Crosslinguistic influence on Chinese EFL learners’ acquisition of English finite and nonfinite distinctions

Tang, Mengmeng

doi:10.1080/2331186x.2020.1721642

Cited by 6 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 24 publications

(21 reference statements)

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“…The latter could potentially account for morpho-syntactic transfer reported in the language production of serializing L1 learners of a non-serializing L2 (e.g. Helms-Park, 2004; Tang, 2018; Yang & Huang, 2009).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Crosslinguistic influence on English and Chinese L2 speakers’ conceptualization of event series

Tang

Vanek

Roberts

2020

International Journal of Bilingualism

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Aims and objectives/purpose/research question: The expression of event series varies across languages in intriguing ways. One key difference is that in some linguistic systems, such as Chinese, events can be tightly sequenced using serial verb constructions (SVCs), for example, qù kāi mén ‘go open door’. Linguistic systems with this property are known as serializing, and those without it, such as English, as non-serializing. This paper explores whether second language (L2) learners with a serializing first language (L1) conceptually transfer tight L1-based event serialization patterns into their non-serializing L2, and, if L2 learners with a non-serializing L1 acquire tight SVC-modulated event serialization in the L2. Design/methodology/approach: To investigate this, a task was created to estimate temporal distances between events on a time axis. Participants were asked to circle two numbers on the axis (0 = far past, 9 = far future) based on their understanding of when two events expressed by two verbs in each stimulus sentence happen. Data and analysis: Results showed that Chinese learners of English estimated significantly shorter temporal distances between multiple events in English SVC-like sentences compared to English natives. Tighter temporal sequencing in L2 English is interpreted as L1-based conceptual transfer of event serialization patterns. In the opposite direction, English learners of Chinese marked events in Chinese SVCs as significantly further apart than did Chinese natives, also showing that their event serialization is L1-based. Originality: This study demonstrates for the first time crosslinguistic influence on the conceptual level in the domain of event serialization. Significance/implications: The reported findings inform L2 acquisition research by providing empirical support for the idea that L1-based event serialization patterns influence how L2 learners conceptualize event distances, and this holds in both directions, from a serializing to a non-serializing language as well as vice versa.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Learners from serializing first languages (L1s) were found to transfer morpho-syntactic features of SVCs (e.g. she went home had dinner ) (Helms-Park, 2004; Tang, 2018; Yang & Huang, 2009) or L1-specific uses (e.g. cook butter melt ) (Helms-Park, 2001; Juffs, 1996) into their L2 English production.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Crosslinguistic influence on English and Chinese L2 speakers’ conceptualization of event series

Tang

Vanek

Roberts

2020

International Journal of Bilingualism

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“…For example, Siu and Ho (2015) found that syntactic skills, or "the recognition and ability to manipulate the grammatical structure of sentences in a language" (Gombert, 1992, cited in Siu & Ho, 2015, affect the reading comprehension of L1 Chinese and L2 English speakers differently across ages and predict L2 comprehension. In addition, Tang (2020) discovered that Chinese EFL students struggle with morphosyntactic transfer from their L1, leading to misuse of bare verbs in L2 English. As L2 proficiency increases, these mistakes in verb forms caused by the typological distinctions between Chinese and English become less common.…”

Section: Language Transfermentioning

confidence: 99%

Relative Marker Omission in Thai: Evidence from Native Speakers’ Acceptability Judgments and Language Transfer

Timyam,

Natpratan,

Rhekhalilit

et al. 2023

ABAC J

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Relative clauses are a well-studied phenomenon in linguistics, giving rise to discoveries about human language. In this study, we consider thîi-less relative clauses in Thai, in which a relative marker may be omitted under certain circumstances. The objectives of the study are to identify native speakers’ conditions of thîi omission and to explore whether knowledge of the conditions is transferred to their relative marker omission in English. Two parallel acceptability judgment tasks in Thai and English were conducted: 437 students from various faculties at Kasetsart University judged the acceptability of thîi-less relative clauses while 233 non-English major students and 83 English major students at the same university judged the acceptability of English marker-less relative clauses. Results showed the most favorable condition for thîi omission is a subject relative clause that modifies a general head noun and contains a non-eventive predicate. Such a structure of a thîi-less relative clause resembles the basic construction of nominal modification, i.e., a noun modified by a phrase. Results also showed the transfer of the thîi omission pattern into English, particularly among students with lower English proficiency. With L1 and L2 supporting data, the study demonstrated that syntax and semantics are determinants of relative marker omission in Thai.

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“…The findings also suggested the influence of L1 background on usage and language learning. Recently, Tang (2020) examined the acquisition and the use of English finite and non-finite verbs among Chinese EFL learners. The participants were divided into three proficiency levels: low, intermediate, and high.…”

Section: Conditional Sentencesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Thai EFL University Students’ Productions of the English Past Counterfactuals and Their Influences from Interlanguage Fossilization

et al. 2022

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The English past counterfactuality is difficult for non-native learners to learn and understand due to cross-language discrepancies. Oftentimes, individuals unavoidably develop the interlanguage and this language system becomes fossilized regardless of the amount of exposed time and input. The purpose of the study was twofold: (a) to examine 126 Thai EFL university students’ production of the English past counterfactuals through the grammar translation method (GT); (b) to qualitatively investigate how interlanguage fossilization exerts an influence on the students’ production. The results showed that their ability to use the English past counterfactuals was relatively low, whereas the errors of its structural elements could be found across the entire production. It was further observed from the interview that the low productive ability resulted from the L1 transfer and the training migration. The pedagogical implications for foreign language instructors are discussed.

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Crosslinguistic influence on Chinese EFL learners’ acquisition of English finite and nonfinite distinctions

Cited by 6 publications

References 24 publications

Crosslinguistic influence on English and Chinese L2 speakers’ conceptualization of event series

Crosslinguistic influence on English and Chinese L2 speakers’ conceptualization of event series

Relative Marker Omission in Thai: Evidence from Native Speakers’ Acceptability Judgments and Language Transfer

Thai EFL University Students’ Productions of the English Past Counterfactuals and Their Influences from Interlanguage Fossilization

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