scholarly journals An investigation of accuracy and response time regarding processing mechanism of English relative clauses in EFL contexts

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 129-140
Author(s):  
Navid Nasrollahi Shahri ◽  
Masoud Motamedynia ◽  
Mohammad Ghazanfari
Keyword(s):  
English Learners ◽  
Relative Clauses ◽  
Sentence Comprehension ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
English Literature ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Reading Experiment ◽  
Native Speakers Of English ◽  
Processing Mechanism ◽  
English Relative Clauses

Sentence comprehension in EFL (English as a Foreign Language) contexts is influenced by many factors. One of the most important ones is the processing mechanism of relative clauses which can be analyzed in different frameworks by researchers. So far, a wide range of research has been conducted on the processing mechanism of relative clauses in a number of languages. The results have shown a tendency toward two major categories which have been proven to be of significance, namely subject preference and object preference. Studies conducted on native speakers of English, for instance, have demonstrated subject preference by the participants. Consequently, in this study, the researchers conducted a self-paced reading experiment employing Linger software, and the data were analyzed by using the SPSS Statistics version 25. It aims to investigate the processing mechanism of English relative clauses by Iranian EFL learners. The participants were nine males and 21 females of advanced English learners majoring in the English literature, all being native speakers of Farsi. The results indicate that that the correctness percentage of subject relative clauses, and also subject modifying ones, are significantly higher than that of object ones. The results also indicated that subject relatives were processed swifter than object relatives. Finally, the researchers discussed the reasons behind such a tendency among the participants of the experiment in terms of a number of theories and principles. The findings of this study are expected to be employed in language syllabus designing as well as in grading or sequencing of materials by educators and teaching material developers.

The acquisition of relative clauses by Spanish-Basque learners of L3 English: does dominance play a role?

2021 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jon Ramos Feijoo ◽  
María del Pilar García Mayo
Keyword(s):  
Relative Clauses ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Internal Factors ◽  
Language Dominance ◽  
Third Language ◽  
Third Language Acquisition ◽  
Syntactic Features ◽  
Factors Influencing ◽  
Native Speakers Of English

Abstract Several studies in the area of third language acquisition (L3A) have considered various factors influencing this process, but the effect of language dominance has not been thoroughly examined. The main goal of this study is to investigate whether the acquisition of relative clauses (RCs) in L3 English is influenced by language internal factors, such as the syntactic features of the target language, or by external factors in the form of cross-linguistic influence (CLI). A total of 90 participants (40 Spanish-dominant, 40 Basque-dominant, 10 L1 Spanish-L2 English) and 10 native speakers of English completed a production and a comprehension task. Findings show that the L3 learners’ production of RCs seems to be driven by language internal factors, whereas their comprehension appears to be influenced by their previously acquired languages, mainly by Spanish. It is concluded that neither language dominance nor other traditionally considered factors play a determinant role in the acquisition of RCs in L3 English by these participants.

Using key part-of-speech analysis to examine spoken discourse by Taiwanese EFL learners

ReCALL ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 304-320 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yen-Liang Lin
Keyword(s):  
English Learners ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Spoken Discourse ◽  
Part Of Speech ◽  
Grammatical Categories ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Native Speakers Of English ◽  
Spoken Interaction

AbstractThis study reports on a corpus analysis of samples of spoken discourse between a group of British and Taiwanese adolescents, with the aim of exploring the statistically significant differences in the use of grammatical categories between the two groups of participants. The key word method extended to a part-of-speech level using the web-based corpus analytical tool, Wmatrix, highlights those linguistic domains which deserve particular attention. Specifically, it reveals the lexical and grammatical categories that occur unusually frequently or unusually infrequently in the English learners’ discourse when compared with the language used by the native speakers of English in the sample. The research findings delineate the pedagogical merit of key domain analysis and thus help to inform English as a foreign language teachers and materials developers in the design of courses emphasising spoken interaction.

scholarly journals Phrase frequency, proficiency and grammaticality interact in non-native processing: Implications for theories of SLA

2016 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. 91-118 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kailen Shantz
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Second Language Acquisition ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
The Other ◽  
Rule Based ◽  
Grammatical Development ◽  
Developmental Shift ◽  
Reading Experiment ◽  
Native Speakers Of English ◽  
Linguistic Input

This study reports on a self-paced reading experiment in which native and non-native speakers of English read sentences designed to evaluate the predictions of usage-based and rule-based approaches to second language acquisition (SLA). Critical stimuli were four-word sequences embedded into sentences in which phrase frequency and grammaticality were crossed in order to examine whether grammatical processing is modulated by phrase frequency. The magnitude of grammaticality effects for native speakers did not differ by phrase frequency, indicating that phrase frequency does not modulate native grammatical processing. Phrase frequency did, however, modulate the magnitude of non-native grammaticality effects. This modulating effect of phrase frequency on grammatical processing for non-native speakers depended on proficiency, showing a u-shaped change in the size of grammaticality effects relative to speaker proficiency. The overall pattern of change in grammaticality effects suggests a gradual developmental shift in grammatical processing from an initial reliance on phrase frequency to an eventual abstraction of generalizable rules from the linguistic input once sufficient experience has accumulated. Results suggest that second language (L2) grammatical development relies on a combination of both usage-based and rule-based knowledge and processing, rather than exclusive reliance on one or the other.

Leisure-activity ESP as a special case of ELF: the example of scuba diving English

English Today ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 29 (3) ◽  
pp. 47-57 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edgar W. Schneider
Keyword(s):  
Second Language Acquisition ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Native Speaker ◽  
Leisure Activity ◽  
Natural Phenomenon ◽  
Lingua Franca ◽  
Practical Applications ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Domains Of Life ◽  
Native Speakers Of English

It is well known that native speakers of English around the globe are by far outnumbered today by speakers of English as a second or as a foreign language (Crystal, 2008). English is thus regularly used as a lingua franca, i.e. an intermediary language used between speakers of various linguistic backgrounds, for transnational and intercultural communication in many domains of life (such as business, diplomacy, higher education, tourism, etc.). The study of conditions of using ‘English as a Lingua Franca’ (ELF), intrinsically connected to the fields of World Englishes and Second Language Acquisition (Schneider, 2012), has come to be a booming sub-field and topic of research in English linguistics over the past few years, as is indicated by the publication of a few textbooks, the establishment of a conference series, and the launch of a scholarly journal (JELF). The focus of these approaches has been on the functions, usage conditions, and practical applications of ELF (Seidlhofer, 2011), and also, though to a lesser extent, on any characteristic structural properties (Dewey, 2007; Jenkins, Cogo & Dewey, 2011; Cogo & Dewey, 2012). Clearly, ELF can be found in a wide range of possible applications and contexts, as Cogo & Dewey (2012: 31) have stated: ‘As a natural phenomenon of sociolinguistic variation, ELF includes all types of communicative events, from the transactional to the interactional, and various possible settings, such as the institutional and the casual.’ It is considered to be independent of the interactants' native-speaker status: prototypically ELF involves communication between non-native speakers of English, but sometimes native speakers participate in such encounters as well. It centrally involves accommodation, negotiation and adjustment of forms to achieve successful communication.

scholarly journals Impact of Watching Cartoons on Pronunciation of a Child in an EFL Setting: A Comparative Study with Problematic Sounds of EFL Learners

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ali S. Alghonaim
Keyword(s):  
English Learners ◽  
Longitudinal Research ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Longitudinal Case Study ◽  
Video Recordings ◽  
Minimal Pairs ◽  
Native Speakers Of English ◽  
Authentic Language ◽  
Watching Tv

The purpose of this study is to describe a longitudinal case study of pronunciation acquisition for an Arabic child who watched English TV cartoons in an English as a foreign language (EFL) setting, basically in Buraidah, Saudi Arabia. The child, whose name is Anmar, was raised in a typical Arabic environment where Arabic was the only means of communication he experienced. He watched selected English TV cartoons since he was three years old and until he was ten years old. This research study focused on Anamr's acquisition of pronunciation, although the chances to use the language were very limited due to his EFL environment. Additionally, the study aims at comparing Anmar's pronunciation of problematic sounds to Arab learners of English, as stated in previous studies. The research adopted a longitudinal research methodology aiming to find if watching English TV cartoons without even minimum use of language could impact the child's pronunciation compared to his counterparts of Arab learners of English. Therefore, this research utilized some methods, including rating some audio and video recordings of conversations with his father and storytelling. Two native speakers of English rated his performance. A mispronunciation recognition test was carried out to evaluate Anmar's recognition of mispronunciation. The study found out that Anmar's pronunciation was native-like. He far outperformed the Arab learners of English concerning the problematic sounds to Arab learners. He easily differentiates between, for instance, minimal pairs, diphthongs, consonant clusters, vowels, and intonation. The study concluded that children might acquire English pronunciation by watching TV cartoons to be able to overcome the pronunciation problems that many Arab speakers experience. Additionally, English learners in elementary schools may watch such programs to train them to listen to authentic language in media.

scholarly journals Creating and Validating an Advanced Practical Word List

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Chen Wang
Keyword(s):  
Native Speakers ◽  
Daily Life ◽  
Word List ◽  
Daily Lives ◽  
Advanced Learners ◽  
Initial Development ◽  
Word Families ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Native Speakers Of English ◽  
English Speaking

<p>This study aims to create and validate a list of highly practical words used in the daily lives of people living in an English-speaking environment. These words are known to most native speakers of English, but are unknown to most advanced non-native speakers. The resulting list will be of great value to advanced non-native users of English who may function well in their respective domains of work but encounter many embarrassments for not having the vocabulary for daily communications. Three contemporary dictionaries were used in the initial development of the Advanced Practical Word List (hereafter APWL). Seven native speakers were then asked to rate the usefulness of the initial word list. Sixty advanced non-native speakers and 40 native speakers of English were asked to identify the words that were known to them. Based on these criteria, 867 word families have been identified by all native speakers as of high practical value but were unknown to most of the advanced non-native speakers in this study. The APWL comprises words from a wide range of frequency levels, and includes both words that should have been known to the advanced learners, and those that are beyond their proficiency level. The APWL is divided into 25 categories, each representing a type of words useful in daily life scenarios. Additionally, the APWL is divided into two types of sublists, one based on the words' frequency levels and another based on the potential usefulness of the words. The APWL is an important aid for advanced learners in an English-speaking context. It helps them cope with words that are frequently used by native speakers in daily life. The APWL is also important, as it attempts to look for another type of vocabulary in addition to the four tiers of words identified by Nation (2001).</p>

Changing comprehenders’ pronoun interpretations: Immediate and cumulative priming at the discourse level in L2 and native speakers of English

2019 ◽  
pp. 026765831988664
Author(s):  
Carla Contemori
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Priming Effect ◽  
Sentence Comprehension ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
First Language ◽  
Mexican Spanish ◽  
Pronoun Resolution ◽  
Priming Effects ◽  
Stable Representation ◽  
Native Speakers Of English

Existing research on second language (L2) pronoun resolution has not yet looked at immediate and cumulative priming effects. By using a sentence comprehension task, the present study aims at priming dis-preferred interpretations for ambiguous pronouns. We test a group of native speakers and a group of intermediate-proficiency L2 learners of English, whose first language (L1) is Mexican Spanish. The results suggest that the magnitude of the immediate priming effect is comparable in L2 and native speakers. In addition, we found that priming at the discourse level can be persistent for L2 speakers that have successfully acquired pronoun interpretation constraints in the L2. Based on the findings, we hypothesize that priming can be determined by the degree to which the structure is a stable representation in the leaner’s system, regardless of the amount of experience with that structure/preference.

The timing of lexical and syntactic processes in second language sentence comprehension

2015 ◽  
Vol 37 (5) ◽  
pp. 1253-1280 ◽  
Author(s):  
HOLGER HOPP
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Sentence Processing ◽  
Sentence Comprehension ◽  
Lexical Processing ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
First Language ◽  
Syntactic Processing ◽  
Complex Object ◽  
Reading Experiment ◽  
Processing Differences

ABSTRACTThis paper investigates how lexical processing difficulty affects second language (L2) syntactic processing. In a self-paced reading experiment with 36 monolingual and 62 first language German speakers of English, we test how differences in lexical frequency moderate structural processing differences between subject and object clefts. For the L2 group, the results show linear relations between verb frequency and the location of the reading difficulty resulting from the structurally more complex object clefts. Native speakers evince comparable effects only in lower word frequency ranges. The findings indicate that greater demands on lexical processing may cause non-native-like syntactic processing in that they attenuate and delay effects of structure building in L2 sentence processing. We discuss implications for current models of L2 sentence processing.

scholarly journals Sensitivity to syntactic violation and semantic ambiguity in English modal verbs: A self-paced reading study

2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (5) ◽  
pp. 1017-1043
Author(s):  
Nadia Mifka-Profozic ◽  
David O’Reilly ◽  
Juan Guo
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Epistemic Possibility ◽  
Formal Context ◽  
Semantic Ambiguity ◽  
Modal Auxiliaries ◽  
Modal Verb ◽  
Reading Experiment ◽  
Native Speakers Of English ◽  
Reading Study

AbstractThe present study is, to our knowledge, the first self-paced reading experiment to investigate the effects of syntactic violation and semantic ambiguity on processing English modal auxiliaries. Forty undergraduate students, native speakers of English, took part in the study and read 36 target sentences, each containing a modal verb in context. Two of the most frequent English modals, can and may, were used in three distinct categories of modal expression: agent-oriented/ability, epistemic possibility, and speaker-oriented/permission. The two modal auxiliaries were manipulated such that they were either congruent or incongruent with the context, or in the case of permission felicitous or infelicitous relative to the context. We found that incongruent modal use in an agent-oriented context resulted in a reading penalty that was observed in a spillover on the segments following the modal and the lexical verb. Incongruent modal use to express epistemic possibility significantly affected reading times immediately after the modal auxiliary, and also spilt over to the following segments. Reading times in sentences expressing speaker-oriented modality were not affected by inconsistency in the use of the modal verb unmarked for formality in a formal context. The substantive and methodological implications of findings are discussed.

scholarly journals The content analysis of the English as an international language-targeted coursebooks: English literature or literature in English?

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 69-79
Author(s):  
Mehdi Solhi Andarab
Keyword(s):  
Content Analysis ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
English Literature ◽  
Language Education ◽  
Literary Works ◽  
International Language ◽  
Native Speakers Of English ◽  
English Speaking ◽  
Native English Speaking

The integration of literature and literary works has always played an undeniable role in language education. Despite the existence of a wealth of literature in non-native English-speaking countries, in the majority of the coursebooks, the entire attention is devoted to literary works of the native English-speaking countries. In this study, five coursebooks claiming to be based on English as an international language (EIL) were randomly selected and analysed to investigate to what extent they have incorporated the literatures of native and non-native English-speaking countries. The criteria for the content analysis of the claimed EIL-based coursebooks were based on Kachru’s Tri-Partide Model to categorise the countries, and culture with a small c and Culture with a capital C dichotomy. Results indicated that although the chosen coursebook purports to be based on EIL, less or nearly no attention is given to the literary works of the non-native speakers of English.   Keywords: ELT coursebooks, English as an international language, Kachru’s Tri-Partide model, literature in English

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