外语教学与研究

外语教学与研究 ›› 2021, Vol. 53 ›› Issue (2): 224-237.

• 外语教育（教育部哲学社会科学学报名栏） • 上一篇    下一篇

不同水平学习者英语作文句法复杂度研究

高霞   

  1. 北京航空航天大学
  • 出版日期:2021-03-20 发布日期:2021-04-22
  • 基金资助:
    本文是教育部人文社科基金项目“中国英语能力等级量表不同水平学习者区别性语言特征研究”（20YJA740011）的阶段性成果。

Syntactic complexity in English writing by Chinese EFL learners at different levels

GAO Xia   

  1. School of Foreign Languages, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, China
  • Online:2021-03-20 Published:2021-04-22

摘要： 本研究采用TAASSC工具自动标注并提取不同水平学习者英语作文的三类句法复杂度参数，对比和分析宏观句法层面、微观从句和短语层面复杂度参数与作文等级的关系。研究发现，三类参数是同一语言维度的不同侧面，含三类指标的回归方程的作文等级解释力最强。从句和短语复杂度参数加强了宏观句法复杂度指标的预测力，为不同等级作文的区别性句法特征描述提供了有效补充。传统的从句复杂度指标并非作文质量的有效预测指标。这些发现为EFL学习者语言复杂度评价和发展描述提供了重要参照，对二语习得理论、外语教学和测试有一定启示。

关键词: 句法复杂度, 从句复杂度, 英语水平, 英语作文

Abstract: Using TAASSC, three types of syntactic complexity indices were identified, tagged and calculated in free writings by Chinese EFL learners at different levels of China’s Standards of English Language Ability (CSE). Correlation and multi-step linear regression analyses were conducted to investigate the relationship between large-grained syntactic complexity, fne-grained clausal complexity and phrasal complexity indices and texts’ CSE bands. The results show that the combination of the three types of indices explains the largest variance of texts’ CSE bands. Fine-grained indices of clausal and phrasal complexity strengthen the explanatory power of largegrained indices by providing more detailed information about the texts. The importance of clausal complexity in indexing L2 writing is only minimal. These fndings serve as reference for similar future studies as well as second language acquisition, EFL teaching and testing.

中图分类号: 

  • H319.3