L2 irony comprehension and the role of L2 proficiency and use

Abstract

The present study investigated how Cantonese speakers learning English as a second language (L2) would comprehend English irony and whether their L2 proficiency and use would moderate their irony processing. Thirty Cantonese speakers with differing English proficiency (intermediate vs advanced) were asked to complete an irony comprehension task in which they had to determine if given comments in literal or ironic situations were positive or negative. The irony comprehension task was immediately followed by a stimulated recall session to further explore the participants’ thought processes while responding to the irony comprehension items. The results revealed that the participants were faster and more accurate when processing positively-valenced comments (literal praise, ironic criticism), compared to negatively-­valenced ones (literal criticism, ironic praise). The findings suggest that learners had greater difficulty identifying ironic praises than ironic criticisms, underscoring the role of valence in second language irony inferencing. The stimulated recall data suggested that the anticipation of irony may accelerate the identification of ironic criticisms. While proficiency facilitated the speed of irony comprehension, the duration of L2 use, especially in speaking, emerged as an important factor in moderating the accuracy of irony comprehension.

ABSTRACT (CANTONESE)

本研究調查廣東話(粵語)為母語的英語第二語言學習者如何理解英語的反諷, 以及他們的第二語言熟練程度和使用情況是否會影響他們對反諷的理解。三十位不同英語熟練程度(中級和高級)的廣東話使用者完成了一項反諷理解任務。他們需要判斷在字面意義或反諷情境下給出的評論是積極的還是消極。反諷理解任務後, 參與者立即進行刺激回憶環節, 以進一步探索他們在反諷理解任務時的思維過程。結果顯示, 相較於消極效價的評論(字面批評, 反諷稱贊), 參與者在處理積極效價的評論(字面稱贊, 反諷批評)時反應更快, 準確率也更高。這些結果表明, 學習者在識別反諷稱贊時的困難大於識別反諷批評。這顯示情感效價在第二語言反諷理解中的作用。刺激回憶的數據表明, 預期反諷可能會加速對反諷批評的識別。儘管第二語言熟練程度有助提高反諷理解速度, 但第二語言的使用時長, 特別是口語的使用, 爲影響反諷理解準確率的重要因素。

PLAIN LANGUAGE SUMMARY

Understanding irony in a second language (L2) can pose challenges. It goes beyond mere knowledge of vocabulary and grammar; it requires the ability to identify the speaker’s intent, which can be hidden or indirect. For instance, when someone says “you are so smart” after a friend does something foolish, they are actually criticizing the friend using a seemingly positive remark. This is referred to as ironic criticism. Conversely, if someone says “you are a lousy cook” after thoroughly enjoying a delicious meal prepared by a friend, they are actually complimenting the friend using a seemingly negative phrase. This is known as ironic praise. In our study, we investigated the extent to which Cantonese speakers comprehend irony in L2 English. Participants were presented with comments and asked to determine whether they were praise or criticism, in both literal and ironic contexts. Subsequently, we examined their thought processes through additional questions. Our findings revealed that learners were quicker and more accurate in identifying comments containing positive words (literal praise and ironic criticism) compared to comments with negative words (literal criticism and ironic praise). Moreover, we observed that an expectation of irony facilitated the understanding of ironic criticism, whereas comprehending ironic praise proved more challenging. Additionally, while English proficiency contributed to faster comprehension of irony, the frequency of English usage, particularly in daily conversations, influenced the accuracy of understanding. Based on our results, we recommend that language teachers promote learners’ awareness of understanding ironic praises and encourage the integration of the second language into their daily lives to enhance their ability to understand and appreciate the ironic nuances in L2.

Keywords:

• Second language (L2) irony
• valence
• pragmatic inference
• L2 proficiency
• L2 use

關鍵詞::

• 第二語言反諷
• 效價
• 語用推斷
• 第二語言熟練程度
• 第二語言使用

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Open Scholarship

This article has earned the Center for Open Science badges for Open Materials through Open Practices Disclosure. The data and materials are openly accessible at https://github.com/emoriebeck/KCP. To obtain the author's disclosure form, please contact the Editor.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Weiyi Li

Weiyi Li is a PhD student at the Department of English, the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Her research interests include second language pragmatics, task-based language teahcing (TBLT), and the role of individual difference in second language acquisition (SLA). Her doctoral study is on the impact of types of irony and input modality on second language irony processing and comprehension.

Jookyoung Jung

Jookyoung Jung is an Assistant Professor at the Department of English, the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Her research interests include task-based language teaching (TBLT), second language (L2) reading and writing, technology-mediated L2 learning, and the role of individual differences in second language acquisition (SLA). Her recent work has appeared in journals such as IRAL, System, Language Awareness, Language Teaching Research, and Studies in Second Language Acquisition. [email protected]