencies of modal verb collocations, the frequencies of prefabricated lexical items containing modal verbs and used in requests, the position of modal verbs at sentence level in requests, the colligations of modal verbs in theme and rheme position at sentence level in requests, the position of modal verbs at paragraph level in requests, the use of cohesive devices in requests containing modal verbs at the beginning of paragraphs, the position of modal verbs at text level in requests, the colligations of modal verbs in requests in the first paragraphs of letters and the frequencies of cohesive chains containing modal verbs and used in requests in the formal and in the informal letters written by/in the three samples. Parametric and non-parametric statistical tools were used to work out significant differences.