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Exploring multiple constraints on second language development of English polysemous phrasal verbs

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 April 2019

Xiaopeng Zhang Open the ORCID record for Xiaopeng Zhang [Opens in a new window]  and
Ju Wen
Xiaopeng Zhang*
Affiliation:
North Minzu University
Ju Wen
Affiliation:
North Minzu University
*
*Corresponding author. Email: zhxpnwnu@126.com
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Abstract

The present study examined Chinese speakers’ knowledge of English polysemous phrasal verbs (PVs) and factors that may constrain the development of PVs. The intermediate and advanced learners judged the acceptability of 100 senses of 50 PVs. Results indicate that both the intermediate and the advanced learners tended to favor the high-frequency senses (51.2%∼67.2%) of PVs but disfavor the low-frequency senses (32.9%∼46.3%) of PVs. PV frequency, semantic transparency, and time spent reading books and watching films/TV could predict the advanced learners’ mastery of the high-frequency senses, while PV frequency and preemption could predict their mastery of the low-frequency senses. Semantic transparency, PV frequency, and preemption could predict the intermediate learners’ knowledge of the high-frequency senses, while semantic transparency, frequency of high-frequency senses, and preemption could predict their acceptance of the low-frequency senses. No reliable relationship was detected among the learners’ PV knowledge, entrenchment, time spent in second language immersion, listening to music, and communicating with others for the two groups.

Keywords

Chinese speakersEnglish polysemous phrasal verbsentrenchmentextra-linguistic factorspreemptionsemantic transparency
Type
Original Article
Information
Applied Psycholinguistics , Volume 40 , Issue 5 , September 2019 , pp. 1073 - 1101
Copyright
© Cambridge University Press 2019 

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