Pelkoilmaisut S2-oppijoiden taitotasoille arvioiduissa tarinoissa
The expressions of fear in L2 Finnish writers’ CEFR-assessed stories

Summary/Abstract: The study focuses on how L2 Finnish writers express fear in their stories about some frightening event they have experienced. The writing instruction for the story includes a participle pelottava (‘frightening’). All 144 stories are assessed according to the proficiency levels (A1–C2) in Common European Framework of Reference. The majority of the stories (80%) are on the levels A2 and B1. The writers’ L1 background is varying as well as their immigration time in Finland. In this paper are examined 249 expressions of fear included in the 144 stories. The expressions were divided in two main groups: to the first group belong expressions in which the participle is used as it is, and to the second group expressions which include a word that belong to the same word family. As a matter of fact, according to the result, there does not exist a real difference in use of the two strategies. Most of the expressions which use the participle as it is are understood as identical, and they are slightly more common at level A2 than B1. While, at the level B1 the expression seems to include more often a modal adverb or particle. These are classified as modal expressions. To the third group belong expressions that are elaborated in some way. In these expressions the participle is for example declined. The elaborative and modal expressions are used nearly equally often. The fourth group consists of expressions that are both modal and elaborative. These are used less in the expressions. The second main group of expressions consists of words which belong to the same word family as participle pelottava. In these expressions five different verbs are used out of which the most common verb is the root word of participle, namely the verb pelottaa (‘to be frighten’). At the highest level of proficiency (B2), only one verb is used, pelästyä, which is a verb with derivational suffix U. Even the most advanced learners of Finnish struggle with these U-verbs. In addition, at the highest levels of proficiency (B1 to C1) the noun pelko (‘fear’) is also used in the expressions, which can also be understood as a sign of advanced language skills. Because of the relatively small amount of various kinds of expression at different levels of profciency, the results of the study can be understood only as suggestive.

• Details
• Contents