句法复杂度对中国大学生英语说明文写作质量的预测效应  

Predictive Effects of Syntactic Complexity on the Quality of Chinese University Students’English Expository Writing

作　　者：张晓鹏 李雯雯[2] ZHANG Xiaopeng;LI Wenwen(School of Foreign Studies,Xi'an Jiaotong University,Xi'an,Shaanxi 710049,P.R.China;North Minzu University)

机构地区：[1]西安交通大学外国语学院,陕西省西安市710049 [2]北方民族大学

出　　处：《现代外语》2022年第3期331-343,共13页Modern Foreign Languages

基　　金：国家社科基金项目“二语构式动态发展与概率性学习机制研究”(20BYY084)的阶段性成果。

摘　　要：句法复杂度与二语写作质量关系密切,但不同层面的句法复杂度指标对二语写作质量的预测作用差异较大。本研究以中国大学生英语说明文为研究对象,比较了宏观和微观句法复杂度指标对二语写作质量的预测效应,结果显示:1)T单位中并列结构的比率、T单位平均长度等宏观句法复杂度指标可解释写作质量7.2%的差异;2)充当修饰语的关系子句、子句中复杂名词短语、从句性主语、直接宾语中形容词修饰语等微观句法复杂度指标可解释写作质量22.2%的差异。研究结果表明,与宏观句法复杂度指标相比,微观句法复杂度指标能更有效预测英语说明文的写作质量。Syntactic complexity is closely related to second language(L2)writing quality,but the predictive effects of different levels of syntactic complexity indices(SCIs)on L2 writing quality are quite different.This study,by analyzing the Chinese university students’English expository writing,compares the effects of large-and fine-grained SCIs on L2 writing quality.The results show that:(1)large-grained SCIs,such as coordinating structures per T-unit and and mean length of T-units,explain 7.2%of the variance in L2 writing quality;and(2)fine-grained SCIs such as the number of relative clauses serving as modifiers,complex nominal phrases,the subject of clauses,and adjective modifiers in direct objects,account for 22.2%of the variance.The findings indicate that the finegrained SCIs can better predict the writing quality of English expository writing than the large-grained ones.

关 键 词：句法复杂度 二语写作质量 英语说明文 中国大学生 

分 类 号：H319[语言文字—英语]