The Influence of Input Frequency and L2 Proficiency on the Representation of Collocations for Chinese EFL Learners
Collocations typically refer to habitual word combinations, which not only occur in texts but also constitute an essential component of the mental lexicon. This study focuses on the mental lexicon of Chinese learners of English as a foreign language (EFL), investigating the representation of colloca...
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MDPI AG
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Behavioral Sciences |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-328X/15/1/46 |
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| author | Mengchu Yu Saisai Xu Lianrui Yang Shifa Chen |
| author_facet | Mengchu Yu Saisai Xu Lianrui Yang Shifa Chen |
| author_sort | Mengchu Yu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Collocations typically refer to habitual word combinations, which not only occur in texts but also constitute an essential component of the mental lexicon. This study focuses on the mental lexicon of Chinese learners of English as a foreign language (EFL), investigating the representation of collocations and the influence of input frequency and L2 proficiency by employing a phrasal decision task. The findings reveal the following: (1) Collocations elicited faster response times and higher accuracy rates than non-collocations. (2) Higher input frequency improved the accuracy of judgments. High-proficiency Chinese EFL learners exhibit better accuracy and faster response times in collocation judgment tests. Additionally, input frequency and L2 proficiency interactively affected both response time and accuracy rate. These results indicate that L2 learners have a processing advantage for collocations, which function as independent entries in the mental lexicon. Both input frequency and L2 proficiency are crucial factors in collocational representation, with increased input frequency and proficiency shifting the representation from analytic retrieval toward holistic recognition in a continuum pattern. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-fb303158c4e2400880ba3dc51d833a6a |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2076-328X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
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| series | Behavioral Sciences |
| spelling | doaj-art-fb303158c4e2400880ba3dc51d833a6a2025-01-24T13:22:43ZengMDPI AGBehavioral Sciences2076-328X2025-01-011514610.3390/bs15010046The Influence of Input Frequency and L2 Proficiency on the Representation of Collocations for Chinese EFL LearnersMengchu Yu0Saisai Xu1Lianrui Yang2Shifa Chen3School of Foreign Languages, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266005, ChinaSchool of Foreign Languages, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266005, ChinaSchool of Foreign Languages, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266005, ChinaSchool of Foreign Languages, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266005, ChinaCollocations typically refer to habitual word combinations, which not only occur in texts but also constitute an essential component of the mental lexicon. This study focuses on the mental lexicon of Chinese learners of English as a foreign language (EFL), investigating the representation of collocations and the influence of input frequency and L2 proficiency by employing a phrasal decision task. The findings reveal the following: (1) Collocations elicited faster response times and higher accuracy rates than non-collocations. (2) Higher input frequency improved the accuracy of judgments. High-proficiency Chinese EFL learners exhibit better accuracy and faster response times in collocation judgment tests. Additionally, input frequency and L2 proficiency interactively affected both response time and accuracy rate. These results indicate that L2 learners have a processing advantage for collocations, which function as independent entries in the mental lexicon. Both input frequency and L2 proficiency are crucial factors in collocational representation, with increased input frequency and proficiency shifting the representation from analytic retrieval toward holistic recognition in a continuum pattern.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-328X/15/1/46input frequencyL2 proficiencycollocational representationcontinuum patternChinese EFL learners |
| spellingShingle | Mengchu Yu Saisai Xu Lianrui Yang Shifa Chen The Influence of Input Frequency and L2 Proficiency on the Representation of Collocations for Chinese EFL Learners Behavioral Sciences input frequency L2 proficiency collocational representation continuum pattern Chinese EFL learners |
| title | The Influence of Input Frequency and L2 Proficiency on the Representation of Collocations for Chinese EFL Learners |
| title_full | The Influence of Input Frequency and L2 Proficiency on the Representation of Collocations for Chinese EFL Learners |
| title_fullStr | The Influence of Input Frequency and L2 Proficiency on the Representation of Collocations for Chinese EFL Learners |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Influence of Input Frequency and L2 Proficiency on the Representation of Collocations for Chinese EFL Learners |
| title_short | The Influence of Input Frequency and L2 Proficiency on the Representation of Collocations for Chinese EFL Learners |
| title_sort | influence of input frequency and l2 proficiency on the representation of collocations for chinese efl learners |
| topic | input frequency L2 proficiency collocational representation continuum pattern Chinese EFL learners |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-328X/15/1/46 |
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