Корпоративный портал ТПУ - THE COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF GRAMMAR CATEGORIES OF ENGLISH AND GERMAN

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THE COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF GRAMMAR CATEGORIES OF ENGLISH AND GERMAN

THE COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF GRAMMAR CATEGORIES OF ENGLISH AND GERMAN

Н. Ю. Извеков
Институт международного менеджмента ТПУ, студент I курса

Living in a multicultural and multilingual society in a period of sweeping socio-economic changes that allow and encourage unrestricted contacts with the whole world, Russian people are reasonably experienced language learners. They are therefore generally enthusiastic about learning a new language, a second or a third one. Being a world language or lingua franca, English takes up the leading position in the case of second language acquisition (SLA) leaving German, French and Spanish behind. These languages are generally regarded to be the second choice making thus the learner trilingual. In fact, acquiring a new language is determined by the learner’s previous language experience, i.e. NL>FL1>FL2>... A naturally-occurring cross-linguistic interference may have negative as well as positive effects that should be thoroughly studied. The aim of this article is to analyze the grammatical systems of the three languages in contact: Russian as a native language (NL), German as a second language (FL1) and English as a third language (FL2). Finding out differences and similarities between the languages is supposed to become productive in building up the learner’s skills and abilities in third language acquisition.

Certain linguistic reasons can be given to prove this idea.

As English – a Germanic language – is closely related to German, there are many similarities between the two languages in phonology, vocabulary and syntax. As regards their grammatical systems, there are the same ‘part of speech’ categories, for instance, singular and plural forms, definite and indefinite articles, regular and irregular verbs, auxiliary and modal verbs, and active and passive verbal structures. German is a highly inflected language, in which words change their form (especially their endings) according to their grammatical function. The lack of any systematic inflectional system in English often leads to a feeling that English has ‘no grammar’ [1. P. 41].

Belonging to Slavonic languages, Russian has a fundamentally different grammatical system. Although it has the same grammar categories, Russian is a synthetic language, in which the majority of grammatical forms are created through changes in the structure of words, by means of a developed system of prefixes, suffixes and inflectional endings which indicate declension, conjugation, person, number, gender and tense. English, on the other hand, is an analytic language, in which grammatical meaning is largely expressed through the use of additional words and by changes in word order [1. P. 150].

With such basic differences between the grammatical systems of Russian and English it is inevitable that there will be certain major difficulties for a Russian learning English. On the other hand, the close family relationship between English and German should make up the linguistic foundation which will support to raise the learner’s awareness in the target language.

For a detailed treatment, see the table below [2, 3 for most examples].

Grammar categories	Similarities in FL1 and FL2	Differences in FL1 and FL2	NL
Number of Nouns	basic way of formation of the plural – addition of the plural endings which are also to be found in FL1/ FL2 FL1: -en die Gruppen, also die Clowns FL2: -s groups, also oxen	more ways of forming the plural in FL1: die Freunde, die Kinder, die Mutter
	irregular nouns: FL1: das Tempus - die Tempora FL2: a louse - lice	necessity of the contrastive approach in each separate case: A~C~B родители – parents – die Eltern A#C#B деньги – money – das Geld A~C#B мебель – furniture – die Mobel A#C~B полиция – police – die Polizei
	identical forms: FL1: der Hotel – die Hotel FL2: a fish – fish
	two forms: FL1: der Seemann – die Seemanner/die Seeleute FL2: a person – persons/people
Gender of Nouns	three genders (masculine and feminine for living beings, neuter for non-living things)	case endings in FL1	frequent differences between genders of nouns in NL and FL1
Cases	the nominative and the genitive cases	difference in quantity: NL – 6; FL1 – 4; FL2 – 2 FL1: Der Mann (the nom.) gibt der Frau (the dat.) den Bleistift (the accus.) des Madchens (the gen.). FL2: The man (the nom.) gives the woman (the object.) the girl’s (the gen.) pen (the object.).
Cases		case endings in NL and FL1
Articles	the notion ‘article’ (definite, indefinite)	changes in genders, numbers and cases in FL1; shortened forms (zu + der = zur)	absence of the category in NL
	coincidences in basic uses of the article including the zero article	some differences in use FL1: Er ist o Student. FL2: He is a student.
	the notion ‘countable/ uncountable’ nouns; the pronouns etwas (FL1) and some (FL2) with uncountable nouns: FL1: etwas Kaffee FL2: some coffee		sentences like Принеси муки, Принеси муку are sources of interference FL2: Bring me some* flour. Bring me the flour.*
Pronouns	the same groups of pronouns:	changes in genders, numbers and cases
	personal	two forms for 2-nd person in NL and FL1: ты – du , вы – ihr
	possessive	two forms in FL2 and one form in NL and FL1: мой – mein – my/mine
	demonstrative possibility of the independent use in the function of the subject or object; changes in numbers
	reflexive: existence of the system of reflexive pronouns; changes in persons and numbers		reflexive verbs in NL: одеваться – dress oneself differences in use are sources of interference: вести себя – behave
	relative: the same function in subordinate clauses	can be left out in FL2 but never in FL1: FL1: das Buch, das ich lese FL2: the book (that) I’m reading	punctuation marks are sources of interference: NL: Я думаю, (что) ты прав. FL2: I think (that) you are right.
Numerals	cardinal and ordinal numerals; specified suffixes: FL1: -zig; -(s)te FL2: -teen, -ty; -th	writing as one word and a reverse order in reading in FL1 (einundzwanzig)	the same categories of numerals
	use of the definite article with ordinal numerals	changes of ordinal numerals in genders and cases in NL and FL1
	use of cardinal numerals for years, flats, means of transport, etc.		use of ordinal numerals for this purpose in NL: десятая страница – page 10
Adjectives	specified suffixes for formation; the same functions in the sentence; the use of the auxiliary verb before an adjective in the nominal part of a compound predicate FL1: Ich bin hungrig. FL2: I’m hungry.	changes in persons, genders and numbers in FL1
	degrees of comparison; analogies in their formation: the suffixes -er (comparative) and -est (superlative); use of the definite article with the superlative FL1: klein – kleiner – der/die/das kleinste FL2: small – smaller – the smallest	another way to form comparison in FL2: difficult – more difficult – the most difficult
	irregular adjectives FL1: gut – besser – der/die/das beste, FL2: good – better – the best	another form of the superlative in FL1: der hei?este Monat / am hei?esten
Adverb	the same groups of adverbs	the majority of adjective used as adverbs in FL1; most adverbs in FL2 get the suffix-ly	the same groups of adverbs
	degrees of comparison	different forms of comparison: FL1: klar – klarer – am klarsten FL2: clearly – more clearly – most clearly
	irregular adverbs	different forms of comparison: FL1: gern – lieber – am liebsten FL2: willingly – more willingly – most willingly
Verbs	regular (weak) and irregular (strong) verbs	separable verbs in FL1; no conjugation in FL2	the notion of ‘type of conjugation’ in NL
	simple and complex tenses; the notion of ‘perfect’ for complex forms	difference in quantity: NL – 3; FL1 – 6; FL2 – 16
	analogies in formation of some complex tense forms; the most widespread auxiliary verbs: FL1: sein, haben FL2: to be, to have	more developed system of auxiliary verbs in FL2; other auxiliary verbs (do, did)	no complex tenses and auxiliary verbs
	some analogies in the use of tenses: Prasens ~ Present Simple Futurum I ~ Future Simple Perfekt ~ Present Perfect Plusquamperfekt ~ Past Perfect	no progressive forms in FL1	possibility to use aspect (вид) for explanation of progressive and perfect forms in FL2; use of the future in a Russian conditional sentence is a source of interference: NL: Я позвоню тебе, когда буду дома. FL2: I’ll ring you up when I’m at home.
	agreement of tenses	some analogy in the use of: Futurum II ~ Future Simple-in-the-Past	the use of tenses in the indirect speech and punctuation marks in the direct speech is a source of interference;
	analogies in formation of the passive voice (auxiliary verb + past participle) and the causative (to have something done)	no impersonal passive (He is said to be…) in FL1
	the mood; some analogies in formation and use of the Subjunctive Mood: Konjunktiv II ~ Conditionals (Type 2)	wider use of forms in FL2: It is necessary that he (should) do that.
	analogies in meanings of some modal verbs: konnen ~ can, mussen ~ must, sollen ~ ought, durfen ~ may	differences in meanings of the majority of modal verbs
	basic non-finite forms of the verb (the infinitive and two participles)	no gerund in NL and FL1
	pre- and postposition in word-combinations	phrasal verbs in FL2 and separable prefixes used as prepositions in FL1	preposition in word-combinations in NL; use of phrasal verbs and sentences like Whom are you talking to? are sources of interference
	verbs governed by a system of prepositions	differences in meanings of most prepositions: seit ~ since/for	well-developed system of prepositions in FL2 is a source of interference
Conjunctions	similar types and functions in the sentence	inversion after certain conjunctions in FL1	use of punctuation marks is a source of interference: Мы можем идти, если ты готов. – We can go if you are ready.
Types of sentences	similar types of sentences		impersonal sentence in NL is a source of interference: Лето. – It’s summer.
	the indirect speech; similar rules		differences in the use of tenses and punctuation marks
	general and special questions	formation of the question tag (nicht wahr? не так ли?) is a source of interference
	negative sentences; the negative pronouns kein/niemand/ nichts (FL1) and no/nobody/nothing (FL2); no double negation	different position of the negative particle: FL1: Ich rauche nicht. FL2: I don’t smoke.	double negation in NL is a source of interference: Я никогда не слышал о нем. – I’ve never heard about him.
Word order	direct word order in the affirmative sentence	differences in position of adverbial modifiers (time, manner, place) FL1: Wir fahren heute mit dem Auto nach Moskau. FL2: We are driving to Moscow today. ‘frame construction’ in FL1	free word order in NL is a source of interference
Word order	inversion, especially in questions	more widely spread in FL1

Now let’s analyze this table by means of a word-for-word translation of certain clauses of the following Russian sentence, first, into German, then, into English:

1. Знаете ли вы, что	1. Wei?t vielleicht ihr, was	1. Know you, that
2. взяв обыкновенный русский алфавит и расположив буквы определенным образом,	2. genommen einfach russisch Alphabet und gestellt Buchstaben bestimmt Weise	2. taking ordinary Russian alphabet and disposing letters definite way
3. можно получить не только кандидатскую, но и докторскую диссертацию?	3. konnen bekommen nicht nur Kandidaten-, aber und Doktorarbeit?	3. can receive not only candidate, but and doctor dissertation?

It is clearly seen that the German and English variants differ only in the choice of words organized into clauses according to the rules of Russian grammar. To make some sense and get the correct translation we have to take into account certain grammar peculiarities of each language treated in the table above. Let’s comment on them:

1. Wei?t ihr nicht, dass,	1. Did you know that	inversion in the question; the auxiliary verb ‘did’; no coma before that-clause; the preposition by used more widely; gerund in the function of an adverbial modifier of manner; no inversion in word order; no ‘frame construction’; no coma in the conjunction not only ... but; the pronoun one used instead of thesis
2. wenn man das einfache russische Alphabet nehmen und die Buchstaben auf eine bestimmte Weise stellen wird,	2. by using the ordinary Russian alphabet and placing the letters in a certain way
3. kann man nicht nur die Kandidatenarbeit, sondern auch die Doktorarbeit erhalten?	3. you can obtain not only an MA thesis but even a doctoral one?

The translation activity given suggests that using FL1 can be productive or may even be necessary at times. Indeed, the comparative analysis of corresponding grammar categories has helped us to find certain features of coincidence or difference between the languages in contact. For these reasons, it is strongly believed to be a powerful tool for developing language awareness skills and is sure to make the third language acquisition more effective and varied.

Литература

1. Michael Swan. Learner English. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2001. – 362 pages.
2. The Oxford Colour German Dictionary Plus. Second edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2001. – 606 pages.
3. http://www.studygerman.ru

Научный руководитель – Ястребова Л.Н.,
ст. преподаватель ИЯК ТПУ