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Field Dependence as a Factor in Second Language Communicative Production
Author(s) -
Johnson Janice,
Prior Suzanne,
Artuso Mariangela
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
language learning
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.882
H-Index - 103
eISSN - 1467-9922
pISSN - 0023-8333
DOI - 10.1111/0023-8333.00137
Subject(s) - psychology , linguistics , language proficiency , foreign language , cognitive style , production (economics) , language production , cognition , field (mathematics) , language assessment , independence (probability theory) , style (visual arts) , mathematics education , mathematics , economics , statistics , history , philosophy , archaeology , neuroscience , pure mathematics , macroeconomics
This study investigates the hypothesis that a more field‐dependent cognitive style may be adaptive for certain components of second language proficiency. Native English speakers ( n = 28) or students of English as a second language (ESL; n = 29) completed measures of language proficiency (formal and communicative) and field dependence–independence (FDI). Native English speakers performed better than ESL students on language measures, but not on FDI measures. As predicted, measures of FDI correlated negatively with measures of communicative production in the ESL group: A more field‐ dependent style was associated with better performance on second language communicative measures. FDI scores were not related to native English speakers' language. Results support a bipolar cognitive‐style conception of FDI. Theoretical models of the FDI construct are discussed.