| Author: | Xu, Qian |
| Title: | How authentic texts are simplified and teachers' perceptions : a study of a tale of two cities |
| Other Title: | How authentic texts are simplified and teachers' perceptions |
| Degree: | M.A. |
| Year: | 2014 |
| Subject: | English language -- Study and teaching -- Foreign speakers. English language -- Textbooks for foreign speakers. Reading -- China Hong Kong Polytechnic University -- Dissertations |
| Department: | Department of English |
| Pages: | 57 pages : illustrations |
| Language: | English |
| Abstract: | Although amount of research has been concentrated on respective linguistic features of authentic and simplified texts in general, studies on specific differences in certain linguistic features between authentic texts and their corresponding simplified texts and further between simplified texts with different difficulty are seldom explored. In the field of English language teaching, authentic texts and simplified texts are prevalently implemented, especially in the aspect of reading. However, not many studies have investigated what are the EFL teachers' perceptions on them. To narrow the research gap, this study examines the specific linguistic features of authentic texts and their corresponding simplified texts at different levels respectively and the attitudes of teachers from primary and secondary schools in mainland China. The study draws on a set of quantitative and qualitative data: text analysis from four perspectives and six individual interviews. The findings of this study indicate that simplification of authentic texts into simplified texts on different levels is achieved by shortening text length, deleting complicated words and reducing the complexity of clause through the separation of complex clause. The study also shows that to a certain extent, perceptions of teachers are consistent with results of text analysis and their attitudes are also influenced by teaching objectives, methods, and learner factors, such as age groups of them. |
| Rights: | All rights reserved |
| Access: | restricted access |
Files in This Item:
| File | Description | Size | Format | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| b27759222.pdf | For All Users (off-campus access for PolyU Staff & Students only) | 1.41 MB | Adobe PDF | View/Open |
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