T Investigating EFL College Students’ Performance in Analyzing Modality Verbs: Discourse Analysis Study
Omar Ali Hussein Alani
Ministry of Education/General Directorate of Education of Diyala
DOI: https://doi.org/10.25130/Lang.8.12.2.17
Keywords: modals, modality, epistemic, deontic and dynamic modality, discourse
Abstract
Modal verbs play a crucial role in the English language, as they help express various degrees of possibility, ability, permission, necessity, and obligation. The problem of this study is that fourth year college students face serious difficulties in identifying the different meanings and the functions of the modal verbs used in the text. The purpose of the current study is (1) to determine whether fourth-year college students are able to correctly identify the types of modal verbs (2) to determine whether fourth-year college students are capable of correctly identifying function of English modals and employing them. It is hypothesized that students are unable to understand the meanings of the modal verbs and that students are unable to understand the types and the functions of the modal verbs. This study explores the different modal verbs along with their meanings and usage. Modality, which is the speaker's attitude or point of view towards the action or state being described by the main verb in a sentence, is expressed by a particular type of auxiliary verb known as a modal verb. By signifying possibility, necessity, capability, permission, and other related ideas, modal verbs change the meaning of the main verb. The sample was randomly selected from the population, which includes (180) male and female students. The reason behind choosing was that student in the first, second, and third years of study were exposed to English modals in their course materials, so they should be familiar with them. The sample consisted of 100 students in total and the diagnostic test was used in this study. The results explore that fourth-year college students are unable to accurately determine the types and the functions of English modal verbs. According to the obtained results and the conclusions the researcher has reached it is recommended that (1) Encourage students to read and to listen to the English material that have modals. (2) Provide extensive explanations of modal usage and their meanings.
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