A Functional Perspective on Phrasal Complexity Development: Effects of Learner Backgrounds and Task Cognitive Conditions

doi:10.3969/j.issn.1674-8921.2025.02.012

Abstract

Abstract:

Phrasal complexity represents the advanced stage of learner language development. It is often regarded as an important dimension in the investigation of the effects of macro learner backgrounds and micro task-related variables on language production and related research has accumulated ample findings concerning the statistical distribution of linguistic indices. However, the joint effects of macro- and micro-level variables remain under-examined, and the interpretation of statistical patterns of the complexity indices lacks the support from linguistic theory. Therefore, this study explores the effects of learner backgrounds and task cognitive conditions on EFL learners’ oral phrasal complexity based on the International Corpus Network of Asian Learners of English (ICNALE) (500,000 words). This study establishes a path analysis model combining 5 fine-grained phrasal complexity indices, and investigates the interaction between learner backgrounds and task cognitive conditions (task readiness) through the lens of Halliday’s Systemic Functional Grammar. Results show that the macro-level learner backgrounds generated multi-dimensional effects on oral phrasal complexity while micro-level cognitive conditions interacted with age and affected the expression of interpersonal meaning. This research has converged the effects of macro and micro variables on oral production and provided a functional perspective on the development of learners’ phrasal complexity.

Key words: Phrasal Complexity, Form-function Mapping, Learner Backgrounds, Task Readiness

CLC Number:

H319

WU Zhuochao, ZHENG Yongyan. A Functional Perspective on Phrasal Complexity Development: Effects of Learner Backgrounds and Task Cognitive Conditions[J]. Contemporary Foreign Languages Studies, 2025, 25(2): 138-153.

Figures/Tables 9

References 27

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语言水平	A2	B1下限	B1上限	B2及以上
篇数	400	884	1876	640
学科类别	科学与技术	生命科学	社会科学	人文学科
篇数	1016	148	872	1764

短语修饰语	语料库节选
限定词	a part-time job
形容词性修饰语	his bad habit; public places
所有格	your life experiences
介词性修饰语	influence from the smoke
动词性修饰语	the tax earned from the sale of cigarettes
名词作修饰语	health problem
关系从句作修饰语	people that don’t smoke
非从句副词修饰语	a very real health hazard
连词“and”作修饰语	the people who do not smoke and breathe in secondhand smoke
连词“or”作修饰语	It will make them better as a person, where they will value their jobs or they will value life as it is

短语复杂度指标	语言水平		学科背景		年龄
短语复杂度指标	估计值 (标准误)	显著性 (p)	估计值 (标准误)	显著性 (p)	估计值 (标准误)	显著性 (p)
形容词性修饰语	0.034 (0.017)	0.040	0.043 (0.017)	0.010	0.055 (0.017)	0.001
介词性修饰语	0.065 (0.017)	0.000	0.025 (0.017)	0.268	-0.025 (0.017)	0.144
动词性修饰语	0.104 (0.017)	0.000	0.000 (0.017)	0.978	-0.016 (0.017)	0.329
名词作修饰语	0.024 (0.017)	0.147	-0.003 (0.017)	0.879	-0.024 (0.017)	0.150
非从句副词修饰语	0.055 (0.017)	0.001	0.031 (0.017)	0.064	-0.002 (0.017)	0.912

短语复杂度指标	有准备	无准备	差异性(F值)
形容词性修饰语	1.396 (0.929)	1.379 (0.931)	0.579
介词性修饰语	0.878 (0.759)	0.889 (0.746)	0.654
动词性修饰语	0.168 (0.295)	0.180 (0.312)	0.201
名词作修饰语	0.547 (0.686)	0.582 (0.691)	0.114
非从句副词修饰语	0.194 (0.301)	0.219 (0.346)	0.015

短语复杂度指标	有无准备	语言水平*有无准备	学科背景*有无准备	年龄*有无准备
短语复杂度指标	估计值	估计值	估计值	估计值
形容词性修饰语	0.016
	0.117	-0.037
	0.12	-0.036	-0.001
	0.087	-0.037	-0.002	0.002
介词性修饰语	-0.011
	-0.119	0.04
	-0.13	0.039	0.004
	-0.135	0.039	0.004	0
动词性修饰语	-0.013
	0.022	-0.013
	0.046	-0.011	-0.01
	-0.016	-0.013	-0.011	0.003
名词作修饰语	-0.035
	-0.054	0.007
	-0.038	0.007	-0.006
	-0.118	0.006	-0.008	0.004
非从句副词修饰语	-0.026*
	-0.017	-0.003
	0.000	-0.002	-0.007
	0.164	0.001	-0.003	-0.009*