NEGATIVE ITEMS AND NEGATION STRATEGIES IN NONNATIVE ITALIAN

2000 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 399-440 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giuliano Bernini
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Longitudinal Data ◽  
Special Functions ◽  
Functional Approach ◽  
Acquisition Process ◽  
Frequency Of Use ◽  
First Languages ◽  
Cumulative Process ◽  
Acquisition Processes ◽  
Insight Into

Acquisition of negation in Italian as a second language (L2) is investigated on the basis of the longitudinal data of five learners with different first languages (L1s) in the framework of a functional approach focusing on the semantic and pragmatic principles governing the organization of learner varieties and the process of their complexification. Negation develops in a cumulative process in four successive stages. New constructions entering into interlanguage (IL) at each stage effect reduction in frequency of use of previous constructions that specialize for special functions, such as constituent negation. The acquisition process provides insight into some of the mechanisms involved in the processing and filtering of grammatical elements from the input and into strategies employed by the learners to integrate the expression of the scope of negation into the syntactic organization of their variety. The results contribute to a better understanding of the acquisition processes of negation in L2s, allowing the comparison of the development of a relatively straightforward target with an invariable preverbal particle, Italian, with the better investigated development of the complex patterns of English and German.

Emergence of the Unmarked in Indian Englishes with Different Substrates

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Caroline R. Wiltshire
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Second Language Acquisition ◽  
Optimality Theory ◽  
Learning Algorithm ◽  
Indian English ◽  
Form And Function ◽  
First Languages ◽  
And Function ◽  
Insight Into

This study uses data from Indian English as a second language, spoken by speakers of five first languages, to illustrate and evaluate the role of the emergence of the unmarked (TETU) in phonological theory. The analysis focusses on word-final consonant devoicing and cluster reduction, for which the five Indian first languages have various constraints, while Indian English is relatively unrestricted. Variation in L2 Indian Englishes results from both transfer of L1 phonotactics and the emergence of the unmarked, accounted for within Optimality Theory. The use of a learning algorithm also allows us to test the relative importance of markedness and frequency and to evaluate the relative markedness of various clusters. Thus, data from Indian Englishes provides insight into the form and function of markedness constraints, as well as the mechanisms of Second Language Acquisition (SLA).

Learners’ attitudes to first, second and third languages pronunciation in structuring multilingual identity

2020 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Magdalena Szyszka
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Language Acquisition ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Foreign Languages ◽  
Foreign Language Acquisition ◽  
Negative Relationships ◽  
Insight Into

AbstractThis paper investigates multilingual learners’ attitudes to native (L1 – Ukrainian), second (L2 – Polish) and foreign (L3 – English) languages’ pronunciation, and discusses them from the perspective of structuring multilingual identity. In the study, the choice of the sample has been controlled in terms of the participants’ nationality and the context in which they acquire their second and foreign languages – variables that are interwoven in shaping identities. More specifically, the 40 Ukrainian individuals, taking part in the study, are in the process of a foreign language acquisition, English, embedded in the context of their second language, Polish. The attitudes to L1, L2 and L3 pronunciation of the 40 multilinguals have been measured quantitatively and analysed with the aim of providing more insight into understanding how individuals construe their multilingual identities. Negative relationships were found between those who reported an L1 accent as an important factor involved in the perception of their selves and the desire to sound native-like in L2 – Polish (r = −0.37, p < 0.05), and L3 – English (r = −0.43, p < 0.05). The latter variable, however, correlated positively with having native-like pronunciation as a goal in learning Polish (r = 0.75, p < 0.05) and English (r = 0.89, p < 0.05).

Commitment in L3 relationships: Sacred vows or polyamory?

2021 ◽  
pp. 026765832098804
Author(s):  
David Stringer
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
First Language ◽  
Acquisition Process ◽  
Third Language ◽  
L3 Acquisition ◽  
Acquisition Device ◽  
Crosslinguistic Influence ◽  
The Mind ◽  
N Acquisition ◽  
Full Copy

Westergaard (2019) presents an updated account of the Linguistic Proximity Model and the micro-cue approach to the parser as an acquisition device. The property-by-property view of transfer inherent in this approach contrasts with other influential models that assume that third language (L3) acquisition involves the creation of a full copy of only one previously existing language in the mind. In this commentary, I review Westergaard’s proposal that first language (L1), second language (L2), and L3 acquisition proceed on the basis of incremental, conservative learning and her view of the parser as the engine of the acquisition process. I then provide several arguments in support of her position that crosslinguistic influence in L n acquisition may flow from any previously acquired language.

An analysis of pragmatic content in EFL textbooks for young learners in Croatia

2021 ◽  
pp. 136216882098693
Author(s):  
Eva Jakupčević ◽  
Mihajla Ćavar Portolan
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Speech Acts ◽  
Primary Schools ◽  
Communicative Competence ◽  
Essential Element ◽  
Pragmatic Competence ◽  
Young Learners ◽  
Language Classes ◽  
Insight Into

Pragmatic competence is an essential element of communicative competence, which makes it relevant for speakers of all ages, including young language learners (YLLs). Despite the recognized importance of pragmatics, research of textbooks for adult second language (L2) learners to date has found them lacking in their approach to this key aspect of language. However, there is very little research of pragmatics in textbooks for YLLs, which would provide insight into the extent to which these materials can support teachers in including elements of pragmatic competence into their language classes. The present study aims to fill this gap by determining how much pragmatic content is included in 18 textbooks used in Croatian primary schools with learners aged 9–12 years. The textbooks are compared in regard to the percentage of pages with pragmatic content as well as the different speech acts that receive explicit attention in them. The main finding of the study is the great amount of inconsistency when it comes to the scope and treatment of pragmatic content, with some textbooks proving extremely lacking. The results present a concerning picture as all of the students using these diverse textbooks should be following the same curriculum which emphasizes the development of communicative competence.

Exploiting native language interference for native language identification

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-31
Author(s):  
Ilia Markov ◽  
Vivi Nastase ◽  
Carlo Strapparava
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
State Of The Art ◽  
Native Language ◽  
Emotion Expression ◽  
The State ◽  
Language Identification ◽  
Independent Features ◽  
Insight Into

Abstract Native language identification (NLI)—the task of automatically identifying the native language (L1) of persons based on their writings in the second language (L2)—is based on the hypothesis that characteristics of L1 will surface and interfere in the production of texts in L2 to the extent that L1 is identifiable. We present an in-depth investigation of features that model a variety of linguistic phenomena potentially involved in native language interference in the context of the NLI task: the languages’ structuring of information through punctuation usage, emotion expression in language, and similarities of form with the L1 vocabulary through the use of anglicized words, cognates, and other misspellings. The results of experiments with different combinations of features in a variety of settings allow us to quantify the native language interference value of these linguistic phenomena and show how robust they are in cross-corpus experiments and with respect to proficiency in L2. These experiments provide a deeper insight into the NLI task, showing how native language interference explains the gap between baseline, corpus-independent features, and the state of the art that relies on features/representations that cover (indiscriminately) a variety of linguistic phenomena.

scholarly journals Vocabulary acquisition, input, and extensive reading: A conversation

2013 ◽  
Vol 37 (4) ◽  
pp. 56
Author(s):  
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Language Acquisition ◽  
Vocabulary Acquisition ◽  
Online Discussion ◽  
Word Knowledge ◽  
Relative Importance ◽  
Extensive Reading ◽  
Acquisition Process

JALT member Joseph Poulshock recently posted a video entitled “How do humans acquire language?” to the extensive reading (ER) website BeeOasis.com. In it, he describes his ALBUM Theory (acquire language by understanding messages), by which he means that the comprehension of input―for example, through ER―is the best way to acquire a second language. The video prompted an online discussion in which a number of JALT members exchanged ideas about the acquisition of vocabulary, the role of ER in the acquisition of various aspects of word knowledge, and the relative importance of input to the language acquisition process. An abbreviated version of this conversation is presented here.

Individual differences, cognitive abilities, aptitude complexes and learning conditions in second language acquisition

2001 ◽  
Vol 17 (4) ◽  
pp. 368-392 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Robinson
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Individual Differences ◽  
Second Language Acquisition ◽  
Language Acquisition ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Learning Condition ◽  
Learning Conditions ◽  
Complex Hypothesis ◽  
Acquisition Processes

Individual differences in resource availability, and the patterns of cognitive abilities they contribute to, are important to:• explaining variation between learners in the effectiveness of second language (L2) instructional treatments;• describing differences in implicit, incidental and explicit L2 learning processes; and• explaining child-adult differences in acquisition processes, and therefore to any general theory of second language acquisition (SLA).In this article I describe a framework for research into the effects of cognitive abilities on SLA which is based on four interlocking hypotheses. These hypotheses are drawn from research in psychology, education and SLA and, where possible, I present evidence to support each of them. The hypotheses are:1) the Aptitude Complex Hypothesis;2) the Ability Differentiation Hypothesis;3) the Fundamental Difference Hypothesis; and4) the Fundamental Similarity Hypothesis.The hypotheses, and the relationships between them, define an Aptitude Complex/Ability Differentiation framework for further examining the influence of individual differences in cognitive abilities on SLA, and for developing a theoretically motivated measure of language learning aptitude. I argue that such research should adopt the interactionist approach described by Snow (1994) to identifying individual difference/learning condition interactions at a number of levels. I illustrate some of these interactions.

scholarly journals Sampling Bias and the Problem of Generalizability in Applied Linguistics

2020 ◽  
Vol 40 ◽  
pp. 134-142 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sible Andringa ◽  
Aline Godfroid
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Second Language Learning ◽  
Applied Linguistics ◽  
Sampling Bias ◽  
Biased Sampling ◽  
Important Concept ◽  
Insight Into ◽  
Learning And Instruction

AbstractIn this final contribution to the issue, we discuss the important concept of generalizability and how it relates to applied linguists’ ability to serve language learners of all shades and grades. We provide insight into how biased sampling in Applied Linguistics currently is and how such bias may skew the knowledge that we, applied linguists, are building about second language learning and instruction. For example, our conclusions are often framed as universally-applying, even though the samples that have given rise to them are highly specific and Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, and Democratic (WEIRD; Henrich, Heine, & Norenzayan, 2010). We end with a call for research and replication in more diverse contexts and with more diverse samples to promote progress in the field of Applied Linguistics as ARAL celebrates its 40th anniversary.

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