Can the amount of lexical exposure account for the differences in word recognition between second language learners and native speakers?

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K00780
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 02100:Foreign language education-related
• Research Institution: Nihon Fukushi University (2020-2023); Nagoya University (2018-2019)
• Principal Investigator: Ishida Tomomi 日本福祉大学, 全学教育センター, 准教授 (30747449)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 頻度効果 / アイトラッキング / 語彙処理 / 統語処理 / 語長効果

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In this study, I compared the language processing of native English speakers, Japanese learners of English, and German learners of English in terms of lexical frequency and word length and the frequency of their use of multiword units. I also investigated whether these differences were due to the amount of lexical exposure (vocabulary knowledge) they displayed.
The results showed that second language learners had a stronger impact than native speakers. Since the same tendency was observed for German and Japanese English learners using different scripts, it could be assumed that this is a difference that can be observed among second language learners in general. Furthermore, the results suggest that the differences in influence between native speakers and learners cannot be explained solely by their vocabulary knowledge.

Free Research Field

第二言語習得論、外国語教育

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

第二言語学習者は、母語話者と比較して、言語的な特徴の差異をより強く受ける。しかし、その差異が母語の影響なのか、第二言語への接触量の差なのかの原因は明らかにされていない。もし、第二言語への接触量の増加が、母語話者の言語認知に近づくという論拠が証明できれば、言語的接触量が外国語向上の重要な手がかりになりうる。
分析結果から、言語的特徴（頻度効果と語長効果）のインパクトの大きさは、学習者の方が強く、この傾向は母語の異なる学習者（日本人とドイツ人）共通に観察できた。つまり、この傾向は学習者一般に観察されることが示唆され、言語的特徴効果の差異の要因が第二言語学習者の母語ではないことは明らかになった。