AContrastiveAnalysisofRepetitionStrategiesEmployedin.pdfVIP

Intercultural Communication Studies XXI: 2 (2012) Liu Zhang A Contrastive Analysis of Repetition Strategies Employed in Chinese EFL Writing and Chinese-English Translation Liu Lida, Harbin Institute of Technology, China Zhang Yanhong, Northeast Forestry University, China Abstract: This paper examines repetition strategies commonly employed in Chinese EFL writing practice and C-E translation due to Chinese preferences for the repetitive form. The study focuses on repetitive problems relating to cohesion and coherence in terms of simple repetition, redundant modifiers, self-evident modifiers, and intensifiers. A case study is made to illustrate the strategies explored, with the data obtained from 60 subjects of advanced Chinese EFL non-English major PhD candidates. The strategies used both in Chinese EFL writing and in translation are addressed from the intercultural perspective, with differences being compared. The reasons for overuse and ineffective use of repetition presented in translation are explored in terms of phonological aesthetical concerns and linguistic, cognitive and cultural considerations. The results show that most Chinese EFL writers prefer the repetition strategy to achieve textual coherence. This study hopes to arouse the attention of EFL researchers to the EFL repetitive errors and help both the EFL learners and instructors to locate repetitive problems in EFL writing and C-E translation. Keywords: Academic writing, Chinese – English translation, Chinese EFL writing, contrastive rhetoric, repetition strategies, textual coherence 1. Introduction It is a difficult and complex task to understand a writer in terms of information delivery, as different groups