A Tentative Study Of L2 Lexical Difficulty And Grading Of Lexical Difficulty Factors

Linguists and second language learners have long been puzzled by the problem of second language lexical acquisition, which is a time-consuming, strenuous and difficult process and, about which we do not know much. The problem of lexical difficulty remains an open question, though scrutiny has already been given. The available findings about second language lexical acquisition vary very much in philosophical background and methodological paradigm. A synthesis study of these findings seems to be able to draw an outline of the problem in question: vocabulary frequency, Saussurean arbitrariness, cultural difference, mental lexicon and representation, semantic network. But this round-about way of description simply can not satisfy the curiosity about the nature and solution of the problem and answers should be given to more penetrative questions, such as:1. What is, in essence, the lexical difficulty?2. What factors can be found that constitute lexical difficulty?3. Can lexical difficulty be quantitatively described?The answer to question 1 involves the definition of the lexical difficulty, which reflects the researcher's viewpoint or stand of linguistics and philosophy. And a scientific definition should consist of the distinctive feature as well as the significant factors as exhaustive as possible.In answering question 2, a contrast should be made between the factors of variables that influence the lexical access in speech production, and the lexical difficulty indicators built from retrospection of the experience, and isolate the few influential lexical difficulty factors.A multi-purpose analytical model AHP is also introduced to evaluate the comparative importance of different lexical difficulty factors by calculating and discussing the judgment matrix and the weighing in general ranking.The lexical difficulty is, according to this study, the disability,disorder or delay in second language learner's lexical access in speech production. It is also the outcome of interaction between second language lexical system and second language learner's cognitive system and bears both the influence of two languages. And by means of calculation, the different LDFs can be graded as: Influence of word frequency)Sharing of bilingual semantic system) Constraints of context)Harmony of phonetic/orthographic features, according to the importance they contribute to the acquisition of the second language.