The Impact of Language Proficiency on Understanding Ellipsis and Substitution in the EFL Context

This study investigates the impact of language proficiency on EFL learners' ability to identify and comprehend complex linguistic features, focusing on ellipsis and substitution. It aims to determine which of these features presents greater challenges and contributes to a higher frequency of errors, shedding light on the specific difficulties learners face in processing and using these structures across different contexts. The study employed a mixed-methods approach, involving 30 EFL learners from the University of Jordan, divided into intermediate and advanced proficiency groups, to investigate their ability to identify and comprehend ellipsis and substitution. Quantitative data were obtained from test results and analyzed using t-tests, while qualitative insights were gathered from post-test introspective discussions to explore learners' cognitive processes and challenges. The findings revealed significant differences in performance between advanced and intermediate EFL learners, with advanced learners consistently outperforming their counterparts in identifying and comprehending ellipsis and substitution. Substitution was found to be relatively easier for learners, as evidenced by higher scores and its explicit lexical markers, whereas ellipsis posed greater challenges due to its implicit, context-dependent nature, which aligns with Halliday and Hasan's (1976) Cohesion Theory. The study highlights the critical role of proficiency in mastering these linguistic features and highlights the need for designed instructional strategies to address learners’ difficulties, particularly with ellipsis. It also emphasizes the need for targeted practice and authentic text exposure to enhance EFL learners' ability to comprehend and apply cohesive devices like ellipsis and substitution effectively.