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Article published In: Revista Española de Lingüística Aplicada/Spanish Journal of Applied Linguistics
Vol. 37:2 (2024) ► pp.424–453

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The interpretation of reflexive pronouns in VP-ellipsis by L2 English learners with different proficiency levels

ORCiD logo with link | Universidad de Cantabria
ORCiD logo with link | Universidad de Cantabria
Published online: 11 March 2024
DOI logo with link
https://doi.org/10.1075/resla.21054.gal
Abstract
English reflexive anaphora in cases of VP-ellipsis may allow for strict and sloppy readings. A few L2 studies (Epoge, N. K. (2012). Reflexive anaphora in VP-elliptical sentences of ESL learners in Cameroon. Syllabus Review, 3(1), 257–279.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar; Park, E. (2016). Korean English learners’ interpretation of reflexive anaphora in VP-ellipsis. Journal of Language Sciences, 23(3), 111–135. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar; Ying, H. G. (2005). Second language learners’ reading of reflexive anaphora in VP-ellipsis: A Relevance Theory perspective. Language Sciences, 271, 551–570. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar) have focused on determining the role that L2 proficiency may exert on learners’ choices in bare, referential, and non-referential contexts. This paper provides data from 104 Spanish learners of English (A2, B1, and B2 levels) and 32 native speakers of English. Results showed that participants tended to interpret reflexives sloppily in bare and non-referential contexts, whereas strict readings prevailed in referential ones. There existed significant differences in the interpretation of learners versus native speakers, whilst the differences among the three learner groups were not so marked. However, the least proficient group differed most from native speakers. Findings partially confirm previous research and discrepancies may be tentatively ascribed to extraneous variables (e.g., the learners’ L1, the range of the proficiency levels, or the characteristics of the control groups).
Resumen
La interpretación de los pronombres reflexivos en casos de elipsis del sintagma verbal por parte de aprendices de inglés como L2 con distintos niveles de competencia
La anáfora reflexiva en inglés en casos de elipsis del sintagma verbal puede dar lugar a dos posibles lecturas, ya que podría interpretarse de manera estricta o laxa. Algunos estudios previos en el campo de adquisición de segundas lenguas (Epoge, N. K. (2012). Reflexive anaphora in VP-elliptical sentences of ESL learners in Cameroon. Syllabus Review, 3(1), 257–279.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar; Park, E. (2016). Korean English learners’ interpretation of reflexive anaphora in VP-ellipsis. Journal of Language Sciences, 23(3), 111–135. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar; Ying, H. G. (2005). Second language learners’ reading of reflexive anaphora in VP-ellipsis: A Relevance Theory perspective. Language Sciences, 271, 551–570. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar) se han centrado en determinar el papel que la competencia lingüística en una segunda lengua puede ejercer en las interpretaciones de los aprendices de los pronombres reflexivos en oraciones sin información adicional, con contextos referenciales y con contextos no referenciales. El presente artículo proporciona datos de 104 aprendices de inglés españoles (niveles A2, B1 y B2) y 32 hablantes nativos de inglés. Los resultados muestran que los participantes tienden a interpretar los pronombres reflexivos de forma laxa en oraciones sin información adicional y con contextos no referenciales, mientras que en aquellas con contextos referenciales prevalecen las lecturas estrictas. Existen diferencias significativas en la interpretación de los aprendices con respecto a los hablantes nativos, aunque las diferencias entre los tres grupos de aprendices no son tan marcadas. Sin embargo, el grupo con menor competencia lingüística es el que más difiere de los hablantes nativos. Los hallazgos confirman parcialmente investigaciones previas y las discrepancias halladas podrían atribuirse de forma tentativa a variables externas tales como la L1 del alumnado, el rango de los niveles de competencia lingüística o las características de los grupos de control.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.State of the art
    • 2.1Reflexive anaphora in cases of VPE
    • 2.2L1 English studies on reflexive anaphora in VPE
    • 2.3L2 English studies on reflexive anaphora in VPE
  • 3.Research questions
  • 4.Method
    • 4.1Participants
    • 4.2Instruments
    • 4.3Data gathering procedure
  • 5.Data analysis procedure
  • 6.Results
    • 6.1Intergroup comparisons
    • 6.2Intragroup comparisons
  • 7.Discussion
    • 7.1Proficiency effect
    • 7.2Context effect
  • 8.Conclusions
  • Notes
  • References
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Cited by (1)

Cited by one other publication

Gandón-Chapela, Evelyn & Francisco Gallardo-del-Puerto
2025. The effect of gender (mis)match on the interpretation of English reflexive pronouns in cases of VP-ellipsis by native and non-native speakers of English. Glossa: a journal of general linguistics 10:1 DOI logo

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