On L2 English Learners’Formulaic Language Use and Spoken English Fluency

This study explored the distribution of three types of English formulaic language, which involves four categories in L1 Chinese L2 English learners’ speaking performance. In addition, it investigated the relationship between the English learners’ use of formulaic language and their spoken English fluency. A CCA(canonical correlation analysis) was conducted to examine the correlations between two sets of fluency variables(dependent variables) and linguistic variables of English formulaic language use(independent variables). The fluency variable set consists of:(1)temporal indices such as SR(speech rate), AR(articulation rate), MLR(mean length of run), and PTR(phonation time ratio);(2) linguistic variables of English formulaic language like F2 R(twoword formulaic sequences/run ratio, B3 R(three-word lexical bundles/run ratio), and B4 R(fourword lexical bundles/run ratio). These are calculated according to the frequency of the English formulaic language in the speech samples of the participants(n = 86) across three academic levels.The results indicate that the learners’ spoken English fluency is highly related to their use of English formulaic language. Its limitations and future research directions are also discussed.

The Study of Factors of Interference of L1 Japanese on L2 English Pronunciation

This article focuses on investigating whether and how the factors of AoA,exposure of L1 Japanese and motivation have an effect on the production of L2 English sound of L1 Japanese speakers.In addition,the most effective factor affecting the L2 nativelike sound will be examined and the results will be received by using R studio.

L2 Learning of English Conditionals: Online Versus Traditional Classroom Teaching

The issue of whether online teaching could replace traditional classroom(TC)teaching has attracted the attention of researchers in the applied linguistics literature.The current study attempted to shed light on this proposition by testing it on the difficult linguistic target of conditional if-clauses in English.The difficulty of these clauses stems from the fact that different tenses are used to express meanings that are sometimes not related to the tense used.The study recruited 49 participants,who were divided into two groups(23 in the online group,26 in the TC teaching group)and given a multiple-choice task containing 20 items.The study adopted a longitudinal research design(pretest and posttest).Each group was pretested before receiving just one two-hour treatment session.Then both groups were posttested.The results showed that both groups struggled with the second and third types of conditionals more than the zero and first types.The TC teaching group improved in the posttest in all types of conditionals.The online group improved in only two types of conditionals(zero and first).The TC teaching group outperformed the online group in the second and third conditionals.The findings indicate that classroom learning is superior to online learning and that,depending on their type,some conditionals in English are more difficult to learn than others.

EFFECTS OF SYLLABLE STRUCTURES ON THE PERCEPTION OF L2 ENGLISH LEXICAL STRESS AMONG TEENAGE MANDARIN LISTENERS

This study explores the effects of syllable structures on the perception of L2 English lexical stress among Chinese junior ELF learners.Specifically,it focuses on to what extent syllable numbers and syllable patterns differentiate the subjects’perception of target English lexical stress.The subjects were 93 junior middle-school students from two natural classes in Grade 7.The target lexical stress was the primarily stress placed on the 1;and 2;syllables respectively,which were embedded in two kinds of carrier words(nonsense&real English words)with three types of syllabic patterns(CVC.V,CVC.VC&CVC.CVC).The subjects first listened to the stimuli read by a British RP phonetician in falling tone and then did the perception tests in the pen-and-paper manner.Their correct perception ratios(CPRs)of the target English lexical stress were calculated and compared according to syllable numbers and syllable patterns.The results reveal that the CPRs of L2 English lexical stress in disyllabic words significantly outperformed those in trisyllabic words,and that among the disyllabic words,the CPRs ranked top,second,and bottom with the disyllabic patterns of CVC.V,CVC.CVC,and CVC.VC,respectively.The findings provide considerable evidence for the impact of syllabic structures on teenage Mandarin listeners’perception of L2 English lexical stress.

A Key Factor Affecting L2( English) Vocabulary Acquisition: L2( English) Proficiency

There are some certain factors affecting L2(English)vocabulary acquisition such as L2(English)proficiency,readers’purpose and the habit of reading,and the difficulty of target words and context,among which the first plays a key role.The paper,through a review of the relevant experimental researches,reaches a conclusion that L2(English)proficiency does influence much upon L2vocabulary acquisition.

The L2 Acquisition of English Passive

Passive voice is an important grammatical category in language learning while it varies in different languages.In order to diminish the negative impact on L1 transfer and maintain the originality of passive voice in L2 learning,this essay centers on the grammatical differences of passive voice both in English and Chinese and propose practical teaching strategies.

The Effect of Using L1 （Arabic Language） in the L2 （English Language） Classroom on the Achievement in General English of Foundation Year Students in King Abdulaziz University

This study aims at investigating the effect of using L 1 （Arabic Language） while teaching a target language （English Language） on the achievement in General English of foundation year students in King Abdulaziz University. To achieve the purpose of the study, the researcher used an experimental design： an experimental group and a control group. The independent variable is using L1 while teaching English in very limited and specified areas. The dependent variable is students＇ achievement in general English. The statistics used is the t-test. The population of the study was all students enrolled in the foundation year 1431/1432 in the ELI （English Language Institute） at King Abdulaziz University. The sample of the study consisted of 50 students taking North Star in the sections A and B as a university requirement in the foundation year 1431/1432 in King Abdulaziz University. The results of the study were in favor of banning Arabic in the English language classroom as shown in the mean scores of the control and experimental groups in the tables. It is recommended that teachers and instructors should be trained to use teaching strategies that help them use English only in the English language classroom.

A Study of English Learning Motivation of Left-behind Children from the Perspective of L2 Motivational Self System

A survey carried out among 286 left-behind children in a middle school through the lens of L2 Motivational Self System presents that although left-behind children possess low level of English learning motivation,they are favorably disposed towards studying English.Among the three dimensions of L2 Motivational Self System in this survey,L2 Learning Experience influences English learning motivation of left-behind children most and Ideal L2 Self with Ought-to L2 Self ranks the second in affecting their motivation.Practicalimplications are also provided.

L2水平对中国学习者英语词重音产出的影响

实验考察了L2水平对中国学习者英语词重音产出的影响,对比了两组不同英语水平的中国学习者与美国英语本族语者产出英语词重音的声学表现。结果表明:1)与英语本族语者比,高水平组音高与之相似,但音强和时长差异显著;而低水平组在三个声学参数上都与英语本族语者差异显著;2)低水平组和高水平组在音高和音强上差异显著,但时长不显著。这说明语言水平影响英语词重音产出,然而,随着L2水平的增加,L1的影响降低。研究结果支持了语言迁移假说。

最简方案视角下的L2英语疑问句

本文在最简方案的框架内,讨论了英语疑问句的生成机制及其对L2疑问句习得的作用。CP出现之前,句法结构不具备移位操作的条件,语用层面上话语的疑问功能只有通过声调来完成。疑问句习得从最小标注到标注完善需要几个阶段,每个阶段的句法特征都和英语疑问句的句法操作及习得者的认知状态密切相关。

Intensifier-Verb Collocations in Academic English by Chinese Learners Compared to Native-Speaker Students

It is difficult for L2 English learners in general, and especially Chinese learners of English, to form idiomatic collocations. This article presents a comparison of the use of intensifier-verb collocations in English by native speaker students and Chinese ESL learners, paying particular attention to verbs which collocate with intensifiers. The data consisted of written production from three corpora: two of these are native English corpora: the British Academic Written English(BAWE) Corpus and Michigan Corpus of Upper-Level Student Papers(MICUSP). The third one is a recently created Chinese Learner English corpus, Ten-thousand English Compositions of Chinese Learners(TECCL).Findings suggest that Chinese learners of English produce significantly more intensifier-verb collocations than native speaker students, but that their English attests a smaller variety of intensifier-verb collocations compared with the native speakers. Moreover, Chinese learners of English use the intensifier-verb collocation types just-verb, only-verb and really-verb very frequently compared with native speaker students. As regards verb collocates, the intensifiers hardly, clearly,well, strongly and deeply collocate with semantically different verbs in native and Chinese learner English. Compared with the patterns in Chinese learner English, the intensifiers in native speaker English collocate with a more stable and restricted set of verb collocates.

全球英语框架下语言信念与二语动机的相关性实证研究

本研究在全球英语的框架下,探索英语专业学生的英语语言信念和二语学习动机的维度,并探讨语言信念如何影响学生的二语学习动机。研究数据来自460名英语专业大学生。探索性因子分析的结果表明,学生的语言信念形成了四个不同的维度,即标准英语信念、全球英语信念、英语教育信念及中国英语信念。学生的二语动机则确定了三个维度,即国际姿态、融合定向和工具定向。回归分析的结果表明,学生的一些信念与他们的二语动机之间存在着积极的、在统计意义上有显著意义的关系。结果显示英语教育信念对学生二语动机的三个维度影响最大。研究结果具有一定的意义。首先探索性因子分析的结果支持语言信念具有不同维度的观点,并从实证角度支持全球英语概念的有效性。从教学角度看,研究结果强调了采用全球英语教学方式的必要性。

The Effect of Classroom Environment in L2 Acquisition

This paper investigates the effect of classroom environment in second language learning acquisition. There were 72 subjects who participated in this study. They were students in a spare-time English school in China. All the subjects were real beginners of English and aged from 4 to 6 at the beginning of the study. Through keeping observational diaries and analyzing these data,the paper tries to prove that when teachers of young foreign language learners try to create or improve a classroom environment that is constructive to the development of their intrinsic motivation,a comprehensive approach to classroom intervention is especially important.

地方高校大学生二语动机自我系统和学习成效实证研究

作为激发和维持语言学习热情、决定外语学习成败的一个关键性因素,外语学习动机一直是语言习得研究的重点和热点。在二语动机自我系统理论的指导下,通过问卷调查了解我国地方高校非英语专业大学生英语学习动机的强度及其与英语成绩的关系。研究发现,地方高校大学生英语学习动机呈中等偏上水平。其中,应该二语自我最强,理想二语自我次之;女生和文科生拥有更强的理想二语自我;二语动机自我系统三维度之间相互影响;理想二语自我与英语成绩之间呈显著正相关。因此,学校和外语教师应采取有效措施帮助学生增强英语学习动机,构建清晰的理想二语自我,进而提高学生的英语水平。

不同语言水平学生书面语衔接性的动态发展探究

该研究旨在探究不同语言水平英语专业学生的衔接性发展路径,研究历时4个学期,共收集46位英语专业学生的限时写作文本数据。笔者借助衔接性测量工具Coh-Metrix3.0并从中选取4项具体测量指标:潜在语义分析、因果连接词、逻辑连接词及时间连接词。研究结果表明,低水平与高水平组学习者逻辑连接词指标上的发展趋势较为同步,而在潜在语义分析和因果连接词变化趋势中交叉发展,但不同语言水平的学生在衔接性4个指标均值上无显著性差异;学生的写作衔接性趋势受学习者个体、任务本身、语言环境等因素影响。该文以期为二语写作的衔接性研究进行拓展和补充,并为二语写作教学提供参考。

基于L2MSS理论的中学生英语学习动机研究

采用实证研究方法对黔南地区322名高中生的二语学习动机自我系统(L2MSS)进行研究。通过问卷调查,利用AMOS和SPSS软件对数据进行验证和分析发现:二语动机自我系统结构模型在黔南地区具有有效性;女生在学习动机强度和可能自我维度上均比男生要强;将自己定位为负责任的好学生的意识越强,英语学习动机越强;在未来,将自己定位为文化使者的使命感越强,英语学习动机越强。

A Corpus-Based Study of the Discourse Marker“Well”and Its Pragmatic Functions in L2 Learners’Dialogues

This paper focuses on the pragmatic function of the discourse marker“well”in conversational interaction of second language learners.Based on the corpus,we divide the pragmatic functions of“well”into four levels:content level,structural level,interpersonal level,and without level(interlanguage marker).This will help us understand the use of markers,such as“well”in interlanguage and provide references for improving the pragmatic competence of second language learners.

Differences in the Motivation of Teenage Learners of English in A Chinese Language Context

This paper aims to explore motivational variations in different teenage English learner groups in Chinese context.Drawing on L2 Motivational Self System as the theoretical framework,combining You and Dornyei’s research with my professional teaching experience,this paper found that students who learn English for the purpose of passing the exam,ought-to L2self dimension is the highest,with L2 learning experience and ideal L2 self following behind.Students who tend to live or study abroad,ideal L2 self is the best predictor,followed by L2 learning experience and ought-to L2 self.This indicates that teachers should improve teaching methods,apply motivational strategies in the classroom,and encourage and help students to use selfmotivating strategies to motivate themselves.

Negative Lexical Transfer of Native Language in Chinese College Students＇ English Writing

This paper focuses on manifestations of negative transfer of native language at lexical level reflected in Chinese college students＇ English writing. A classification as well as its exemplification is offered concerning all these lexical transfer errors. And the cause of formation is analyzed for the corresponding class of lexical transfer.

Correlational Study between the Information on English Middle Construction and Chinese EFL Learners'Acquisition of English Middle Construction

Less is known about the role that the information input may play in the acquisition of EMC,as such,the influence of the information input remains to be scrutinized.The present study,via quantitative analysis,aims to make a distinctive contribution to exploring this process.Four kinds of information on the six target English middle verbs were adopted:constraints on NP,constraints on AP,examples and all information on EMC.The results show that under the same conditions,examples can meet the demand of user's productive ability in a better way and help improve the production of the EMC.These findings are very informative for second language teaching and provide certain enlightenment for bilingual dictionary compilation.