Temporary ambiguity resolution of English relative clauses by Thai EFL learners

Name: Likkasit Dansakul

keyword: English relative clause

; Ambiguity resolution

; Thai EFL learners

Abstract: While English speakers attach RCs to NP2 in NP1-of-NP2 order (e.g. Cuetos & Mitchell, 1988 ; Fernandez, 1999). However, Thai EFL learners prefer NP1 attachment (Siriwittayakorn et al., 2014 ; Wang, 2014). In addition, NP1 preference was found in data from L1 speakers of Greek, German, and Spanish (Dussias, 2003 ; Felser et al., 2003). This study investigated Thai EFL learners’ (TEL) processing of RCs, using self-paced reading on temporary ambiguity stimuli, a task different from that of Wang (2014). As Thai does not exhibit plural morphology, we chose gender and plausibility to resolve ambiguity. In the young doctor envied the painter of the model who was smiling all the time he was sketching her, he was sketching her is related to the painter. While in the sponsor trusted the painter of the model who was smiling all the time she was posing, she was posing is related to the model. Such ambiguity along with the deliberate resolution at NP1 or NP2 is termed forced NP1 or forced NP2, a tool of our investigation. Two hypotheses were formulated: more reading time (RT) at a critical region in sentences featuring forced NP2 reading and less RT at a critical region in sentences featuring forced NP1 reading, a strategy of Thai, found in prior research. Three experiments were conducted with different groups of participants, i.e. native English speakers (Experiment 1), native Thai speakers (Experiment 2), and Thai EFL learners (Experiment 3). The same window-moving self-paced reading (SPR) tasks with four regions for each sentence were employed in Experiments 1 and 3, and the Thai translated counterpart version was used in Experiment 2. Experiments 1 and 2 examined English and Thai speakers’ RC attachment strategies in their L1, respectively. The results showed that they both prefer NP1 as the head of the RC, contradicting with the results from previous studies that their attachment strategy should differ. In Experiment 3, the main experiment, 30 highly proficient Thai EFL learners (average of 80% from the Michigan English Placement Test) performed the SPR tasks. The results confirmed both hypotheses. The results from the English speaking controls are inconsistent with those in other studies ; further investigation will confirm this. Notwithstanding this, the fact that highly proficient learners relate relative clauses to NP1 suggests L2 strategy remains difficult to be acquired. We conclude that readers’ tendency to attach relative clauses to the first noun phrases while disregarding disambiguation under the circumstances where NPs followed matrix clause that brings about explanation and the RC itself is lengthy

Thammasat University. Thammasat University Library

Address: BANGKOK

Email: preserv@tu.ac.th

Name: Pornsiri Singhapreecha

Role: advisor

Created: 2015

Modified: 2021-10-28

Issued: 2021-10-28

วิทยานิพนธ์/Thesis

application/pdf

DOI: 10.14457/TU.the.2015.1516

eng

DegreeName: Master of Arts

Level: Master's Degree

Descipline: Teaching English as a Foreign Language

Grantor: Thammasat University

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