Critical contingency competition in L2 clause positioning acquisition: the case of concessive clause by Chinese EFL learners

Abstract Concessive clause positioning as a result of multi-cue competition has been widely examined in L1 and L2 English learners. This study furthers the present research by examining competition patterns among contingency, L1 transfer, and salience factors in concessive clause positioning by Chinese EFL learners. We extracted 1,356 concessive subordinations conjoined by although and though from native and learner argumentative essays, and used multifactorial models to examine the effectiveness, tuning tendency, and power ranking of the cues that tune concessive clause positions. A critical contingency competition was tentatively concluded in concessive clause positioning by Chinese EFL learners. That is, in cue consistency across native and learner datasets, contingency values assume the baseline role, which L1 transfer hinders while salience promotes. In addition, a critical contingency value exists, above which L1 transfer effects are not stronger than contingency and salience effects, so that cue consistency would usually be maintained and vice versa.