An image-schematic approach to teaching light verb constructions in German
(2018) 10th International Conference on Construction Grammar. Methods, Concepts and Applications — Location: Paris, Université Sorbonne Nouvelle - Paris 3 (2018.July.16AD)
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- The large amount of light verb constructions as well as the wide range of their constructional variation pose a serious challenge to learners of German as a foreign language. This is even more the case when learners are faced to academic language, since light verbs come up here slightly more frequently than in other language domains (Heine 2006). In spite of the considerable amount of literature on light verb constructions (e.g. Kamber 2008), textbooks and other teaching materials have systematically adopted formalistic approaches which predominantly describe the verbs used in so called light verb construc-tions as semantically empty and apparently not related to their use as full verbs. Accordingly, learners are provided with lists of light verb constructions grouped by formal features, but semantically isolated from one another. In contrast, cognitive linguistic approaches to light verb constructions present the verbs used in light verb constructions as conceptually motivated and as directly related to the overall meaning of the respective construction (Tucker 2014, Gradečak-Erdeljić 2009). According to this view, light verbs share the core meaning of their full verb counterparts, but are of a much more image-schematic nature. Whereas full verbs typically express material and/or physical processes, light verbs often express mental processes which implicate a metaphorical extension of the prototypical meaning of the full verb and, in some cases, the use of specific lexico-grammatical patterns (cf. Tucker 2014). E.g., the verb bringen (Engl. “to bring”) often requires a prepositional object to encode the goal of the fictive movement when used as a light verb (Er brachte seinen Freund in Gefahr), whereas bringen is prototypically used as full verb in ditransitive constructions without any prepositional object (Er brachte seinem Freund ein Buch). Against this backdrop, the paper reports on a study that examines in how far the use of an image-schematic approach to light verb constructions can help learners to disentangle the respective form-meaning pairings. To this end, an intervention study (effect-of-instruction) was conducted with French-speaking learners of German at B2 according to CFR. The study had a single factor experimental design with a pre-test, an immediate post-test and a delayed post-test. The participants were divided into two groups: in the experimental group participants worked with an image-schematic based explanation of light verb construction and performed tasks that set out to foster the respective conceptualization processes; a control group was presented with form-based explanation and completed tasks that aim to cluster light verb constructions into different categories according to their syntactic features, whereas the meaning was treated only with regard to each light verb construction. Participants’ language accuracy was assessed by means of language proficiency tests covering formal, semantic and functional aspects of light verb constructions in academic language. This data was triangulated with the linguistic biography of the participants, the data on the use of the teaching materials and other individual learner variables. The results show that the image-schematic approach offers an intriguing venue for making the conceptual motivation of light verb constructions more transparent and pave the way for research on further grammar areas. References - Gradečak-Erdeljić, T. (2009), Iconicity of the verbal expression— The case of “light” verbs in English. In Brdar, M.; Omazić, M. & Pavičić, V. (Eds.): Cognitive Approaches to English: Fundamental, Methodological, Interdisciplinary and Applied Aspects. Newcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 3-26. - Heine, A. (2006), Funktionsverbgefüge in System, Text und korpusbasierter (Lerner-)Lexikografie. Frankfurt am Main et. al.: Niemeyer. - Kamber, A. (2008), Funktionsverbgefüge – empirisch. Eine korpusbasierte Untersuchung zu den nominalen Prädikaten des Deutschen. Tübingen: Niemeyer. - Tucker, G. (2014), Giving it my best shot: Towards a coherent functional analysis of metaphorically-derived processes with particular attention to the ‘light verb’ expressions. In Gómez González, M. A.; Ruiz de Mendoza Ibáñez, F. J. & Gonzálvez-García, F. (Eds.): Theory and Practice in Functional-Cognitive Space. Studies in Functional and Structural Linguistics 68, 33–52.
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Suner Munoz, F., El-Bouz, K., & Roche, J. (2018). An image-schematic approach to teaching light verb constructions in German. 10th International Conference on Construction Grammar. Methods, Concepts and Applications, Paris, Université Sorbonne Nouvelle - Paris 3. https://hdl.handle.net/2078.5/127366