Noun phrase complexity in film dialogue as input for second-language learning: a corpus-based study from a register-functional perspective

Since audiovisual dialogue represents a common means of informal contact with English (Pavesi, Ghia 2020), it is important to understand its characteristics. Following a study on clausal complexity in film dialogue (Formentelli et al. forthcoming), the present work investigates phrasal complexity, thus contributing to the provision of a broader overview of grammatical complexity in film dialogue. The results provide insights into which phrasal structures second-language (L2) learners accessing English through films are likely to encounter notice and internalise after repeated exposure (Kerswill, Williams 2002). The study investigates nominal pre- and post-modification in a corpus of 34 anglophone film dialogues by examining adjectival and nominal pre-modifiers and prepositional phrases as post-modifiers. Further analysis of the types of the most frequently modified nominal heads is also conducted. The results of the analysis are interpreted by adopting a register-functional approach to complexity (Biber et al. 2022); they suggest a degree of phrasal complexity in film dialogue that approximates trends in natural conversation while also performing register-specific functions.