L1 Conceptual Transfer In Advanced Chinese EFL Learners’ Processing Of English Sentences

Conceptual transfer represents a new trend in studies on language transfer in recent years. It includes the effect of conceptual system of one language on the conceptual system of another language. However, there are few theoretical and empirical studies on conceptual transfer.This study, based on conceptual competence theory, employs eye-tracking experiment to investigate conceptual transfer in advanced Chinese EFL learners’ processing English sentences. The research questions are as follows:(1) Does conceptual transfer of native language take place in advanced Chinese EFL learners’ processing English sentences?(2) If conceptual transfer of NL doesn’t take place, does inducing with native language result in conceptual transfer?2(sentence types: SMC-based sentences and EMC-based sentences) × 2(processing conditions: induced and not induced by native language) research design is adopted. 22 postgraduates from SISU majoring in English language and literature are chosen to take part in this experiment. Experiment materials are presented on the 19-inch wide screen randomly after programming with Eye-link 1000 experiment builder. Subjects are required to understand a complete sentence and a sentence with non-verbal symbols successively, after reading which the space key is pressed. Then a question related to the preceding sentences is asked. This experiment is conducted in the Key Lab of Cognitive Neuroscience & Foreign Language Learning in SISU. The eye movement data generated during experiment are analyzed through the statistic software SPSS.The main findings of this experiment are as follows:(1)Under uninduced by NL condition, advanced Chinese-English bilinguals’ processing of SMC- and EMC-based English sentences presents significant differences in terms of IA dwell time percentage[t(21)=-3.566, p=0.02, MSMC FG1=0.5696, MEMC FG1=0.5936], IA fixation count[t(21)=-2.172, p=0.041, MSMCFG1=7.6208, MEMC FG1=8.0652], IA first saccade amplitude [t(21)=1.933, p=0.067, MSMC SV1=7.6208, MEMC SV1=8.0652]. The above results show that conceptual transfer of NL takes place in advanced Chinese EFL learners’ processing English sentences;(2) under induced by NL condition, advanced Chinese-English bilinguals’ processing of SMC- and EMC-based English sentences presents significant differences in terms of IA fixation count[t(21)=-1.956, p=0.064, MSMC SV2=5.0047, MEMC SV2=5.2530; t(21)=-2.579, p=0.017, MSMC FG2=6.3703, MEMC FG2=6.7835], IA dwell time percentage[t(21)=-2.136, p=0.045, MSMC FG2=0.6050, MEMC FG2=0.6245]. Besides, under this processing condition, advanced Chinese-English bilinguals’ processing measures of SMC-based English sentences, IA dwell time[t(21)=-2.796, p=0.011, MSMC SV1=1.5871, MSMC SV2=1.2955; t(21)=2.948, p=0.008, MSMC FG1=2.0116, MSMC FG2=1.5906], IA fixation count[t(21)=1.840, p=0.080, MSMC SV1=6.0975, MSMC SV2=5.0047; t(21)=2.421, p=0.008, MSMC FG1=7.6208, MSMC FG2=6.3703], IA first saccade amplitude[t(21)=-1.811, p=0.085, MSMC FG1=3.5081, MSMC FG2=3.8472] present significant differences from those under uninduced condition. The results show that inducing with NL increases the possibility of conceptual transfer.In a word, conceptual transfer of NL takes place even in advanced Chinese-English bilinguals’ processing of English sentences. And inducing with NL facilitates conceptual transfer.