scholarly journals Measuring syntactic complexity in learner Finnish

2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Taina Mylläri
Keyword(s):  
Language Learners ◽  
Task Type ◽  
Language Learner ◽  
Syntactic Complexity ◽  
Complexity Measures ◽  
Vast Number ◽  
Proficiency Levels ◽  
Proficiency Level ◽  
The Common ◽  
Do So

In the study of complexity, accuracy and fluency (CAF), syntactic complexity can be measured by a multitude of measures. Traditionally, the measures are quantitative and they use production units such as words, clauses, T-units, and sentences. Despite the vast number of measures available, many studies have used only one or two of them, or parallel ones tapping the same component of complexity. The present study explores syntactic complexity using seven frequently used quantitative complexity measures to gauge different facets of complexity in written learner Finnish. The data of the study consist of texts written by adult and adolescent language learners, and they cover proficiency levels from beginner (A1) to advanced learner (C2) in the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR). According to the results, changes in the measures are not linear from one proficiency level to the next. The results also show that while all the selected measures catch some statistically significant differences between proficiency levels in adult language learner texts, only four measures do so in adolescent language learner texts. The results also suggest that the measures are sensitive to task type.

scholarly journals Morphological complexity and rated writing proficiency

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nuria de la Torre García ◽  
María Cecilia Ainciburu ◽  
Kris Buyse
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Morphological Diversity ◽  
Syntactic Complexity ◽  
Writing Proficiency ◽  
L2 Acquisition ◽  
Complexity Measures ◽  
Linguistic Complexity ◽  
Verbal System ◽  
Proficiency Levels ◽  
Morphological Complexity

Abstract Linguistic complexity measures are used to describe second language (L2) performance and assess levels of proficiency and development. Although morphology is considered crucial in L2 acquisition, morphological complexity has been relatively neglected, hindering comprehensive views of grammatical complexity in L2. This article presents an application of a recently proposed metric of morphological diversity, the Morphological Complexity Index (MCI), in an L2 Spanish corpus of 113 essays classified into four proficiency levels by expert evaluators. The aim of the study is to investigate the relationships of MCI with subjectively rated proficiency and with other four quantitative measures of L2 complexity. Results indicate that morphological complexity, as measured by MCI, does not vary significantly across proficiency levels in this corpus. The MCI shows significant correlations with lexical but not with syntactic complexity measures. Findings are interpreted in the light of the characteristics of the corpus and the acquisition of the Spanish verbal system.

Automatic profiling of L2-simplified texts: Identifying discriminate features of linguistic proficiency

2018 ◽  
Vol 34 (3) ◽  
pp. 661-675
Author(s):  
Maria Angeles Zarco-Tejada
Keyword(s):  
Language Processing ◽  
Syntactic Complexity ◽  
Automatic Assessment ◽  
Linguistic Features ◽  
Proficiency Level ◽  
Proficiency Assessment ◽  
The Common ◽  
Proficiency Classification ◽  
Linguistic Proficiency ◽  
Level Identification

Abstract We describe the first wide results of the linguistic profiling of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR)-levelled English Corpus (CLEC), a corpus built up for Natural Language Processing purposes. The CLEC is a proficiency-levelled English corpus that covers A1, A2, B1, B2, and C1 CEFR levels and that has been built up to train statistic models for automatic proficiency assessment. We describe not only the main aspects of the corpus development but also display the linguistic features and the statistic results for levels A2, B1, and B2 written examples, carried out automatically. We show how raw text, lexical, morphosyntactic, or syntactic statistic outcomes can help to identify levels of proficiency, to test teaching materials accurate proficiency classification, to provide computable support to new text proficiency validation, and to specify level boundaries. In fact, upper levels strengthen proficiency by showing higher outcomes of lexical and syntactic complexity. This analysis validates the use of automatic tools for proficiency level identification based on lexical and syntactic data, whereas morphosyntactic features strengthen competence-level distinctions. Finally, we suggest that these results are a first step onto the CEFR-levelled automatic assessment of new texts.

scholarly journals Pronunciation Acquisition of the Inflectional Morpheme –ed in English by Nicaraguan Spanish Speakers

2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Angel M. Dávila
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
English Proficiency ◽  
Spanish Speakers ◽  
Past Tense ◽  
Differential Rate ◽  
Proficiency Levels ◽  
Foreign Language Learners ◽  
Proficiency Level ◽  
Nicaraguan Spanish

This descriptive non-experimental quantitative study investigated if the pronunciation of the –ed morphemeim proves as the English proficiency level develops. A random sampling design was used to recruit research participants.  A target sample of 48 Nicaraguan English as a foreign language students were chosen from an accessible population (N= 91) to participate in this research.  The participants’ age ranged from 18 to 24, with a mean age of 21 years.  They belonged to three English proficiency levels: high beginners, intermediate, and high intermediate. Findings showed that more advanced English as a Foreign Language learners had a significantly higher pronunciation accuracy on the production of the allomorphs, /t/ and /d/. Their error rate on these two allomorphs was as low as 9% and 8%, respectively. Concerning the /əd, ɪd/ allomorph, no significant differences were found among proficiency levels.  These results were interpreted in view of the Markedness Differential Hypothesis (Eckman, 1977) and the Similarity Differential Rate Hypothesis (Major & Kim, 1996). The trends in the data definitely suggested support for the Similarity Differential Rate Hypothesis which postulates that markedness by itself cannot explain the development of L2 learners as they improve their L2 proficiency level. This study offers implications for the teaching of the three phonological realizations of the -ed past tense inflection.

scholarly journals L2 Writing: A Comparison of Upper Intermediate and Advanced EFL Learners

2018 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 17
Author(s):  
Ana Cristina Lahuerta
Keyword(s):  
Intermediate Level ◽  
Syntactic Complexity ◽  
Writing Proficiency ◽  
Complexity Measures ◽  
Advanced Level ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
English Writing ◽  
Proficiency Levels ◽  
General Quality

The present study examines differences in syntactic complexity in English writing among advanced and upper intermediate undergraduates by means of quantitative measures of syntactic complexity. Participants were 250 Spanish undergraduates enrolled in a Degree in Modern Languages. A total of 121 students had an upper intermediate level (B2 level according to the CEFR) and 129 had an advanced level (C1 level according to the CEFR). Essays were evaluated by quantitative measures gauging different aspects of L2 complexity. Results indicate that the complexity measures chosen can capture significant differences in writing proficiency when comparing different proficiency levels. The scores on the general quality of the writings and on all syntactic complexity measures increased from B2 to C12 and for all complexity measures the increase was statistically significant.

OBSERVING THE EMERGENCE OF CONSTRUCTIONAL KNOWLEDGE

2019 ◽  
Vol 41 (5) ◽  
pp. 1089-1110 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ute Römer ◽  
Cynthia M. Berger
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Second Language Learners ◽  
Comparable Data ◽  
Proficiency Levels ◽  
Proficiency Level ◽  
English Usage ◽  
Reference Corpus ◽  
Different Levels ◽  
English Verb

AbstractBased on writing produced by second language learners at different proficiency levels (CEFR A1 to C1), we adopted a usage-based approach (Ellis, Römer, & O’Donnell, 2016; Tyler & Ortega, 2018) to investigate how German and Spanish learner knowledge of 19 English verb-argument constructions (VACs; e.g., “V with n,” illustrated by he always agrees with her) develops. We extracted VACs from subsets of the Education First-Cambridge Open Language Database, altogether comprising more than 68,000 texts and 6 million words. For each VAC, L1 learner group, and proficiency level, we determined type and token frequencies, as well as the most dominant verb-VAC associations. To study effects of proficiency and L1 on VAC production, we carried out correlation analyses to compare verb-VAC associations of learners at different levels and different L1 backgrounds. We also correlated each learner dataset with comparable data from a large reference corpus of native English usage. Results indicate that with increasing proficiency, learners expand their VAC repertoire and productivity, and verb-VAC associations move closer to native usage.

scholarly journals Teaching Arabic to Non-Native Speakers between Communication and Pragmatics:Qualitative Approach in Light of the Common European Framework of Reference for Teaching Foreign Languages

2021 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 55-65
Author(s):  
Hidaya Tag Elasfia Hassan Elbasre
Keyword(s):  
Language Learners ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Arabic Language ◽  
Language Learner ◽  
Foreign Languages ◽  
Joint Work ◽  
Common Reference ◽  
Arabic Speakers ◽  
The Common ◽  
Ak Model

This research is qualitative in nature. It aims to investigate descriptively, analytically, and comparatively the modern AK model represented by the Sudan Open University Series, and the European framework, the common reference for Teaching Foreign Languages, to uncover what was achieved in them in terms of communication and language use. Accordingly, an integrated, multi-media approach has been adopted to enable the production and reception activities, and the spread of Arabic in vast areas of the world. Such a spread helps Arabic language to be in a hegemonic position with the other living languages. The study is based on getting benefit from human experiences and joint work in the field of teaching Arabic to non-Arabic speakers to meet the needs of learners. Such knowledge helps to overcome the pragmatic dimension dilemmas, and the duality between formal and colloquial, leading as a result to have a global recognition of its outputs. The study revealed the importance of building the communication and pragmatic capabilities of language learners since they both represent the  life and vitality of language. It further necessitates rebuilding curricula and updating them in a way that makes communication and the use of language a reality. The research recommended eliminating any difficulties that face the Arabic language learner from the non-speakers, by making use of what was provided by the Common European Framework of Reference for Teaching Foreign Languages.

Constructions at work in foreign language learners’ mind

2019 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 219-242
Author(s):  
Annalisa Baicchi ◽  
Paolo Della Putta
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Ontological Status ◽  
Priming Effects ◽  
Proficiency Levels ◽  
Foreign Language Learners ◽  
L2 Learners ◽  
The Common ◽  
The Mind

Abstract This article reports empirical evidence of constructional priming effects in L2 learners of English and Italian. The well-known pioneering experiment carried out by Bencini and Goldberg (2000) with L1 speakers of English paved the way for our investigation. We employed the same protocol to ascertain whether constructions have an ontological status also in the mind of L2 learners. We conducted experiments with four groups of learners whose language proficiency levels correspond to the B1 and B2 levels of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). The results we obtained in our cross-linguistic experiments demonstrate that learners are reliant on constructional templates when they are required to produce linguistic generalizations.

The Relationship Among Vocabulary Size, Grammar Proficiency, and Critical Thinking Skills of Adult Language Learners

2020 ◽  
pp. 104515952095947
Author(s):  
İhsan Ünaldı ◽  
Erkan Yüce
Keyword(s):  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Critical Thinking Skills ◽  
Vocabulary Size ◽  
Proficiency Levels ◽  
Proficiency Level ◽  
Adult Language Learners ◽  
The Relationship

This study aims to determine the possible relationships among foreign language vocabulary size, foreign language grammar proficiency, and critical thinking skills. To this end, 126 adult language learners were examined in terms of vocabulary size, grammar proficiency, and critical thinking skills. The results revealed that participants’ grammar proficiency levels and their vocabulary size scores correlated significantly with certain aspects of critical thinking skills. However, unlike their vocabulary size scores, grammar proficiency level scores of the participants correlated significantly with their overall critical thinking skills scores. These results will be discussed in relation to adult language learners.

Some Bad

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Daniel Batson
Keyword(s):  
Physical Health ◽  
Common Good ◽  
Empathic Concern ◽  
The Common Good ◽  
Immoral Action ◽  
Self Interest ◽  
The Common ◽  
Mental And Physical Health ◽  
Do So

Despite its virtues, empathy-induced altruism can at times harm those in need, other people, and the altruistically motivated person. Specifically, it can hurt those in need when acted on without wisdom and sensitivity or when a cool head is required. It can produce paternalism. It is less likely to be evoked by nonpersonalized, abstract, chronic needs. It can be a source of immoral action, leading us to show partiality toward those for whom we feel empathic concern even when we know that to do so is neither fair nor best for all. Indeed, when our behavior is public, empathy-induced altruism can pose a more serious threat to the common good than does self-interest. Finally, it can at times jeopardize our mental and physical health—even our life. Any attempt to call on empathy-induced altruism to build a more humane society needs to take these problems into account lest we do more harm than good.

Group Counseling for English Language Learners to Promote Academic Navigational Capital

2020 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 2156759X2097956
Author(s):  
Adonay A. Montes ◽  
Erika Ramos
Keyword(s):  
English Language Learners ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Group Counseling ◽  
English Language Learner ◽  
English Language ◽  
Language Learner ◽  
Ell Students ◽  
Academic Settings ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Minimal Research

The purpose of this study was to explore the impact of an 8-week academic navigational capital group with English language learner (ELL) students. Minimal research exists examining ELL students’ acquisition of navigational capital skills (skills needed to navigate and succeed in academic settings) in school. We used a pre- and postintervention survey to measure the impact of the group. Results showed growth in the academic navigational capital skills of all participants. Such increases represent a starting blueprint to consider when working with ELL students.

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