A Corpus-based Investigation of Lexical Bundles in Iranian Advanced Learners’ Discussion of English and Natives

Abstract

This study examines the use of four-word lexical bundles in spoken group discussions by Iranian EFL learners (advanced) and native speakers. A corpus of 21 discussions (encompassing academic context) is analyzed to explore the frequency, structure, and function of lexical bundles used by these groups. Biber et al.'s (2004) taxonomies are employed to categorize the extracted bundles based on their structural and functional characteristics. The Michigan Corpus of Academic Spoken English (MICASE) serve as reference points for comparisons with native speaker usage. Quantitative analysis (frequency counts and chi-square tests) alongside qualitative content analysis reveal that native speakers utilize lexical bundles more frequently overall. Additionally, they exhibit a preference for discourse organizer bundles (functional category) and noun phrases (structural category). In the academic context, non-native speakers rely more heavily on stance expressions (functional) and verb phrase fragments (structural). These findings hold significant pedagogical implications for EFL instructors, material developers, and learners themselves, paving the way for improved instructional strategies and learning outcomes.