二语句法磨蚀的回归性:基于疑问句的实证研究

Regression of Second Language Syntactic Attrition:An Empirical Study Based on English Interrogative Structures

在句法磨蚀领域,国内外研究主要聚焦于接受性句法技能,迄今鲜有学者对产出性句法的受蚀状况进行实证探索。本研究基于英语二语学习者的疑问句习得顺序,借助翻译和语法判断任务,探讨中国英语学习者产出性和接受性疑问句的受蚀状况。结果显示:1)学习者产出性和接受性英语疑问句的受蚀顺序均与其习得顺序相反,呈现回归性特征;2)英语产出性疑问句受蚀程度显著高于接受性,这表明回归性亦存在于语言技能间;3)标记度高、使用频率低、激活阈值高、结构和认知复杂的产出性英语句法最易受蚀。据此,教师在教学中应增加对以上易蚀句法的刺激和提取频率;相关部门在制定语言政策时,需提高和优化口语、翻译及写作等产出性任务的教学要求和评价体系,以帮助学习者保持现有的外语能力。

In the field of syntactic attrition,foreign and domestic research has focused dominantly on receptive syntactic skills,and few empirical studies have been conducted to probe the attrition of productive syntactic structures so far.This study,on the basis of EFL learners'acquisition se-quence in terms of English interrogative structures,is designed to investigate the attrition of Chi-nese adult EFL learners'receptive and productive English interrogative structures by way of translation and grammaticality judgment.The results revealed that:1)EFL learners'attrition sequence of English interrogative structures,either receptive or productive ones,roughly reflected the inversed pattern of their acquisition sequence,which echoed Regression Hypothesis;2)the at-trition rate of productive English interrogative structures was significantly higher than that of re-ceptive ones,suggesting that Regression was also manifested cross linguistic skills;3)the syntac-tic items most vulnerable to attrition were generally characterized by a high activation threshold,a low frequency of use,high-ranking markedness as well as great complexity in structures and cognitive demands.Accordingly,these syntactic items should be activated and retrieved more fre-quently in language teaching.In addition,in developing language policy,decision-makers should make more efforts to improve teaching requirements and optimize evaluation systems of such productive tasks as speaking,translating and writing,to help students maintain the competence acquired.