Comprehension Of L2 Idioms By Chinese EFL Learners--Effects Of Idiom Type And Proficiency Level

The present study attempts to investigate two related issues on L2 idiom comprehension: (1) how different idiom types, which are classified on the basis of a cross-linguistic comparison of Chinese and English idioms in terms of their conceptual basis, affect the comprehension of English idioms as revealed from both the general performance in idiom comprehension and the on-line processing strategies adopted by Chinese EFL learners at different proficiency levels, and (2) to what extent can the observed learner behavior be accounted for within the theoretical framework of idiom comprehension.Five types of idioms were drawn up based on the comparison of English and Chinese idioms according to their linguistic and conceptual similarity or difference. A comprehension test of idioms was designed to investigate the effects of different idiom types on the comprehension of L2 idioms. Seventy-one students majoring in English in Shaoguan University, 37 freshmen and 34 seniors, participated in the comprehension test. Then 6 participants of two different proficiency levels (i.e., 3 intermediate learners and 3 advanced learners) were observed as they were engaged in processing the 15 unknown idioms. Data of participants' concurrent verbal reports were collected. The results were analyzed both quantitatively and qualitatively.It was found that the effect of idiom type was obvious in comprehending L2 idioms. The underlying conceptual basis that distinguishes different types of idioms played an important role in L2 idiom comprehension. The study also found that the general level of target language proficiency also played a role in the comprehension of L2 idioms. In the process of comprehending idioms, L2 learners seemed to follow the same general pattern. However, advanced learners were more active and sophisticated in strategy use in the sense that they weremore capable of using background knowledge or creating mental images to figure out the meaning of the idiom, especially when the idiom has different conceptual basis with the LI idiom.The present study has provided empirical evidence for the configuration hypothesis of idiom comprehension. The heuristic approach is also found to be helpful in understanding L2 idiom comprehension strategies employed.