earticle

한국어

The present study attempts to reveal how computerized corpus-based contrastive analysis using learner corpora may shed light on a better understanding of the nature and scope of the Korean EFL learners’ use of so in English spoken monologue. So in the study is multifunctional not only in the spoken monologue of the NS but also in the Korean EFL learners’ monologue. There are four functions of so that have all three groups, NS, intermediate learners, and beginner learners, have in common. First they all use so as a resultative marker indicating a cause-result relationship. Second, so as an elaboration marker marks an utterance that says more about the prior utterance. The third function of so found in all three groups is serving as a boundary marker. It marks the opening and the end of the monologue. An additional function of so as a boundary marker in the study is to signpost the main idea of the speech. Another function of so found in all three groups is marking continuation of speech. This kind of so does not signal any particular relations between the utterances but just add one idea to another to continue the speech. Indicating hesitation is the last function of so found in the study. This function is found only in the Korean EFL learners’ spoken monologue. According to the result of the comparison between the English connective so and the Korean connective kulenikka, there is reasonable possibility that the hesitation function of kulenikka might have transferred while the learners are producing the speech.