Role of Word-Order Permutations in EFL Learners’ Semantically Non-Deviant and Deviant Sentences Processing Mechanisms

This study sought to determine the extent to which EFL learners’ perceptions of nonsensical or semantically deviant and standard sentences depend upon the three possible permutations of word word-order appearing in a natural language corpus. In doing so, a total number of 40 male native adult speakers of Persian majoring in TEFL with the age range of 22-27 from the University of Isfahan were selected conveniently to make up the sample for this study. Building on the responses provided by the targeted sample to 90 sentences (45 deviant and 45 standard) with three word-order permutations on the ToolBook platform, the discrepancies on the centrality of grammatical judgments and reaction time in both nonsensical/semantically deviant and standard sentences were analyzed. The results obtained via relevant statistical techniques revealed that the EFL learners’ reaction time and linguistics intuitions differed on deviant and non-deviant sentences based on three word-order permutations. Differently stated, the targeted samples outperformed both in terms of correct grammatical judgments and higher reaction time on semantically deviant sentences as opposed to non-deviant sentences. The results also unraveled that the majority of correct grammatical judgments on semantically deviant sentences were found in OVS then SOV and eventually SVO word-order pattern sentences. Notably, the findings may have important implications for teachers and test developers concerning test-takers’ language processing abilities and difficulties at different levels of instruction through online assessment platforms since the sequence of the jumbled constituents is an overriding factor in language processing mechanisms