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DOCUMENT RESUME ED 357 600 FL 020 775 AUTHOR Boudeguer, Maria E.; Cowan, Ronayne How ESL Students Resolve Anaphora in Reading. TITLE PUB DATE [92) NOTE 16p. PUB TYPE Research/Technical (143) Reports EDRS PRICE MFO1 /PCO1 Plus Postage. College Students; English (Second Language); Foreign DESCRIPTORS Countries; Higher Education; Intensive Language Courses; Language Proficiency; Language Research; *Limited English Speaking; Pronouns; *Reading Comprehension; *Reading Skills; Second Language Learning; Syntax IDENTIFIERS *Anaphora ABSTRACT This study investigated the extent to which varous factors play a part in English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) students' ability to resolve pronoun-antecedent connections in reading. The subjects were 97 ESL learners with four different native languages (Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Spanish) enrolled in the University of Illinois's Intensive English Institute and divided into three English proficiency levels: elementary, intermediate, and advanzed. Subjects were given two tests, one consisting of meaningful but decontextualized sentences, some containing nonsense words, and one a narrative in story form (contextualized). Relevant vocabulary was introduced before testing. Other variables included type of anaphoric expression: noun phrase (NP) or verb phrase (VP), direction (forward and backward anaphora), and distance between pronoun and anaphoric expression. Results indicate that the decontextualized sentences were resolved more easily than the contextualized by each language group, possibly attributable to the limited referent possibilities. Distance between pro-form and antecedent aided comprehension in lower-proficiency groups, forward anaphora were easier than VP anaphora, and in all measures, there was a significant effect for proficiency level. Sentence examples, analyses of results, and a 20-item bibliography are appended. (MSE) ***********************************************************/*********** Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. *********************************************************************** READING HOW ESL STUDENTS RESOLVE ANAPHORA IN Maria E. Boudeguer Ronayne Cowan resolved and understood has The phenomenon of how anaphora is the last decade and a half. been extensively studied during 1979; Gundel and Tarone, Nevertheless, very little research (Cowan, 1990) has been carried out 1983; Parish and Perkins, 1985; Demel, anaphora in texts. It in how second language learners resolve and developers materials that ESL teachers, however, seems, intermediate, and even advanced textbook writers believe that high pronoun-antecedent resolving difficulty in have learners L2 textbooks that Proof of this may be found in the many relations. and pronouns of check comprehension which contain exercises Walker, 1989; Yates, 1989; anaphoric expressions (Hillman, 1990; 1987; Latulippe, 1987; Williams, and Pearson 1988; Johnson, 1986; Kay, 1985; Noto, 1985; Strother, 1987; Rosenthal and Rowland, Allen and Widdowson, 1974, Mc Long et al., 1980; Maclean, 1975; Arthur, 1973). is true that ESL students have To find out whether it decided to carry out a study difficulty in resolving anaphora, we Our different proficiency levels. with ESL learners of three which various factors play objective was to examine the extent to pronoun-antecedent students' ability to resolve a part in ESL considered were type Besides proficiency, the factors connections. 0 phrase anaphors and verb phrase of anaphoric expression (noun direction (forward anaphora and anaphors), context, vocabulary, between p,-..1noun and anaphoric backward anaphora), and distance U.S DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION "PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS Once of Educational Research and Improvement MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY EDUCATIONAL RE$')URCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) GIs document has been reproduced as received from the person or organization originating it att.C.-e r Minor changes have been made lo improve , 4. Trryll reproduction quality e::- , PF 1;44 Points of view Or OP MOOS stated in this docu. 11'.41.0 64.1is TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES merit do not necessarily represent official OERI position or policy INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC)." I 2 expression. Research methodology the study were: it, they, one, The pro-forms selected for All of them, except and there. them, that, those, these, its, "It" and "that" (NP) anaphors. "that" were used as noun phrase VP anaphora was used to phrase (VP) anaphors. were used as verb follows the in forward anaphora the pro-form test directionality: its anaphora the pro-form precedes antecedent, and in backward antecedent. two in included were pro-forms four distance, test To an adjacent in the antecedent was i.e., near, conditions: antecedent and anaphor were separated sentence, and distant, i.e., by one intervening clause. makes a difference in resolving To investigate whether context One test consisted of sentences anaphora, two tests were given. themselves to be meaningful, but containing enough information in previously found information on build not did which narrative text in the (decontextualized), and the other test was a (Examples of the sentences used form of a story (contextualized). and part of the narrative text are in the decontextualized test, given in the Appendix). find out the influence of vocabulary, As it was important to But in taught prior to the tests. all the words in the texts were there were sentences containing nonsense the decontextualized test words. words that look like English Flynn's controversy with respect to Because there has been 3 based on Universal hypothesis and parameter-setting model (1987) the native language of Grammar, we decided to investigate whether anaphora. of comphrehension their influence learners the Chinese, Japanese, Therefore, we selected four language. groups: Korean, and Spanish. they are Chinese, Japanese and Korean are similar in that like On the other Spanish, hand, left-branching languages. These languages also is a right-branching language. English, Chinese, Japanese, and differ with respect to pronominalization, as anaphora when the referent is Kc :ean are languages which allow zero the on the opposite end of English is clear from context. and Spanish is in continuum, as zero anaphora is rarely allowed, omitted when the information the middle because pronouns may be conveyed by them is present in other words. Subjects attending the Intensive The subjects were 137 ESL learners There were 75 Illinois. English Institute of the University of The 14 different native languages. males and 62 females, of them to three levels of subjects' TOEFL scores were used to assign intermediate (between 431 and proficiency: elementary (below 430), 510), and advanced (above 510). language analyses was 97: The total number of subjects for the Chinese, 30 of Korean, and 17 of 29 speakers of Japanese, 21 of of distribution These four groups were similar in terms Spanish. proficiency in the L2. into the proficiency levels and of Procedure 4 of the tests, the The week before the actual administration both tests and were subjects were taught the vocabulary included in during two different class tested on it. The two tests were given containing the One day the subjects were given a booklet periods. and on the following class (decontextualized text), sentences Both (contextualized text). period they were given the passage examples of how to respond. tests contained instructions as well as Results and discussion showed The statistical tests, Analyses of Variance, CONTEXT: but this result was not what would have a main effect for context, facilitates resolution of been anticipated, that is, that context easier than the In fact, the decontextualized test was anaphora. similar Both tests contained sentences of contextualized one. Why was the performance on the context structure and difficulty. One of the reasons may be test lower than on the no context test? longer passage, he or she that when the learner is presented with a meaning, the same time: must keep track of several things at This places a relations, development of the ideas presented. On the other hand, when the heavier load on the learner's memory. possibilities from which to choose, text is brief there are fewer likely to choose the correct referent. so the reader is more four language groups. The same results were obtained with the the than easier was test decontextualized the general, In this factor did not contextualized test, but for advanced learners they performed equally well on both. make any difference as of very similar proficiency Although these four language groups are 5 in the lower levels (Japanese in ESL, they performed differently In the and Chinese). and Spanish learners did better than Koreans similarly. higher levels, however, they performed make a difference is Our hypothesis that context does not pattern from what disconfirmed, but the results show a different Context does not always facilitate most teachers would expect. proficient learners it In fact, in the case of less comprehension. The reason is that it is easier difficulty. seems to make it more because these are much more to find referents in short texts information to retain. restricted and, therefore, contain less revealed The statistical analyses carried out VOCABULARY: proficiency and vocabulary caused that there was an interaction of (See Figure 1 in the Appendix). by the lower proficiency levels. knew the vocabulary as Proficient learners did as well when they proficiency, For learners of low when they did not know it. it is an essential aspect of meaning is important and, therefore, make associations between comprehension, which enables them to proficient, meaning is not so As the learner becomes more words. connections, the learner is able to make the necessary crucial: words, due not know the meaning of some even though he or she may of the language. to his/her knowledge of the grammar finding was obtained with the A linguistically interesting remarkably significant difference in language groups; there was a speaking subjects and those who performance between the Spanish the This can be seen in Figure 2, in speak an Asian language. significantly better on known Only Spanish speakers did Appendix. t 6 make any For Asian subjects vocabulary did not vocabulary. different from It seems that learners whose Ll is very difference. difficulties that a English are more used to coping with the The learners whose them. totally new linguistic system presents to to sensitive more be to seem Spanish language is native reliance on difficulties such as vocabulary, maybe due to a greater strategies of transfer. performance The analyses of the results show that DISTANCE: intervening clause between the pro- was better when there was an Advanced form and the antecedent than when they were nearer. distant learners, however, performed just as well on near as on anaphora. interaction between distance, A three-way ANOVA run showed an Distant anaphora was easier in the context and proficiency. the in easier anaphora was while near test, contextualized be The reason for these results seems to decontextualized test. finding antecedents to pro-forms that in the contextualized test the reader is making sense of when they are distant is easy because story. the passage--which in this case was a language groups shcwed The analysis performed with the four very similar results. backward Forward anaphora is much easier than DIRECTION: levels. A post hoc test showed that anaphora for all proficiency of the proficiency levels. direction is significant for each one Appendix. See Figure 3 in the language groups are the The results obtained with the four 7 level, backward Regardless of native language or proficiency same. This is shown in anaphora is more difficult than forward anaphora. Figure 4 in the Appendix. increases, his/her ability As the learner's proficiency level These results do improves. to resolve backward pronominalization hypothesis; rather they support not support Flynn's Universal PBD "forward preference hypothesis" O'Grady, Suzuki-Wei and Cho's (1986). NP anaphora is easier than VP anaphora, as TYPE OF ANAPHORA: of An interaction between context and type shows. Figure 5 difficult to resolve than anaphora showed that VP anaphora was more the not in but test, contextualized the in anaphora NP in no NP anaphora was as easy in context as decontextualized test. Figure 6 illustrates this. context. type of anaphora was not With the four language groups, statistically significant. asked in One of the most important questions PROFICIENCY: The answer is that this study L.Jncerned the role of proficiency. the learner's successful resolution of co-reference depends on main effect In every test performed there was a proficiency level. for proficiency (p < .001). high even and advanced expected, and as general, In have much difficulty in seemed not to learners intermediate Advanced learners resolving pronoun-antecedent relationships. they were exposed to anaphora resolved them about 90% of the time of context, vocabulary, distance, and type on variables such as 8 Only in direction did they exhibit a lower pronominalization. Intermediate learners performance (between 74% and 84% correct). relationships over 80% of the time, were able to resolve anaphoric the at But (64%). backward pronominalizatioon except for resolving anaphora. elementary level, ESL learners had trouble correct, Their overall performance was roughly between 55% and 65% it was as low as 36%. except for backward pronominalization, where Implications for teaching should we be teaching These results raise a basic question: From the results obtained in anaphoric relations to ESL learners? or teaching time spend to unnecessary seems study it this and high-intermediate the at relations anaphoric practicing Elementary students have more difficulty with advanced levels. they will overcome anaphora, but it may be a language problem which proficient. Therefore, it may not be necessary as they become more the It seems that by the time students reach to teach anaphora. anaphora fairly well. advanced level they are able to resolve low anaphoric ties, For those teachers who wish to teach probably be most intermediate level is where these exercises would provided in be should practice this case, In useful. learners have more contextualized texts, since it is here that ESL Also exercises on VP anaphora should be included, trouble. since it is particularly especially backward pronominalization, difficult for ESL learners. teaching anaphora at low However, one of the problems of to influence which appears vocabulary, is level intermediate ;1 9 Consequently, attention learners' comprehension of anaphoric ties. constructior of exercises. must be paid to vocabulary in the