使用偏好对二语连贯语篇中结构启动的影响——以英语状语从句产出语序为例

传统结构启动研究通常考察脱离连贯语篇的孤立语句,生态效度偏弱。本研究以使用位置具有明显倾向的英语状语从句为目标结构,以中级英语水平学习者为被试,通过读后续说任务探讨二语连贯语篇中目标结构语序的结构启动以及使用偏好对启动效应的影响。研究发现:(1)前读材料若不含状语从句,学习者续说时偏好状语从句前置语序;(2)前读材料无论将状语从句前置还是后置,学习者续说产出中相应语序的使用数量均显著多于另一语序,二语连贯语篇中存在状语从句语序的结构启动;(3)使用偏好对结构启动产生显著影响,且启动效应呈正向偏好,而非反向偏好。研究结果支持结构启动的内隐学习说。

Previous research on structural priming is often weak in ecological validity for focusing primarily on isolated sentences.Targeting the adverbial clause with replaceable positions before or after the main clause and taking intermediate EFL learners as the subjects,this study intended to examine the occurrence of structural priming in coherent L2 discourse and the impact of preference on the priming via a reading-speaking integrated continuation task.The findings are as follows:(1)the learners preferred to use the pre-main clause sequence of the target structure when continuing the text containing no adverbial clause;(2)the sequence of the target structure,i.e.before or after the main clause,in the reading text elicited significantly more use of the very sequence than the opposite sequence in the learners'continued speaking,indicating the occurrence of structural priming in coherent L2 discourse;(3)preference of use had a significant impact on the priming magnitude,with the forward preference rather than the inverse preference leading to stronger priming effects.These findings lend credence to the implicit learning account of structural priming.