1887
  1. Home
  2. e-Journals
  3. International Journal of Learner Corpus Research
  4. Volume 11, Issue 1
  5. Article
Volume 11, Issue 1
  • ISSN 2215-1478
  • E-ISSN: 2215-1486
USD
Buy:$35.00 + Taxes

Abstract

Abstract

Since Paquot (2019), several unresolved issues have persisted regarding the operationalization of phraseological sophistication in L2 complexity research. One of the most crucial concerns relates to the extent to which the commonly used measures of phraseological sophistication (MI scores) fully represent the intended construct. In this study, we draw upon insights from L2 phraseological research to reexamine the conceptualization and operationalization of phraseological sophistication. We conduct new analyses on the learner corpus used in Paquot (2019), using alternative operationalizations of phraseological sophistication that represent different dimensions of sophistication (based on the register specificity of word combinations and their frequency). Results show that measures representing the dimensions of association (MI scores) and register specificity (ratios of academic collocations) correlate with each other. Frequency-based measures, however, pattern very differently, which we attribute to some issues in the way we operationalized frequency of co-occurrence.

© John Benjamins Publishing Company
Loading

Article metrics loading...

/content/journals/10.1075/ijlcr.23033.paq
2024-10-29
2025-04-25

  • From This Site

    /content/journals/10.1075/ijlcr.23033.paq
    dcterms_title,dcterms_subject,pub_keyword
    -contentType:Journal -contentType:Contributor -contentType:Concept -contentType:Institution
    10
    5
Loading full text...

Full text loading...

References

  1. Ackermann, K., & Chen, Y.-H.
    (2013) Developing the Academic Collocation List (ACL) — A corpus-driven and expert-judged approach. Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 12(4), 235–247. 10.1016/j.jeap.2013.08.002
     https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeap.2013.08.002 [Google Scholar]
  2. Ädel, A., & Erman, B.
    (2012) Recurrent word combinations in academic writing by native and non-native speakers of English: A lexical bundles approach. English for Specific Purposes, 31(2), 81–92. 10.1016/j.esp.2011.08.004
     https://doi.org/10.1016/j.esp.2011.08.004 [Google Scholar]
  3. Bartsch, S.
    (2004) Structural and functional properties of collocations in English. Gunter Narr Verlag.
     [Google Scholar]
  4. Bestgen, Y., & Granger, S.
    (2014) Quantifying the development of phraseological competence in L2 English writing: An automated approach. Journal of Second Language Writing, 261, 28–41. 10.1016/j.jslw.2014.09.004
     https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jslw.2014.09.004 [Google Scholar]
  5. (2017) Using collgrams to assess L2 phraseological development: A replication study. InP. de Haan, R. de Vries, & S. van Vuuren (Eds.), Language, learners and levels: Progression and variation (pp.385–408). Presses Universitaires de Louvain.
     [Google Scholar]
  6. (2018) Tracking L2 writers’ phraseological development using collgrams: Evidence from a longitudinal EFL corpus. InS. Hoffman & A. Sand (Eds.), Corpora and lexis (pp.277–301). Brill. 10.1163/9789004361133_011
     https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004361133_011 [Google Scholar]
  7. Biber, D., Johansson, S., Leech, G., Conrad, S., & Finegan, E.
    (1999) The Longman grammar of spoken and written English. Pearson Education Limited.
     [Google Scholar]
  8. Biber, D., Conrad, S., & Cortes, V.
    (2004) If you look at …: Lexical bundles in university teaching and textbooks. Applied Linguistics, 25(3), 371–405. 10.1093/applin/25.3.371
     https://doi.org/10.1093/applin/25.3.371 [Google Scholar]
  9. Bybee, J., & Beckner, C.
    (2012) Usage-based theory. InH. Narrog & B. Heine (Eds.), The Oxford handbook of linguistic analysis (pp.827–855). Oxford University Press. 10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199544004.013.0032
     https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199544004.013.0032 [Google Scholar]
  10. Chen, Y.-H., & Baker, P.
    (2016) Investigating criterial discourse features across second language development: Lexical bundles in rated learner essays, CEFR B1, B2 and C1. Applied Linguistics, 37(6), 849–880.
     [Google Scholar]
  11. Council of Europe
    Council of Europe (2001) Common European framework of reference for languages: Learning, teaching, assessment. Cambridge University Press.
     [Google Scholar]
  12. Coxhead, A.
    (2000) A new academic word list. TESOL Quarterly, 34(2), 213–238. 10.2307/3587951
     https://doi.org/10.2307/3587951 [Google Scholar]
  13. Crossley, S. A., Cai, Z., & McNamara, D. S.
    (2012) Syntagmatic, paradigmatic, and automatic n-gram approaches to assessing essay quality. InP. M. McCarthy & G. M. Youngblood (Eds.), Proceedings of the 25th International Florida Artificial Intelligence Research Society (FLAIRS) Conference (pp.214–219). AAAI Press.
     [Google Scholar]
  14. Crossley, S. A., Salsbury, T., & McNamara, D. S.
    (2013) Validating lexical measures using human scores of lexical proficiency. InS. Jarvis & M. Daller (Eds.), Vocabulary knowledge: Human ratings and automated measures (pp.105–134). John Benjamins. 10.1075/sibil.47.06ch4
     https://doi.org/10.1075/sibil.47.06ch4 [Google Scholar]
  15. De Marneffe, M.-C., & Manning, C.
    (2016) Stanford typed dependencies manual. nlp.stanford.edu/software/dependencies_manual.pdf
     [Google Scholar]
  16. Durrant, P.
    (2009) Investigating the viability of a collocation list for students of English for academic purposes. English for Specific Purposes, 28(3), 157–169. 10.1016/j.esp.2009.02.002
     https://doi.org/10.1016/j.esp.2009.02.002 [Google Scholar]
  17. Durrant, P., & Schmitt, N.
    (2009) To what extent do native and non-native writers make use of collocations?IRAL — International Review of Applied Linguistics in Language Teaching, 47(2), 157–177. 10.1515/iral.2009.007
     https://doi.org/10.1515/iral.2009.007 [Google Scholar]
  18. Ellis, N. C.
    (1996) Sequencing in SLA: Phonological memory, chunking and points of order. Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 18(1), 91–126. 10.1017/S0272263100014698
     https://doi.org/10.1017/S0272263100014698 [Google Scholar]
  19. Evert, S.
    (2004) The statistics of word cooccurrences: Word pairs and collocations. Unpublished PhD thesis. Universität Stuttgart. https://www.stephanie-evert.de/PUB/Evert2004phd.pdf
  20. Gablasova, D., Brezina, V., & McEnery, T.
    (2017) Collocations in corpus-based language learning research: Identifying, comparing, and interpreting the evidence. Language Learning, 67(S1), 155–179. 10.1111/lang.12225
     https://doi.org/10.1111/lang.12225 [Google Scholar]
  21. Garner, J., Crossley, S., & Kyle, K.
    (2019) N-gram measures and L2 writing proficiency. System, 801, 176–187. 10.1016/j.system.2018.12.001
     https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2018.12.001 [Google Scholar]
  22. Goldberg, A.
    (2006) Constructions at work: The nature of generalization in language. Oxford University Press.
     [Google Scholar]
  23. Granger, S., & Paquot, M.
    (2008) Disentangling the phraseological web. InS. Granger & F. Meunier (Eds), Phraseology: An interdisciplinary perspective (pp.27–49). John Benjamins. 10.1075/z.139.07gra
     https://doi.org/10.1075/z.139.07gra [Google Scholar]
  24. Granger, S., & Bestgen, Y.
    (2014) The use of collocations by intermediate vs. advanced non-native writers : A bigram-based study. International Review of Applied Linguistics in Language Teaching, 52(3), 229–252. 10.1515/iral‑2014‑0011
     https://doi.org/10.1515/iral-2014-0011 [Google Scholar]
  25. Gries, S. Th.
    (2013) Statistics for linguistics with R. A practical introduction (2nd ed.). De Gruyter Mouton. 10.1515/9783110307474
     https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110307474 [Google Scholar]
  26. (2022) What do (some of) our association measures measure (most)? Association?Journal of Second Language Studies, 5(1), 1–33. 10.1075/jsls.21028.gri
     https://doi.org/10.1075/jsls.21028.gri [Google Scholar]
  27. Hoey, M.
    (1991) Patterns of lexis in text. Cambridge University Press.
     [Google Scholar]
  28. Honnibal, M., & Montani, I.
    (2017) spaCy 2: Natural language understanding with Bloom embeddings, convolutional neural networks and incremental parsing. https://sentometrics-research.com/publication/72/
     [Google Scholar]
  29. Hu, R., Wu, J., & Lu, X.
    (2022) Word-combination-based measures of phraseological diversity, sophistication, and complexity and their relationship to second language Chinese proficiency and writing quality. Language Learning, 72(4), 1128–1169. 10.1111/lang.12511
     https://doi.org/10.1111/lang.12511 [Google Scholar]
  30. Jiang, J., Bi, P., Xie, N., & Liu, H.
    (2023) Phraseological complexity and low — and intermediate-level L2 learners’ writing quality. International Review of Applied Linguistics in Language Teaching, 61(3), 765–790. 10.1515/iral‑2019‑0147
     https://doi.org/10.1515/iral-2019-0147 [Google Scholar]
  31. Kim, M., & Crossley, S. A.
    (2023) Lexical and phraseological differences between second language written and spoken opinion responses. Frontiers in Psychology, 141, 1068685. 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1068685
     https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1068685 [Google Scholar]
  32. Kim, M., Crossley, S. A., & Kyle, K.
    (2018) Lexical sophistication as a multidimensional phenomenon : Relations to second language lexical proficiency, development, and writing quality. The Modern Language Journal, 102(1), 120–141. 10.1111/modl.12447
     https://doi.org/10.1111/modl.12447 [Google Scholar]
  33. Kim, S., & Kessler, M.
    (2022) Examining L2 English university students’ uses of lexical bundles and their relationship to writing quality. Assessing Writing, 511, 100589. 10.1016/j.asw.2021.100589
     https://doi.org/10.1016/j.asw.2021.100589 [Google Scholar]
  34. Kyle, K., & Crossley, S. A.
    (2015) Automatically assessing lexical sophistication: Indices, tools, findings, and application. TESOL Quarterly, 49(4), 757–786. 10.1002/tesq.194
     https://doi.org/10.1002/tesq.194 [Google Scholar]
  35. Kyle, K., Crossley, S. A., & Berger, C.
    (2018) The tool for the analysis of lexical sophistication (TAALES): Version 2.0. Behavior Research Methods, 50(3), 1030–1046. 10.3758/s13428‑017‑0924‑4
     https://doi.org/10.3758/s13428-017-0924-4 [Google Scholar]
  36. Kyle, K., & Eguchi, M.
    (2021) Automatically assessing lexical sophistication using word, bigram, and dependency indices. InS. Granger (Ed.), Perspectives on the L2 phrasicon: The view from learner corpora (pp.126–151). Multilingual Matters. 10.21832/9781788924863‑007
     https://doi.org/10.21832/9781788924863-007 [Google Scholar]
  37. Laufer, B., & Waldman, T.
    (2011) Verb-noun collocations in second language writing: A corpus analysis of learners’ English. Language Learning, 61(2), 647–672. 10.1111/j.1467‑9922.2010.00621.x
     https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9922.2010.00621.x [Google Scholar]
  38. Liu, D.
    (2012) The most frequently-used multi-word constructions in academic written English: A multi-corpus study. English for Specific Purposes, 31(1), 25–35. 10.1016/j.esp.2011.07.002
     https://doi.org/10.1016/j.esp.2011.07.002 [Google Scholar]
  39. McCallum, L.
    (2020) Relationships between measures of phraseological complexity and writing quality in a CEFR assessment context. Arab Journal of Applied Linguistics, 5(1), 63–99. 10.1234/ajal.v5i1.197
     https://doi.org/10.1234/ajal.v5i1.197 [Google Scholar]
  40. Naets, H., Shen, J., & Paquot, M.
    (2024) A database of English dependencies with measures of frequency, association, range and keyness. [Data set]. 10.14428/DVN/Y6Y4G8. Open Data @ UCLouvain, V1.
     https://doi.org/10.14428/DVN/Y6Y4G8 [Google Scholar]
  41. Nation, I. S. P.
    (2001) Learning vocabulary in another language. Cambridge University Press. 10.1017/CBO9781139524759
     https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781139524759 [Google Scholar]
  42. Norris, J., & Ortega, L.
    (2003) Defining and measuring SLA. InC. J. Doughty & M. H. Long (Eds.), The handbook of second language acquisition (pp.717–761). Wiley. 10.1002/9780470756492.ch21
     https://doi.org/10.1002/9780470756492.ch21 [Google Scholar]
  43. Paquot, M.
    (2010) Academic vocabulary in learner writing: From extraction to analysis. Continuum.
     [Google Scholar]
  44. (2018) Phraseological competence: A missing component in university entrance language tests? Insights from a study of EFL learners’ use of statistical collocations. Language Assessment Quarterly, 15(1), 29–43. 10.1080/15434303.2017.1405421
     https://doi.org/10.1080/15434303.2017.1405421 [Google Scholar]
  45. (2019) The phraseological dimension in interlanguage complexity research. Second Language Research, 35(1), 121–145. 10.1177/0267658317694221
     https://doi.org/10.1177/0267658317694221 [Google Scholar]
  46. (2021, August15–21). Measures of phraseological complexity: reliability and validity [paper presentation]. Investigating complexity in L2 phraseology: methods and applications symposium, AILA World Congress 2021, University of Groningen, The Netherlands.
     [Google Scholar]
  47. Paquot, M., & Granger, S.
    (2012) Formulaic language in learner corpora. Annual Review of Applied Linguistics, 321, 130–149. 10.1017/S0267190512000098
     https://doi.org/10.1017/S0267190512000098 [Google Scholar]
  48. Paquot, M., Larsson, T., Hasselgård, H., Ebeling, S. O., De Meyere, D., Valentin, L., Laso, N. J., Verdaguer, I., & van Vuuren, S.
    (2022b) The Varieties of English for Specific Purposes dAtabase (VESPA): Towards a multi-L1 and multi-register learner corpus of disciplinary writing. Research in Corpus Linguistics, 10(2), 1–15. 10.32714/ricl.10.02.02
     https://doi.org/10.32714/ricl.10.02.02 [Google Scholar]
  49. Paquot, M., Naets, H., & Gries, S. Th.
    (2021) Using syntactic co-occurrences to trace phraseological complexity development in learner writing: verb + object structures in LONGDALE. InB. Le Bruyn & M. Paquot (Eds.), Learner corpus research meets second language acquisition (pp.122–147). Cambridge University Press.
     [Google Scholar]
  50. R Core Team
    R Core Team (2022) R: A language and environment for statistical computing. R Foundation for Statistical Computing, Vienna, Austria. https://www.R-project.org/
     [Google Scholar]
  51. Read, J.
    (2000) Assessing vocabulary. Oxford University Press. 10.1017/CBO9780511732942
     https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511732942 [Google Scholar]
  52. Rogers, J., Müller, A., Daulton, F. E., Dickinson, P., Florescu, C., Reid, G., & Stoeckel, T.
    (2021) The creation and application of a large-scale corpus-based academic multi-word unit list. English for Specific Purposes, 621, 142–157. 10.1016/j.esp.2021.01.001
     https://doi.org/10.1016/j.esp.2021.01.001 [Google Scholar]
  53. Römer, U.
    (2009) The inseparability of lexis and grammar. Corpus linguistic perspectives. Annual Review of Cognitive Linguistics, 71, 141–163. 10.1075/arcl.7.06rom
     https://doi.org/10.1075/arcl.7.06rom [Google Scholar]
  54. Rubin, R., Housen, A., & Paquot, M.
    (2021) Phraseological complexity as an index of L2 Dutch writing proficiency: A partial replication study. InS. Granger (Ed.), Perspectives on the L2 phrasicon (pp.101–125). Multilingual Matters. 10.21832/9781788924863‑006
     https://doi.org/10.21832/9781788924863-006 [Google Scholar]
  55. Schäfer, R.
    (2015) Processing and querying large Web corpora with the COW14 architecture. InP. Bański, H. Biber, E. Breiteneder, M. Kupietz, H. Lüngen, & W. Andreas (Eds.), Proceedings of the 3rd workshop on challenges in the management of large corpora (CMLC-3) (pp.28–34). Leibnitz-Institut für Deutsche Sprache.
     [Google Scholar]
  56. Schmitt, N.
    (2004) Formulaic sequences: Acquisition, processing and use. John Benjamins. 10.1075/lllt.9
     https://doi.org/10.1075/lllt.9 [Google Scholar]
  57. (2010) Researching vocabulary: A vocabulary research manual. Palgrave Macmillan. 10.1057/9780230293977
     https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230293977 [Google Scholar]
  58. Sinclair, J.
    (1991) Corpus, concordance, collocation. Oxford University Press.
     [Google Scholar]
  59. Staples, S., Egbert, J., Biber, D., & McClair, A.
    (2013) Formulaic sequences and EAP writing development: Lexical bundles in the TOEFL iBT writing section. Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 12(3), 214–225. 10.1016/j.jeap.2013.05.002
     https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeap.2013.05.002 [Google Scholar]
  60. Vandeweerd, N., Housen, A., & Paquot, M.
    (2021) Applying phraseological complexity measures to L2 French: A partial replication study. International Journal of Learner Corpus Research, 7(2), 197–229. 10.1075/ijlcr.20015.van
     https://doi.org/10.1075/ijlcr.20015.van [Google Scholar]
  61. (2022) Comparing the longitudinal development of phraseological complexity across oral and written tasks. Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 45(4), 1–25. 10.1017/S0272263122000389
     https://doi.org/10.1017/S0272263122000389 [Google Scholar]
  62. (2023) Proficiency at the lexis–grammar interface: Comparing oral versus written French exam tasks. Language Testing, 40(3), 658–683. 10.1177/02655322231153543
     https://doi.org/10.1177/02655322231153543 [Google Scholar]
  63. Wolfe-Quintero, K., Inagaki, S., & Kim, H.-Y.
    (1998) Second language development in writing: Measures of fluency, accuracy, and complexity. University of Hawaii Press.
     [Google Scholar]
  64. Wray, A.
    (2002) Formulaic language and the lexicon. Cambridge University Press. 10.1017/CBO9780511519772
     https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511519772 [Google Scholar]
  65. Xia, D., Chen, Y., & Pae, H. K.
    (2022a) Lexical and grammatical collocations in beginning and intermediate L2 argumentative essays: A bigram study. IRAL — International Review of Applied Linguistics in Language Teaching, 61(4), 1421–1453. 10.1515/iral‑2021‑0188
     https://doi.org/10.1515/iral-2021-0188 [Google Scholar]
  66. Xia, D., Ai, H., & Pae, H. K.
    (2022b) Please let me know: Lexical bundles in business emails by business English learners and working professionals. International Journal of Learner Corpus Research, 8(1), 1–30. 10.1075/ijlcr.20019.xia
     https://doi.org/10.1075/ijlcr.20019.xia [Google Scholar]
  67. Yoo, I. W., & Shin, Y. K.
    (2022) English lexical bundles in a learner corpus of argumentative essays written by Korean university students. Corpora, 17(Supplement), 23–42. 10.3366/cor.2022.0245
     https://doi.org/10.3366/cor.2022.0245 [Google Scholar]
  68. Zhang, Y., & Ouyang, J.
    (2023) Linguistic complexity as the predictor of EFL independent and integrated writing quality. Assessing Writing, 561, 100727. 10.1016/j.asw.2023.100727
     https://doi.org/10.1016/j.asw.2023.100727 [Google Scholar]
/content/journals/10.1075/ijlcr.23033.paq
Loading
Phraseological sophistication as a multidimensional construct
International Journal of Learner Corpus Research 11, 217 (2025); https://doi.org/10.1075/ijlcr.23033.paq
/content/journals/10.1075/ijlcr.23033.paq
/content/journals/10.1075/ijlcr.23033.paq
Loading

Data & Media loading...

  • Article Type: Research Article
Keyword(s): association; frequency; phraseological complexity; phraseological sophistication; register specificity

Most Cited

This is a required field
Please enter a valid email address
Approval was successful
Invalid data
An Error Occurred
Approval was partially successful, following selected items could not be processed due to error