Extreme adjective intensification among Estonian speakers of English as a foreign language

Abstract

Intensifiers as adjective modifiers are used to add emphasis or express emotion and are thus inherently subjective. This subjectivity may cause differences in perception, which may influence the effectiveness of communication. Therefore, researching adjective intensification by speakers of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) can improve understanding of their communicative effectiveness in English-speaking contexts, which may prove useful in teaching English to EFL learners. Thus, to contribute to this area of research, this thesis aims to map the tendencies and justifications of English adjective intensification among Estonian EFL speakers, focusing on extreme adjectives and some of the more common amplifiers, very in particular, to determine any differences between L1 English speakers and Estonian EFL speakers in terms of adjective intensification in spoken discourse. To this end, an online survey was conducted, which included a grammar task in two parts, imitating spoken discourse. Part A, recording frequency patterns in the use of intensifiers, required quantitative analysis, whereas Part B, recording explanations for certain intensification choices, was analysed qualitatively. 81 people participated in the survey, 69 of whom were L1 Estonian speakers, and 12 were L1 English speakers functioning as the control group. This thesis consists of two main sections. Section One reviews the relevant literature, defines key concepts, and introduces the implications for the present study. Section Two focuses on the empirical analysis, providing a detailed description of the methodology and reporting the results. Section Two concludes with a discussion of the findings.