英语名词可数性转换习得中的抑制因子探究

On the inhibiting factors in the acquisition of English converted count/mass use

本研究在基于使用的语言学框架下,探讨了固化、语义占位、名词指称个体化程度等因素对中国学生习得英语名词可数性转换的抑制作用。受试为初三、高一和高三学生,实验要求他们对可数名词及其转换的不可数用法、不可数名词及其转换的可数用法进行可接受性判断。结果显示:可数名词的使用频率显著抑制受试对该名词转换的不可数用法的习得;可数名词与其转换的不可数用法语义相似度随着语言输入量的增加逐渐抑制转换的不可数用法的习得。不可数名词的使用频率和名词所指个体化程度显著抑制受试对该名词的转换可数用法的习得;不可数名词与其转换的可数用法语义相似度随着语言输入量的增加逐渐抑制转换的可数用法的习得。研究结果支持固化、语义占位、个体连续统假设。

This study, in the framework of usage-based linguistics, investigated the effects of entrenchment, preemption and nouns' individuation on L2 acquisition of English converted count/mass use. Participants were Chinese third-year middle school students, first-year high school students and thirdyear high school students, who rated the acceptability of count nouns, mass nouns, converted count use, and converted mass use. Results show that 1) the frequency of count nouns significantly inhibits the participants' acceptability of converted mass use, and the semantic similarity between count nouns and converted mass use gradually inhibits the acceptability of converted mass use as their English proficiency improves; 2) the frequency of mass nouns and the extent of nouns' individuation significantly inhibits the participants' acceptability of converted count use, and the semantic similaritybetween mass nouns and converted count use gradually inhibit the acceptability of converted count use as their English proficiency improves. These results support the entrenchment, preemption and individuation hypotheses, respectively.