Journal
SYSTEM
Volume 101, Issue -, Pages -Publisher
ELSEVIER SCI LTD
DOI: 10.1016/j.system.2021.102590
Keywords
English; Phrasal knowledge; Second language learning; Formulaic language; Idioms; Collocations; Adult; Higher Education
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Skillful use of figurative phrases is a benchmark for advanced or native-like English, but non-compositional phrases present a disproportionate challenge for L2 English learners. This challenge seems to decrease with increased exposure and linguistic proficiency.
Skillful use of figurative phrases is often a benchmark for advanced or native-like English. Despite being highly prevalent, non-compositional phrases present a disproportionate challenge for L2 English users (Barfield & Gyllstad, 2009; Carrol & Conklin, 2017); this asymmetrical challenge appears to decrease with increased exposure and linguistic proficiency (Beck & Weber, 2016; Macias & Schmitt, 2017). This study administered an electronic assessment of knowledge of British English verb + object multi-word phrases of varying transparency to identify knowledge differences between intermediate and advanced L2 learners and monolinguals and to quantify the effect of non-transparency. Eighty-one adults participated: 61 U.K.-based L2 English users (37 intermediate; 25 advanced) and 19 British English monolinguals. A 3x3 ANOVA revealed sig-nificant differences between intermediate and advanced L2 users; advanced L2 users living in the U.K. differed significantly from monolinguals in knowledge of non-transparent phrases. Findings demonstrated an effect of non-transparency, such that it was significantly more challenging for learners to produce non-transparent phrases than comparably frequent transparent phrases. Im-plications for L2 English learners in Anglophone and in non-Anglophone settings are discussed.
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