scholarly journals Syntactic complexity in translated and non-translated texts: A corpus-based study of simplification

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (6) ◽  
pp. e0253454
Author(s):  
Kanglong Liu ◽  
Muhammad Afzaal
Keyword(s):  
Academic Writing ◽  
Pairwise Comparison ◽  
Important Variable ◽  
Sentence Length ◽  
Syntactic Complexity ◽  
Complexity Measures ◽  
British English ◽  
Sentence Complexity ◽  
Comparable Corpora ◽  
Main Effect

This study approaches the investigation of the simplification hypotheses in corpus-based translation studies from a syntactic complexity perspective. The research is based on two comparable corpora, the English monolingual part of COCE (Corpus of Chinese-English) and the native English corpus of FLOB (Freiburg-LOB Corpus of British English). Using the 13 syntactic complexity measures falling into five subconstructs (i.e. length of production unit, amount of subordination, amount of coordination, phrasal complexity and overall sentence complexity), our results show that translation as a whole is less complex compared to non-translation, reflected most prominently in the amount of subordination and overall sentence complexity. Further pairwise comparison of the four subgenres of the corpora shows mixed results. Specifically, the translated news is homogenous to native news as evidenced by the complexity measures; the translated genres of general prose and academic writing are less complex compared to their native counterparts while translated fiction is more complex than non-translated fiction. It was found that mean sentence length always produced a significant effect on syntactic complexity, with higher syntactic complexity for longer sentence lengths in both corpora. ANOVA test shows a highly significant main effect of translation status, with higher syntactic complexity in the non-translated texts (FLOB) than the translated texts (COCE), which provides support for the simplification hypothesis in translation. It is also found that, apart from translation status, genre is an important variable in affecting the complexity level of translated texts. Our study offers new insights into the investigation of simplification hypothesis from the perspective of translation from English into Chinese.

scholarly journals Comparing predictors of sentence self-paced reading times: Syntactic complexity versus transitional probability metrics

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bob Kapteijns ◽  
Florian Hintz
Keyword(s):  
Predictive Power ◽  
Sentence Length ◽  
Syntactic Complexity ◽  
Transitional Probability ◽  
Probability Metrics ◽  
Control Variables ◽  
Sentence Complexity ◽  
Word Position ◽  
Reading Experiment ◽  
Best Fit

When estimating the influence of sentence complexity on reading, researchers typically opt for one of two main approaches: Measuring syntactic complexity (SC) or transitional probability (TP). Comparisons of the predictive power of both approaches have yielded mixed results. To address this inconsistency, we conducted a self-paced reading experiment. Participants read sentences of varying syntactic complexity. From two alternatives, we selected the set of SC and TP measures, respectively, that provided the best fit to the self-paced reading data. We then compared the contributions of the SC and TP measures to reading times when entered into the same model. Our results showed that both measures explained significant portions of variance in self-paced reading times. Thus, researchers aiming to measure sentence complexity should take both SC and TP into account. All of the analyses were conducted with and without control variables known to influence reading times (word/sentence length, word frequency and word position) to showcase how the effects of SC and TP change in the presence of the control variables.

scholarly journals Syntactic Complexity Measures as Indicators of Teaching L2 Academic English Writing

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (12) ◽  
pp. 23-33
Author(s):  
Xiaodong Yang
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Academic Writing ◽  
Syntactic Complexity ◽  
Academic English ◽  
Assessment Practice ◽  
Complexity Measures ◽  
Quantitative Evidence ◽  
English Writing ◽  
English Writing Instruction ◽  
Language Growth

The purpose of this research is to examine the effectiveness of reforming academic English writing instruction via the perspective of the syntactic complexity of L2 learners' practice. The present study evaluates 14 measures of syntactic complexity as indicators of language growth in academic writing by 52 Chinese undergraduate students. The findings indicate that an intensive academic teaching design can be used to help students enhance their academic writing output ability. The findings of this study provide direct quantitative evidence for altering classroom instruction, textbook compilation, assessment practice, and curriculum development at the undergraduate level for academic English.

scholarly journals Effects of a Story Grammar Intervention With Repeated Retells for English Learners With Language Impairments

2018 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
pp. 15-27 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rhonda D. Miller ◽  
Vivian I. Correa ◽  
Antonis Katsiyannis
Keyword(s):  
English Learners ◽  
Single Case ◽  
Language Impairments ◽  
Oral Narrative ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Syntactic Complexity ◽  
Story Grammar ◽  
Complexity Measures ◽  
Narrative Skills ◽  
Multiple Probe

This study investigated the effects of a narrative intervention that employed repeated story retells and a Story Grammar Marker on the oral narrative skills of Spanish-speaking English learners with language impairments. Four third- and fourth-grade students participated in the study. Using a single-case multiple probe across participants design, the authors measured three dependent variables: narrative organization skills, narrative productivity, and syntactic complexity. As a result of the intervention, stories became more cohesive and scores for narrative organization increased by approximately 7 points from baseline to intervention across participants. Smaller effects for narrative complexity and syntactic complexity measures were noted. Implications for future research and for practice are provided.

Anthropomorphic Teiloperation: Controlling Remote Manipulators with the Dataglove

1992 ◽  
Vol 36 (1) ◽  
pp. 126-130 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph P. Hale
Keyword(s):  
Time Delay ◽  
Pairwise Comparison ◽  
Input Device ◽  
Main Effect ◽  
Within Subjects ◽  
Manipulator Arm ◽  
Task Time ◽  
Post Hoc ◽  
Teleoperation Systems ◽  
Full Factorial

A study was conducted to assess the capabilities and limitations of the DataGlove, a lightweight glove input device that can output signals in real time based on hand shape, orientation, and movement. The DataGlove was used as an input device to control the Proto-Flight Manipulator Arm (PFMA), a large telerobotic arm with an 8-foot reach. Twelve volunteers (six males and six females) participated in a 2×3(×2) full-factorial experiment in a simple retraction, slewing, and insertion task. Two within-subjects variables, time delay (0,1, and 2 seconds) and PFMA wrist flexibility (rigid/flexible) were manipulated. Gender served as a blocking variable. Retraction, insertion, and slew times, as well as total task time were collected as the dependent variables. An analysis of variance found a main effect of time delay for slewing and total task times. A post hoc Newman-Keuls pairwise comparison of the means was performed for the significant effects. Slew times with no time delay were significantly faster than slew times with either 1- or 2-second time delays. Total task time with no time delay was significantly faster than total task time with a 2-second time delay. PFMA wrist flexibility had no significant main effect on the ability of the subject to accurately and effectively operate the PFMA with the DataGlove. It was concluded that the DataGlove is a legitimate teleoperations input device that provides a natural, intuitive user interface and should be considered in future trades in teleoperation systems' designs.

scholarly journals Mock politeness and culture: Perceptions and practice in UK and Italian data

2016 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 463-498 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charlotte Taylor
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Practice ◽  
Cultural Variation ◽  
Discussion Forums ◽  
National Cultures ◽  
British English ◽  
Cultural Assumptions ◽  
Comparable Corpora ◽  
Second Stage ◽  
Online Discussion Forums ◽  
Search Terms

Abstract This paper investigates the extent to which perceptions of cultural variation correspond to actual practice with reference to (national) cultures in Britain and Italy. More specifically, the aspect of im/politeness that is addressed is mock politeness, a subset of implicational impoliteness that is triggered by an im/politeness mismatch. In the first phase of the study, two sets of comparable corpora are employed to investigate perceptions of mock politeness (using search terms such as sarcastic and patronizing) in relation to cultural identities. The first pair of corpora is composed of national newspapers in England and Italy, collected in 2014, and the second set are web corpora. What emerges from this stage is a strong tendency for both the English and Italian corpora to associate (potential) mock polite behaviors such as being ironic with a British cultural identity. In the second stage of the study, I use a corpus of conversational data from British English and Italian online discussion forums, in which mock polite behaviors have been identified and annotated, in order to investigate whether there is any evidence for the cultural assumptions found in the first phase. As will be shown, the analysis reveals both variation in cultural practice and a significant gap between perceptions and practice. In describing and identifying this gap between perceptions and practice, I show both how (anglocentric) academic description has underestimated cultural variation, and, in contrast, how cultural variation is overestimated in lay description.

An Organic Syntactic Complexity Measure for the Chinese Language: The TC-Unit

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qiaona Yu
Keyword(s):  
High Efficiency ◽  
Group Membership ◽  
Complexity Measure ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Syntactic Complexity ◽  
Complexity Measures ◽  
Chinese Speakers ◽  
Online Test ◽  
Varied Range ◽  
L1 And L2

Abstract Language complexity reveals the ability to use a wide and varied range of sophisticated structures and vocabulary. Although different languages compose complexity differently, complexity measures such as the T-unit have typically been based on clause subordination, which may underrepresent complexity and threaten the validity of studies. This study argues that an organic complexity measure should avoid the assumption of clause subordination and instead consider the typological features of the target language. Therefore, this study proposes the TC-unit in recognition of the topic chain as the underlying unit of Chinese complexity. It further validates TC-unit-based measures by investigating how accurately they predict proficiency group membership. Discriminant analyses of L1 and L2 Chinese speakers’ spoken (N = 115) and written (N = 116) output elicited from a designed timed online test, revealed that TC-unit-based measures classified proficiency group membership with high efficiency (61.2–75.7 per cent). Mean length of terminable TC-unit proved the most effective indicator of spoken Chinese syntactic complexity, while mean length of terminable TC-unit and single TC-units per terminable TC-unit in combination proved the most effective for written Chinese syntactic complexity.

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