Does scale-free syntactic network emerge in second language learning?
Open accessAbstract
Language is a complex system during whose operation many properties may emerge spontaneously. Using complex network approach, existing studies have found that, in first language (L1) acquisition, syntactic complex network featuring the scale-free and the small-world properties, will emerge at the age of 24 months. For foreign language (L2) learning, however, researchers have not reached a consensus on whether syntactic network with these two properties will emerge. Therefore, this study adopts complex network approach in L2 learning study, attempting to answer this question. In this study, nine networks are constructed on the basis of English compositions by Chinese students. Properties of these networks reveal that the syntactic network featuring these two properties, instead of emerging suddenly at a certain point, has existed at the very beginning of the L2 learning of Chinese students, and persists throughout the entire process of L2 learning, which is different from what has been found in L1 acquisition. The reason is probably that the already established L1 syntactic system provides foundation for L2 syntactic learning, and L2 learners tend to use the entrenched L1 syntactic network to generate L2 syntactic structures. L2 syntactic learning thus is not characterized by a sudden emergence of syntactic system, but a gradual approximation to the target language, with its own unique properties. For the first time, this study provides a tentative answer to L2 syntactic emergence from the perspective of complex network, and provides a macroscopic description of L2 syntactic developmental trajectory.
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Dependency analysis is an effective way to construct a syntactic network for analyzing the development of syntactic structures among language learners.
“Previous studies have shown that dependency analysis is an effective way to construct a syntactic network for analyzing the development of syntactic structures among language learners (Corominas-Murtra et al., 2009; Jiang et al., 2019).”
From Syntactic Networks of Interlanguage Across L2 Modalities and Proficiency Levels (2021) · cites this paper as Jiang et al., 2019
Jiang et al. (2019) did not directly relate the development of syntactic network parameters to the language proficiency of learners.
“Jiang et al. (2019) focused on the small-world and scale-free properties in English interlanguage, but they did not directly relate the development of syntactic network parameters to the language proficiency of learners.”
From Syntactic Networks of Interlanguage Across L2 Modalities and Proficiency Levels (2021) · cites this paper as Jiang et al. (2019)
In Jiang et al. (2019), no further statistical tests were conducted to determine which network parameters can predict interlanguage proficiency.
“In their study, no further statistical tests were conducted to determine which network parameters can predict interlanguage proficiency.”
From Syntactic Networks of Interlanguage Across L2 Modalities and Proficiency Levels (2021) · cites this paper as Jiang et al. (2019)
English L2 learning is characterized by a gradual approximation to the target language instead of a sudden emergence at a point.
“It found that unlike the L1 learning of native English children, English L2 learning is characterized by a gradual approximation to the target language instead of a sudden emergence at a point (Jiang et al., 2019).”
From Syntactic Networks of Interlanguage Across L2 Modalities and Proficiency Levels (2021) · cites this paper as Jiang et al., 2019
The properties of small world and scale-free in syntactic networks can serve as metrics to measure the emergence of a syntactic network.
“Therefore, the properties of “small world” and “scale-free” in syntactic networks can serve as metrics to measure the emergence of a syntactic network (Jiang et al., 2019).”
From Syntactic Networks of Interlanguage Across L2 Modalities and Proficiency Levels (2021) · cites this paper as Jiang et al., 2019
This finding verifies and supplements Jiang et al. (2019), who investigated syntactic networks of English foreign language learners.
“This finding verifies and supplements Jiang et al. (2019), who investigated syntactic networks of English foreign language learners.”
From Syntactic Networks of Interlanguage Across L2 Modalities and Proficiency Levels (2021) · cites this paper as Jiang et al. (2019)
In a scale-free network, the closer the power exponent of the cumulative degree distribution (γ′) is to 1, the better a Zipfian distribution fits the data.
“Regarding the power distribution of a scale-free network, because the value of its power exponent corresponding cumulative degree distribution parameter γ′ is closer to the value of 1, the more Zipfian distribution fits the data (Jiang et al., 2019).”
From Syntactic Networks of Interlanguage Across L2 Modalities and Proficiency Levels (2021) · cites this paper as Jiang et al., 2019
The γ′ value is initially closer to 1 for CSL learners, consistent with Jiang et al. (2019).
“What is consistent with the findings of Jiang et al. (2019) is that the value of γ' is initially closer to 1.”
From Syntactic Networks of Interlanguage Across L2 Modalities and Proficiency Levels (2021) · cites this paper as Jiang et al., 2019
The clustering coefficient findings are consistent with Mellow (2006, 2008) and Jiang et al. (2019).
“These findings are consistent with Mellow (2006, 2008) and Jiang et al. (2019).”
From Syntactic Networks of Interlanguage Across L2 Modalities and Proficiency Levels (2021) · cites this paper as Jiang et al. (2019)
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Dependency distance: a new perspective on the syntactic development in second language acquisition
Jiang, J., & Ouyang, J. (2017) · Physics of Life Reviews · doi:10.1016/j.plrev.2017.06.018 · Cited by 21 · cited 1× · see citing works
“First, dependency grammar is shown to be more suitable for the research of language acquisition for learner language involving syntactic mistakes (Jiang and Ouyang, 2017).”
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Syntactic Networks of Interlanguage Across L2 Modalities and Proficiency Levels
Hao, Y., Wang, X., Wu, M., & Liu, H. (2021) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2021.643120 · Cited by 8 · see citing works
Self-citation
- Authors
- Jiang, J., Yu, W., & Liu, H.
- Affiliations
- Zhejiang University (CN)
- Beijing Language and Culture University (CN)
- Corresponding author
- Liu, Haitao
- Venue
- Frontiers in Psychology
- Publisher
- Frontiers Media SA
- Published
- 2019-04-26
- Volume
- 10
- Pages
- 925-925
- ISSN
- 1664-1078 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC6497725
- OpenAlex
- W2941414740
- Cited by
- 27
- References
- 1
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 1 · 2022: 5 · 2021: 7 · 2020: 2 · 2019: 3
- FWCI
- 7.74
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Frontiers in Psychology (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
- Funders
- Ministry of Education, India
- Zhejiang University
- Guangdong University of Foreign Studies
- Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities
- National Social Science Fund of China (17AYY021)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Language Development and Disorders
- Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Language and Linguistics › EFL/ESL Teaching and Learning
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Second Language Acquisition and Learning
- Keywords
- second language acquisition, syntactic networks, scale-free networks, small-world networks, complex networks, emergent properties, first language influence, Chinese learners of English, syntactic development, English composition
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