二语熟练度和语言间句法结构相似性对中国学习者英语被动句加工过程的影响

The effects of second language proficiency and syntactic structure similarity on the processing of English passives by Chinese EFL learners

本文以中等熟练者和高熟练者这两类二语熟练度不同的中国大学生为受试,采用ERP技术,以具有语言间句法结构相似性的直译型英语被动句和具有语言间句法结构差异性的意译型英语被动句作为实验材料,在比较两类受试在无违例、句法违例、语义违例以及双违例条件下的行为数据和ERP多维数据变化的基础上,探讨二语熟练度和语言间句法结构对汉-英双语者英语被动句加工过程的影响及其二者各自的作用。结果表明:1)熟练度可以预测英语被动句实时加工的程度和水平;2)高熟练者对于句法违例和双违例的处理模式相似,引发了最为明显的P600。中等熟练者对于语义违例和双违例的处理模式相似,引发了最为明显的N400;3)中等熟练者和高熟练者对于英语被动句的加工过程可能存在本质差异——前者以语义信息加工为中心,后者以句法信息加工为中心;4)行为指标分析结果支持语言间句法结构相似性效应——直译句反应快、正确率高;句法结构低通达的意译句反应慢、正确率低,并且此效应在中等熟练者身上表现得更为明显。

With 40 Chinese university students of intermediate and high proficiency as subjects,this study investigates the effects of second language proficiency and L1-L2 syntactic structure similarity on the processing of English passives by Chinese EFL learners.Focusing on literally translated passive sentences with similar syntactic constructions and freely translated passive sentences with different syntactic constructions as data,it compares the behavioral and ERP(event-related potential) patterns of data from the two types of subjects under four conditions.The results indicate:1) Reaction time of the subjects with high proficiency is faster and their accuracy rate higher than those of the intermediate subjects,indicating that the degree and level of English passive sentence processing can be predicted on the basis of proficiency;2) The subjects with high proficiency deal with syntactic and double anomalies in a similar way,with P600 being observed;the subjects of intermediate proficiency deal with semantic and double anomalies in a similar way,with N400 being observed;3) There are fundamental differences between the two types of subjects in processing passive sentences,with the intermediate subjects focusing on semantic information and the high proficient subjects on syntactic information;4) Behavioral patterns of data support syntactic accessibility between languages — reaction time and accuracy rate in the syntactic structures of high accessibility(literally translated sentences) being faster and higher than those of syntactic structures of low accessibility(freely translated sentences),which is observed more clearly in the intermediate subjects.