scholarly journals Lexically specific vs. productive constructions in L2 Finnish

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 526-563
Author(s):  
SIRKKU LESONEN ◽  
RASMUS STEINKRAUSS ◽  
MINNA SUNI ◽  
MARJOLIJN VERSPOOR
Keyword(s):  
Language Use ◽  
Free Response ◽  
Response Data ◽  
Young Learners ◽  
L2 Learners ◽  
L2 Development ◽  
Traditional Assumption ◽  
Learner Language ◽  
Default Assumption ◽  
Exemplar Learning

ABSTRACTIt is assumed from a usage-based perspective that learner language constructions emerge from natural language use in social interaction through exemplar learning. In L1, young learners have been shown to develop their constructions from lexically specific, formulaic expressions into more productive, abstract schemas. A similar developmental path has been shown for L2 development, with some exceptions. The aim of the current study is to explore to what extent the default assumption holds for L2 learning. The development of two constructions was traced in four adults learning L2 Finnish. Free-response data, collected weekly over a period of 9 months, were used to investigate the productivity of the constructions. The results show that, contrary to the traditional assumption, L2 learners do not start off with only lexically specific expressions, but that both lexically specific and more productive constructions are used from the beginning. Our results therefore suggest that, for educated adult L2 learners, the schema formation can happen rather quickly and even without the repetition of a specific lexical sequence.

scholarly journals GENDER DIFFERENCE OF ELEMENTARY LEVEL L2 LEARNERS

LITERA ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 251-261
Author(s):  
Gharizi Matiini
Keyword(s):  
Gender Difference ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Verbal Ability ◽  
Language Ability ◽  
Language Abilities ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
Young Learners ◽  
L2 Learners ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Learner Language

The study aims to seek the difference of language abilities between male and female young learners. The previous studies have already given plenty of proofs that there are some boundaries between male and female Language learners in achieving language ability. However, there are only few studies looking for gender difference of language ability in younger L2 learners. The present study used two young learners as the participants and the data is collected only in spoken language. Therefore, the data analysis only focused on the verbal ability and the use of linguistic device. The study found that male learner was more fluent in speaking L2 than the female one. He produced more words and used more in sentence conjunction than the female learner did. He also talked smother and more detail than the female leaner. However, both learners were equal in using intensifier. To be concluded, though many studies stated that female learners master L2 quicker than male learner, it might be different when it comes to the younger level L2 learners. Here, both male and female learners had balance level of ability of L2 learning.Keywords: gender difference, young L2 learner, language ability

Exploring which test-taker characteristics predict young L2 learners’ performance on listening and reading comprehension tests

2021 ◽  
pp. 026553222199113
Author(s):  
Sarah Sok ◽  
Hye Won Shin ◽  
Juhyun Do
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Reading Comprehension ◽  
Test Performance ◽  
Test Taker ◽  
Phonological Working Memory ◽  
Young Learners ◽  
L2 Learners ◽  
L2 Listening ◽  
Comprehension Tests ◽  
Reading Comprehension Tests

Test-taker characteristics (TTCs), or individual difference variables, are known to be a systematic source of variance in language test performance. Although previous research has documented the impact of a range of TTCs on second language (L2) learners’ test performance, few of these studies have involved young learners. Given that young L2 learners undergo rapid maturational changes in their cognitive abilities, are susceptible to affective factors in unique ways, and have little autonomy with respect to the context of L2 acquisition, the relationship between their personal attributes and their test performance merit separate research attention. To fill this gap, we investigated the extent to which sixth-grade, Korean-L1, EFL learners’ ( n = 107) TTCs predicted their performance on tests of L2 listening and reading comprehension. The TTCs under investigation included three cognitive characteristics (aptitude, phonological working memory, L1 competence), one affective factor (motivation), and two demographic variables (socioeconomic status and gender). Results showed that aptitude and phonological working memory significantly predicted participants’ performance on both L2 listening and reading comprehension tests, whereas motivation predicted performance on the L2 listening comprehension test only. These findings suggest that higher aptitude, phonological working memory, and motivation contribute positively to young learners’ L2 outcomes.

Exploring young learners’ L2 development and perceptions of mixed-age and same-age peer interactions in EFL mixed-age classrooms

2021 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tomas Kos
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Peer Interactions ◽  
Language Instruction ◽  
Data Sources ◽  
Foreign Language Instruction ◽  
Young Learners ◽  
Multiple Data ◽  
L2 Development ◽  
Post Test ◽  
Mixed Age

Abstract Although foreign language instruction in mixed-age (M-A) is gaining popularity (Heizmann and Ries and Wicki 2015; Lau and Juby-Smith and Desbiens, 2017; Shahid Kazi and Moghal and Aziz 2018; Thurn 2011), the research is scarce. Drawing from multiple data sources, this study investigated to what extent do peer interactions among M-A and same-age (S-A) pairs aid L2 development and how students perceive their interactions. In this study, the same learners (N=24) aged between 10 and 12 interacted with the same and different age partners during common classroom lessons in two EFL classrooms. The results suggest that both S-A and M-A peer interactions aided L2 development. Although S-A pairs outperformed M-A pairs on the post-test, the results are not statistically significant. The analysis of students’ perceptions revealed that the majority of students prefer working in S-A to M-A pairs. In addition to age/proficiency differences, factors such as students’ relationships and perceptions of one’s own and partner’s proficiency greatly impact how they interact with one another.

‘I will not put this request at the very beginning’

2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 37-58
Author(s):  
Qun Zheng ◽  
Ying Xu
Keyword(s):  
Peer Interaction ◽  
Language Use ◽  
Peer To Peer ◽  
Language Pedagogy ◽  
Power Difference ◽  
Direct Form ◽  
L2 Learners

Pragmatic (in)felicity in requests refers to the (in)appropriateness and (im)politeness of one's language use. It has been a great challenge to L2 learners, as they are likely to compose grammatically correct but pragmatically infelicitous requests. Such infelicity could be associated with pragmalinguistic and sociopragmatic factors, yet whether L2 learners are aware of those factors has been underexplored. To understand the effects of power, imposition, and modifications on email perception, we designed a matched guise test for 224 Chinese L2 learners, who were instructed to rate from 1 (very inappropriate/impolite) to 5 (very appropriate/polite) on four email requests (Power±; Imposition±). We found that (1) learners are highly aware of pragmalinguistic factors because they perceive requests mitigated by internal and external modifications as more appropriate and polite (p < .05), (2) learners have limited awareness of power difference as they rank direct form as inappropriate in peer-to-peer interaction, and (3) learners cannot realise fully the sociopragmatic factors involved in high-imposition situations. The awareness of pragmatic (in)felicity among learners seems to be underdeveloped as regards degree of power and imposition. The findings could have some implications in language pedagogy.

De Ontwikkeling van Schrijfvaardigheid in het Fins als Vreemde Taal

2009 ◽  
Vol 81 ◽  
pp. 121-132
Author(s):  
Marianne Spoelman ◽  
Marjolijn Verspoor
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Individual Variability ◽  
Dynamic Systems Theory ◽  
Longitudinal Case Study ◽  
European Languages ◽  
Complex Morphology ◽  
L2 Development ◽  
Learner Language ◽  
Insight Into

Within Dynamic Systems Theory (DST), it is assumed that differences in the degree of variability can provide insight into the process of L2 development. This longitudinal case study investigates intra-individual variability in Finnish learner language, focusing on the development of accuracy and complexity. The study involves 54 writing samples, written by a Dutch student who learned Finnish as a foreign language. Finnish, a synthetic language of the agglutinating type, is very different from Indo-European languages and well known for its complex morphology. This complex morphology was investigated for accuracy in form and use. Word-, Noun Phrase-, clause- and sentence constructions were examined for complexity. The purpose of the study was to explain the fluctuations of intra-individual variability and complex relations between variables and to detect both supportive and competitive relationships between growers in order to provide valuable insights into the dynamic processes involved in L2 development.

Free Response Data Scoring

2005 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian E. Clauser ◽  
Melissa J. Margolis
Keyword(s):  
Free Response ◽  
Response Data

Agreement and null subjects in German L2 development: new evidence from reaction-time experiments

1995 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 57-87 ◽  
Author(s):  
Harald Clahsen ◽  
Upyong Hong
Keyword(s):  
Reaction Time ◽  
Universal Grammar ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Null Subjects ◽  
Verb Agreement ◽  
L2 Learners ◽  
L2 Development ◽  
Parameter Resetting ◽  
L1 Acquisition ◽  
Korean Learners

In L1 acquisition research, developmental correlations between superfi cially unrelated linguistic phenomena are analysed in terms of clustering effects, resulting from the setting of a particular parameter of Universal Grammar (UG). In German L1 acquisition, there is evidence for a cluster ing of the acquisition of subject-verb agreement and the decrease of (incor rect) null subjects. The developmental connection between these two phenomena in L1 acquisition has been interpreted in terms of parameter setting. Vainikka and Young-Scholten (1994) have claimed that the acqui sition of subject-verb agreement and non-pro-drop in adult L2 learners developmentally coincides in the same way as it does in child L1 learners. This is taken to indicate that UG parameters are fully accessible to adult L2 learners. In this article we will report on reaction-time (RT) experi ments investigating subject-verb agreement and null subjects in 33 Korean learners of German and a control group of 20 German native speakers. Our main finding is that the two phenomena do not covary in the Korean learners indicating that (contra Vainikka and Young-Scholten) properties of agreement and null subjects are acquired separately from one another, rather than through parameter resetting.

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