First- and Second-Person Pronoun Use by East Asian EFL Learners: Corpus-Based Study of Argumentative Essays

Abstract

Based on the ICNALE corpus, this study investigates the use of first- and second-person pronouns in argumentative essays by Chinese, Korean, and Japanese leaners of English as a foreign language (EFL) across four proficiency levels. The findings indicate that higher-proficiency learners use these pronouns less frequently, which aligns with prior studies on Western EFL learners. Additionally, Korean and Japanese learners show stronger preference for I over we, whereas Chinese learners exhibit the opposite pattern. These differences may stem from various factors, such as cultural influences or first-language (L1) rhetorical conventions. Statistical analyses suggest that L1 background exerts a stronger effect on pronoun usage than proficiency level. This challenges the prescriptive English for Academic Purposes guidelines, which discourage first-person pronouns for novice writers regardless of their linguistic background. Meanwhile, pedagogical approaches that emphasize the rhetorical functions of pronouns may better equip learners in making informed lexical choices based on their communicative intent