Strategic meaning construal of English particle verbs in Croatian and Arabic L2 speakers
Abstract
This paper investigates the strategic meaning construal of English particle verb (PV) constructions in second language (L2) speakers of English whose first languages (L1s) are Croatian and Arabic. Drawing on a well-established research programme on strategic construal (Geld 2006, 2009; Geld & Letica Krevelj 2011; Geld & Maldonado 2011; Geld & Stanojević 2016), the present study replicates and extends prior findings to two typologically distinct L1 groups: Croatian, described as broadly satellite-framed, and Arabic, a verbframed language. The instrument, coding scheme, and analytical framework are adapted from Geld (2009). Results show that while both groups employ topological, lexical, and compositional construal strategies, the frequency of topological construal is significantly lower among Arabic speakers (t(44) = 4.49, p < .001, d = 1.32). Differences in particle informativeness (out and down > in and up) and the semantic weight of verbs (light vs. heavy; F(1, 45) = 118.84, p < .001, η2 = .72) also play significant roles. Findings confirm earlier claims that L2 meaning construal reflects both typological influence and general cognitive processes underlying language comprehension.