ABSTRACT

Ouyang and Jiang (2018) measured the second language proficiency of English as a foreign language (EFL) learners based on the probability distribution of dependency distance. However, the typological features of the native language (Chinese) and the target language (English) they adopted are generally considered similar in word order and dependency direction. In addition, their method of classifying the learners’ proficiency levels is based on the learners’ grades, which might weaken the validity of the results. These results are strengthened and verified further in the current research by analysing a treebank of Japanese EFL learners’ interlanguage since their native language and the target language are typologically distinctive. Moreover, the TOEIC score was used as a benchmark to classify the second language proficiency levels of the learners. We found that (1) the mean dependency distance can measure the syntactic complexity of Japanese EFL learners’ interlanguage; (2) constrained by human working memory, the probability distribution of dependency distance based on Japanese EFL learners’ interlanguage follows certain distribution patterns as unveiled in other natural human languages; (3) the parameters of the right truncated modified Zipf-Alekseev distribution can well reflect the changes of the Japanese EFL learners’ second language proficiency, indicating the development of interlanguage.

摘要

Ouyang和Jiang（2018）根据依赖距离的概率分布测量了英语作为外语（EFL）学习者的第二语言能力。但是，通常认为它们采用的母语（中文）和目标语言（英语）的类型特征在词序和依存方向上相似。此外，他们根据学习者的等级对其学习能力水平进行分类的方法可能会削弱结果的有效性。由于他们的母语和目标语言在类型上是独特的，因此通过分析日本EFL学习者的中介语树库，可以进一步加强和验证这些结果。此外，TOEIC分数被用作对学习者的第二语言能力水平进行分类的基准。我们发现（1）平均依赖距离可以衡量日本EFL学习者中间语言的句法复杂性；（2）受人类工作记忆的限制，基于日本EFL学习者中间语言的依赖距离的概率分布遵循其他自然人类语言所揭示的某些分布模式；（3）右截短的修正的Zipf-Alekseev分布的参数可以很好地反映日本EFL学习者第二语言能力的变化，表明中介语言的发展。基于日本英语学习者中间语言的依赖距离的概率分布遵循其他自然人类语言所揭示的某些分布模式；（3）右截短的修正的Zipf-Alekseev分布的参数可以很好地反映日本EFL学习者第二语言能力的变化，表明中介语言的发展。基于日本英语学习者中间语言的依赖距离的概率分布遵循其他自然人类语言所揭示的某些分布模式；（3）右截短的修正的Zipf-Alekseev分布的参数可以很好地反映日本EFL学习者第二语言能力的变化，表明中介语言的发展。