{"title":"关系竞争和英语水平在中国英语学习者名词-名词复合识别中的作用","authors":"Gong Cheng , Hai Xu , Xian Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.lingua.2025.104023","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Recent findings on English L1 speakers’ visual recognition of noun-noun compounds suggest that competitive mechanisms are triggered by potential conceptual relations associated with these compounds. While relation-based semantic composition in compound processing has been found in English L2 speakers (specifically Chinese speakers), the role of relational competition remains unclear. This study employed a lexical decision task manipulating word type and relational competition to examine the processing of noun-noun compounds among 60 Chinese EFL learners at intermediate and advanced proficiency levels. Results indicate that processing speed was influenced by the conceptual relations involved in compound processing. Moreover, processing speed was closely linked to the degree of relational competition, with stronger competition leading to longer response times. In addition, English proficiency significantly influenced processing efficiency, as higher-proficiency learners responded more quickly. Furthermore, qualitative differences between the two proficiency groups emerged when both relational competition and compound frequency were considered.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47955,"journal":{"name":"Lingua","volume":"326 ","pages":"Article 104023"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3000,"publicationDate":"2025-08-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":"{\"title\":\"Examining the role of relational competition and English proficiency in noun-noun compound recognition among Chinese EFL learners\",\"authors\":\"Gong Cheng , Hai Xu , Xian Zhang\",\"doi\":\"10.1016/j.lingua.2025.104023\",\"DOIUrl\":null,\"url\":null,\"abstract\":\"<div><div>Recent findings on English L1 speakers’ visual recognition of noun-noun compounds suggest that competitive mechanisms are triggered by potential conceptual relations associated with these compounds. While relation-based semantic composition in compound processing has been found in English L2 speakers (specifically Chinese speakers), the role of relational competition remains unclear. This study employed a lexical decision task manipulating word type and relational competition to examine the processing of noun-noun compounds among 60 Chinese EFL learners at intermediate and advanced proficiency levels. Results indicate that processing speed was influenced by the conceptual relations involved in compound processing. Moreover, processing speed was closely linked to the degree of relational competition, with stronger competition leading to longer response times. In addition, English proficiency significantly influenced processing efficiency, as higher-proficiency learners responded more quickly. Furthermore, qualitative differences between the two proficiency groups emerged when both relational competition and compound frequency were considered.</div></div>\",\"PeriodicalId\":47955,\"journal\":{\"name\":\"Lingua\",\"volume\":\"326 \",\"pages\":\"Article 104023\"},\"PeriodicalIF\":1.3000,\"publicationDate\":\"2025-08-12\",\"publicationTypes\":\"Journal Article\",\"fieldsOfStudy\":null,\"isOpenAccess\":false,\"openAccessPdf\":\"\",\"citationCount\":\"0\",\"resultStr\":null,\"platform\":\"Semanticscholar\",\"paperid\":null,\"PeriodicalName\":\"Lingua\",\"FirstCategoryId\":\"98\",\"ListUrlMain\":\"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0024384125001482\",\"RegionNum\":3,\"RegionCategory\":\"文学\",\"ArticlePicture\":[],\"TitleCN\":null,\"AbstractTextCN\":null,\"PMCID\":null,\"EPubDate\":\"\",\"PubModel\":\"\",\"JCR\":\"0\",\"JCRName\":\"LANGUAGE & LINGUISTICS\",\"Score\":null,\"Total\":0}","platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Lingua","FirstCategoryId":"98","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0024384125001482","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"文学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"0","JCRName":"LANGUAGE & LINGUISTICS","Score":null,"Total":0}
Examining the role of relational competition and English proficiency in noun-noun compound recognition among Chinese EFL learners
Recent findings on English L1 speakers’ visual recognition of noun-noun compounds suggest that competitive mechanisms are triggered by potential conceptual relations associated with these compounds. While relation-based semantic composition in compound processing has been found in English L2 speakers (specifically Chinese speakers), the role of relational competition remains unclear. This study employed a lexical decision task manipulating word type and relational competition to examine the processing of noun-noun compounds among 60 Chinese EFL learners at intermediate and advanced proficiency levels. Results indicate that processing speed was influenced by the conceptual relations involved in compound processing. Moreover, processing speed was closely linked to the degree of relational competition, with stronger competition leading to longer response times. In addition, English proficiency significantly influenced processing efficiency, as higher-proficiency learners responded more quickly. Furthermore, qualitative differences between the two proficiency groups emerged when both relational competition and compound frequency were considered.
期刊介绍:
Lingua publishes papers of any length, if justified, as well as review articles surveying developments in the various fields of linguistics, and occasional discussions. A considerable number of pages in each issue are devoted to critical book reviews. Lingua also publishes Lingua Franca articles consisting of provocative exchanges expressing strong opinions on central topics in linguistics; The Decade In articles which are educational articles offering the nonspecialist linguist an overview of a given area of study; and Taking up the Gauntlet special issues composed of a set number of papers examining one set of data and exploring whose theory offers the most insight with a minimal set of assumptions and a maximum of arguments.