Gaps in ESL Syllabuses: A Comparative Corpus-based Analysis of Language Constructions in Pakistani English Textbooks and British Academic Registers

Abstract

The study aims at finding out the differences of the two constructions between Pakistani intermediate English textbooks and British academic registers. Phrasal verb (PV) and Infinitive Object (IO) constructions have often been problematic for second language learners. Pakistani English Textbooks (PETB) corpus is compiled by converting them into soft copies to extract text using Google Cloud Vision API. The data was uploaded to Sketch Engine where British academic corpora were preloaded. The comparison highlights significant register variations between native and non-native use of verb phraseology. The PETB corpus has least constructions of PVs and IOs and most of them represent general senses, rarely found in academic discourse. PETB is closer spoken register than written academic English. Such gaps can be addressed by providing learners comprehensive exposure of language patterns used frequently by native speakers. This study may aid learners internalizing native patterns for effective academic communication.