Elastic 'I think': stretching over L1 and L2
While there has been insightful research on the commonly used expression I think (IT), this study introduces a non-conventional and innovative conception of elasticity (Zhang, 2011), bringing together several properties of IT. Drawn on large-scale naturally occurring classroom data with a rare combi...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Journal Article |
| Published: |
Oxford University Press
2014
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| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/28425 |
| _version_ | 1848752533058617344 |
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| author | Zhang, Grace Sabet, Peyman G.P. |
| author_facet | Zhang, Grace Sabet, Peyman G.P. |
| author_sort | Zhang, Grace |
| building | Curtin Institutional Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | While there has been insightful research on the commonly used expression I think (IT), this study introduces a non-conventional and innovative conception of elasticity (Zhang, 2011), bringing together several properties of IT. Drawn on large-scale naturally occurring classroom data with a rare combination of linguistically and culturally contrasting groups of L1 (American English) and L2 (Chinese- and Persian- speaking learners of English), this study shows that the elasticity of IT is manifested through three stretchable, non-discrete, and fluid continua; frequency, position and cluster. The patterns show that L1 and L2 speakers stretch IT to variable degrees and stop at variable points along the three continua. A striking finding is that L1 speakers are speaker-oriented and assertive, the Persians are listener-centered and less authoritative, and the Chinese tend to take the middle-ground position. The findings imply that some discrepancies between L1 and L2 should not necessarily be labelled as overuse or underuse; they may simply be different focuses and preferences. The awareness of linguistic elasticity is crucial to communicative success. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-14T08:10:08Z |
| format | Journal Article |
| id | curtin-20.500.11937-28425 |
| institution | Curtin University Malaysia |
| institution_category | Local University |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-14T08:10:08Z |
| publishDate | 2014 |
| publisher | Oxford University Press |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | curtin-20.500.11937-284252017-10-04T23:56:31Z Elastic 'I think': stretching over L1 and L2 Zhang, Grace Sabet, Peyman G.P. While there has been insightful research on the commonly used expression I think (IT), this study introduces a non-conventional and innovative conception of elasticity (Zhang, 2011), bringing together several properties of IT. Drawn on large-scale naturally occurring classroom data with a rare combination of linguistically and culturally contrasting groups of L1 (American English) and L2 (Chinese- and Persian- speaking learners of English), this study shows that the elasticity of IT is manifested through three stretchable, non-discrete, and fluid continua; frequency, position and cluster. The patterns show that L1 and L2 speakers stretch IT to variable degrees and stop at variable points along the three continua. A striking finding is that L1 speakers are speaker-oriented and assertive, the Persians are listener-centered and less authoritative, and the Chinese tend to take the middle-ground position. The findings imply that some discrepancies between L1 and L2 should not necessarily be labelled as overuse or underuse; they may simply be different focuses and preferences. The awareness of linguistic elasticity is crucial to communicative success. 2014 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/28425 10.1093/applin/amu020 Oxford University Press restricted |
| spellingShingle | Zhang, Grace Sabet, Peyman G.P. Elastic 'I think': stretching over L1 and L2 |
| title | Elastic 'I think': stretching over L1 and L2 |
| title_full | Elastic 'I think': stretching over L1 and L2 |
| title_fullStr | Elastic 'I think': stretching over L1 and L2 |
| title_full_unstemmed | Elastic 'I think': stretching over L1 and L2 |
| title_short | Elastic 'I think': stretching over L1 and L2 |
| title_sort | elastic 'i think': stretching over l1 and l2 |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/28425 |