Investigating second language (L2) learners’ acquisition of scalar implicatures

Insights from scalar diversity

Bibliographic Data

ID21630779
AuthorsChao Sun (0000-0001-6395-8687, Peking University), Shuo Feng (0000-0002-3276-7586, Peking University, corresponding author)
Year2025
Pages1-22
Publication date2025-12-11
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueLanguage Acquisition (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1048-9223 • E-ISSN: 1532-7817
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/10489223.2025.2585078
OpenAlexW4417237076
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited35

Scalar diversity, the phenomenon that different scalar expressions give rise to scalar implicatures (SI) at different rates, is well established in native speakers, but much less is known about it in second language (L2) SI derivation. This study investigates whether first language (L1)-Chinese–L2-English learners exhibit scalar diversity, how their patterns compare to native English speakers, and whether perceived distance between scale mates contributes to L2 diversity in the same way as in native speakers. Experiment 1 used an inference task to measure SI rates for 43 lexical scales and compared learners’ responses with native speakers. Experiment 2 measured learners’ perceived distance between scale mates for the same lexical scales and compared them with native ratings. Results showed that L2 learners exhibit scalar diversity, with SI rates varying considerably across lexical scales, and their rank ordering of scales largely aligns with that of native speakers. At the same time, our findings reveal divergences: variations in learners’ SI rates are partly explained by structural properties such as semantic distance, though to a lesser extent compared to native speakers, and differences in SI rates between the two groups follow a heterogeneous rather than uniform pattern across scales. Proficiency and differences in perceived scale structure, reflected in distance ratings by L2 learners and native speakers, are potential contributors to learners’ divergence from native speakers in SI behavior. These findings are discussed in relation to the Interface Hypothesis, which holds that both processing limitations and representational differences contribute to the challenges observed in phenomena at the external interface

Computational linguistics · Language acquisition · Second language · Second-language acquisition · Theoretical linguistics · Categorization, perception, and language · EFL/ESL Teaching and Learning · Second Language Acquisition and Learning

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