Effects of Relative Frequency of English Complex Words on Korean L2 Learners’ Processing

This study probes whether relative frequency is a potential factor which can determine Korean L2 speakers access to morphologically complex words and whether their processing pattern varies according to affix type and participants L2 proficiency. A processing experiment was conducted whereby Korean L2 speakers rated English affixed words as more complex and measured their percentages and reaction time. Our results exhibited that subjects judged as more complex the forms where the whole derived words were less frequent than their embedded base forms and that the words which were more frequent than their base forms were judged as less complex in a robust manner like L1 speakers. Further, such a trend did not vary according to their proficiency level and affix type. These findings provide supportive evidence that relative frequency facilitates L2 speakers processing of morphologically complex words. Additionally, they imply that they access L2 derived words through decomposition to constituents such as base forms, supporting dual-route model. Finally, the relative frequency might emerge from an earlier stage of L2 development, coupled with the possibility that affixed words are represented along with frequency of the whole words and their constituents.