Minimization and Probability Distribution of Dependency Distance in the Process of Second Language Acquisition
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Jingyang Jiang
Abstract
Dependency distance minimization (DDM) is found as a universal quantitative property of natural languages. To investigate whether second language learners develop their interlanguage system under the pressure of DDM, we selected 367 Chinese EFL learners of nine consecutive grades, built one second language dependency treebank and two corresponding random treebanks and fitted different probability distribution models to dependency distances. It was found that: (1) The mean dependency distance (MDD) of interlanguage increases significantly across nine grades and the MDD of high-level learners doesn’t reach the level of English native speakers. (2) The MDDs of interlanguage at different learning phases are significantly lower than their corresponding random languages (RL1 and RL2), indicating that learners develop their English proficiency under the pressure of DDM. (3) The distribution of dependency distances of RL1 cannot fit the Zipf-Alekseev distribution, but that of RL2 can. The parameters in the Zipf-Alekseev distribution of RL2 have no correlation with learners’ language proficiency.
Abstract
Dependency distance minimization (DDM) is found as a universal quantitative property of natural languages. To investigate whether second language learners develop their interlanguage system under the pressure of DDM, we selected 367 Chinese EFL learners of nine consecutive grades, built one second language dependency treebank and two corresponding random treebanks and fitted different probability distribution models to dependency distances. It was found that: (1) The mean dependency distance (MDD) of interlanguage increases significantly across nine grades and the MDD of high-level learners doesn’t reach the level of English native speakers. (2) The MDDs of interlanguage at different learning phases are significantly lower than their corresponding random languages (RL1 and RL2), indicating that learners develop their English proficiency under the pressure of DDM. (3) The distribution of dependency distances of RL1 cannot fit the Zipf-Alekseev distribution, but that of RL2 can. The parameters in the Zipf-Alekseev distribution of RL2 have no correlation with learners’ language proficiency.
Chapters in this book
- Frontmatter I
- Preface V
- Contents XI
- Dependency, Corpora and Cognition 1
- Interrelations among Dependency Tree Widths, Heights and Sentence Lengths 31
- Quantitative Analysis of Syntactic Dependency in Czech 53
- Dissortativity in a Bipartite Network of Dependency Relations and Communicative Functions 71
- Empirical Analyses of Valency Structures 93
- Regular Dynamic Patterns of Verbal Valency Ellipsis in Modern Spoken Chinese 101
- Negentropy of Dependency Types and Parts of Speech in the Clause 119
- Dynamic Valency and Dependency Distance 145
- Minimization and Probability Distribution of Dependency Distance in the Process of Second Language Acquisition 167
- Influences of Dependency Distance on the Syntactic Development of Deaf and Hard-ofhearing Students 191
- Positional Aspects of Dependency Distance 213
- Dependency Distance and Direction of English Relative Clauses 239
- Differences between English Subject Postmodifiers and Object Post-modifiers: From the Perspective of Dependency Distance 261
- How Do Universal Dependencies Distinguish Language Groups? 277
- A Quantitative Analysis on a Literary Genre Essay’s Syntactic Features 295
- A Multidimensional Model of Syntactic Dependency Trees for Authorship Attribution 315
- Subject Index 349
- Author Index 357
- List of Contributors 365
Chapters in this book
- Frontmatter I
- Preface V
- Contents XI
- Dependency, Corpora and Cognition 1
- Interrelations among Dependency Tree Widths, Heights and Sentence Lengths 31
- Quantitative Analysis of Syntactic Dependency in Czech 53
- Dissortativity in a Bipartite Network of Dependency Relations and Communicative Functions 71
- Empirical Analyses of Valency Structures 93
- Regular Dynamic Patterns of Verbal Valency Ellipsis in Modern Spoken Chinese 101
- Negentropy of Dependency Types and Parts of Speech in the Clause 119
- Dynamic Valency and Dependency Distance 145
- Minimization and Probability Distribution of Dependency Distance in the Process of Second Language Acquisition 167
- Influences of Dependency Distance on the Syntactic Development of Deaf and Hard-ofhearing Students 191
- Positional Aspects of Dependency Distance 213
- Dependency Distance and Direction of English Relative Clauses 239
- Differences between English Subject Postmodifiers and Object Post-modifiers: From the Perspective of Dependency Distance 261
- How Do Universal Dependencies Distinguish Language Groups? 277
- A Quantitative Analysis on a Literary Genre Essay’s Syntactic Features 295
- A Multidimensional Model of Syntactic Dependency Trees for Authorship Attribution 315
- Subject Index 349
- Author Index 357
- List of Contributors 365
