中国英语学习者口语语料复数标记变异研究

A study on the variations of the plural marking in Chinese EFL student speech

本研究基于中国英语学习者口语语料,考察中国英语学习者复数标记的变异状况及其影响因素。分属三个水平组的91名大学生参加了本研究。在数据分析基础上,我们得出如下结论:第一,复数标记变异的主要形式并不局限于正确的复数标记和标记缺失,还包括零标记及单数名词被标记。第二,复数标记变异具有系统性,受语音、语义、句法和词汇层面不同程度的显著影响。语义层面是最重要的影响因素,而句法层面则是最弱的因素。第三,复数标记变异的影响因素与语体的相关性较弱。第四,本研究结果为激发假说而非效率理论提供了部分支撑,证实冗余复数信息是复数标记主要的影响因素,二者的紧密关联体现了复数习得的阶段性发展过程。

Based on data from Chinese EFL-student speech,this article explores variations in plural marking and possible factors contributing to the variations.Ninety-one college students at three proficiency levels participated in the study,which yielded the following findings.First,variants of plural marking were not limited to marked plural nouns and unmarked plural nouns,but also included bare nouns and marked singular nouns.Second,there were systematic variations,of different degrees,owing to phonological,semantic,syntactic,and lexical factors.Semantics was found to produce the most important effect on plural marking while syntax had the weakest correlation with plural marking.Third,factors that conditioned plural marking did not show great differences between speech and writing.Fourth,results provided partial support for the priming hypothesis instead of efficiency arguments and pointed to a close relationship between redundant plural information and plural marking,a relationship which reflects a developmental process of the acquisition of plurals.