英汉二语习得者的空间运动事件认知——来自行为实验的证据

The Conceptualization of Motion Events by English⁃Chinese Bilinguals:Evidence from Behavioral Tasks

本研究以空间事件类型学为理论基础,探讨英、汉单语人群和不同学习阶段的英汉二语习得者在空间运动事件上的认知及行为反应成熟模式。共有115名被试参加了规定时间内的相似性判断任务,所得数据采用R语言的混合效应回归模型进行分析。结果发现:1、在显性处理层面的选择偏好上,不同类型(单语、双语)及不同水平阶段(初级、中高级)的被试均明显倾向于根据运动路径(而非运动方式)来判断画面之间的整体相似性;2、在隐性层面的反应时模式上,汉语单语组的判断速度显著快于其他组别,这种优势有可能反映了汉语作为“等值框架化”语言的类型学特征以及与此紧密关联的“并行式”信息处理模式。总体来看,这些发现为温和版本的语言相对论提供了一定支持,对语言与思维关系的研究有重要启发。

This study aims to reveal how English learners of Chinese across proficiencies,as compared to monolinguals of English and Chinese,responded to motion event stimuli illustrating varied types of Manner and Path information.A total of 115 subjects participated in the study,and their responses,measured by overt preferences and covert response time(RT)patterns,were analyzed utilizing linear mixed⁃effects modelling.There are two main findings:(1)In terms of choices,all participants preferred the Path⁃match over the Manner⁃match,irrespective of learner type(i.e.,monolinguals vs.L2 learners)and proficiency level;and(2)as regards the RT pattern,the overall RT of Chinese monolinguals was significantly shorter than that of all the other groups,which is possibly attributable to Chinese monolinguals’quicker responses in both Manner⁃matched and Path⁃matched conditions.These findings confirmed the typological status of Chinese as equipollently⁃framed and its related“parallel”mode in information processing.Overall,the study sheds fresh light on the issue of the relationship between language and cognition.