Multifaceted Role of Multilevel Statistical and Linguistic Information From Target Language in Predicting Second Language Verb–Preposition and Verb–Particle Construction Production
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21358122 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Yanlu Zhong (0009-0002-7870-9928, University of California, Santa Barbara, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Publication date | 2026-07-08 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Language Learning (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0023-8333 • E-ISSN: 1467-9922 |
| Publisher | Wiley (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1111/lang.70053 |
| OpenAlex | W7167715001 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 48 |
This study explores how statistical properties of verb–preposition and verb–particle constructions (VPCs) and their interplay in the target language shape second language (L2) production across L2 proficiency levels. We compared phrasal frequency and three contingency measures—mutual information (MI), forward delta P (Δ P ), and backward Δ P —of VPCs in a self‐built L2 corpus of 649 Chinese learners with those in the British National Corpus (BNC). Mixed‐effects models showed that usage‐based distributional statistics in the target language predicted L2 production with complex patterns: (a) Statistical information was selectively encoded, with backward association patterns failing to transfer to L2 output; (b) the acquisition of statistical information was heterogeneous yet interdependent: One target‐language statistical feature influencing another in L2 production, although the specific patterns varied across contingency measures; (c) word‐level statistical and linguistic properties and VPC type influenced L2 production; (d) contingency measures showed stronger associations with language proficiency than frequency; (e) language proficiency moderates the effects of word‐level properties and VPC type
Association (psychology) · Contingency · Contingency table · Feature (linguistics) · Language proficiency · Production (economics) · Second language · Second-language acquisition · Statistical analysis · Language Development and Disorders · Neurobiology of Language and Bilingualism · Reading and Literacy Development
Grammatical processing in language learners
Word Frequency, Collocational Frequency, L1 Congruency, and Proficiency in L2 Collocational Processing
L2 Learner Production and Processing of Collocation
Multicollinearity and misleading statistical results
The Word Frequency Effect in Word Processing
To what extent do native and non-native writers make use of collocations?
Constructions and their acquisition
Fitting Linear Mixed-Effects Models Using lme4
Language Acquisition as Rational Contingency Learning
L2 collocation profiles and their relationship with vocabulary proficiency
The processing advantage of multiword sequences
Second language verb-argument constructions are sensitive to form, function, frequency, contingency, and prototypicality
Pathbreaking verbs in syntactic development and the question of prototypical transitivity
Assessing syntactic sophistication in L2 writing
Overuse or underuse
Use of formulaic sequences in monologues of Chinese EFL learners
Going after the Phrasal Verb
Is All Formulaic Language Created Equal? Unpacking the Processing Advantage for Different Types of Formulaic Sequences
Assessing Phraseological Development in Word Sequences of Variable Lengths in Second Language Texts Using Directional Association Measures
From Usage to Grammar
Frequency Effects in Language Processing
Investigating First and Second Language Speaker Intuitions of Phrasal Frequency and Association Strength of Multiword Sequences
Measuring Implicit and Explicit Knowledge in Second Language Research
Multi-Word Expressions in Second Language Writing
Investigation of Native Speaker and Second Language Learner Intuition of Collocation Frequency
Statistical Measures for Usage-Based Linguistics
Collocational Processing in L1 and L2
Language Proficiency in Native and Non-native Speakers
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |