Learning Second Language Grammar Rules

1995 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. 379-410 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert M. DeKeyser
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Cognitive Psychology ◽  
Inductive Learning ◽  
Fuzzy Rules ◽  
Grammar Rule ◽  
Linguistic System ◽  
Grammar Rules ◽  
Traditional Grammar ◽  
Rule Presentation ◽  
Better Than

This is a report on a computerized experiment with a miniature linguistic system, consisting of five morphological rules and a lexicon of 98 words. Two hypotheses derived from the literature in cognitive psychology and psycholinguistics were tested: that explicit-deductive learning would be better than implicit-inductive learning for straightforward (“categorical”) rules, and that implicit-inductive learning would be better than explicit-deductive learning for fuzzy rules (“prototypicality patterns”). Implicit-inductive learning was implemented by pairing sentences with color pictures; explicit-deductive learning was implemented by means of traditional grammar rule presentation, followed by picture-sentence pairing. The findings were in the expected direction for both hypotheses, but only the first one could be confirmed through statistically significant results.

Discovering formulaic language through data-driven learning: Student attitudes and efficacy

ReCALL ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 225-242 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joe Geluso ◽  
Atsumi Yamaguchi
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Corpus Linguistics ◽  
Student Attitudes ◽  
Inductive Learning ◽  
Data Driven ◽  
Formulaic Language ◽  
Teaching English ◽  
Grammar Rules

AbstractCorpus linguistics has established that language is highly patterned. The use of patterned language has been linked to processing advantages with respect to listening and reading, which has implications for perceptions of fluency. The last twenty years has seen an increase in the integration of corpus-based language learning, or data-driven learning (DDL), as a supporting feature in teaching English as a foreign / second language (EFL/ESL). Most research has investigated student attitudes towards DDL as a tool to facilitate writing. Other studies, though notably fewer, have taken a quantitative perspective of the efficacy of DDL as a tool to facilitate the inductive learning of grammar rules. The purpose of this study is three-fold: (1) to present an EFL curriculum designed around DDL with the aim of improving spoken fluency; (2) to gauge how effective students were in employing newly discovered phrases in an appropriate manner; and (3) to investigate student attitudes toward such an approach to language learning. Student attitudes were investigated via a questionnaire and then triangulated through interviews and student logs. The findings indicate that students believe DDL to be a useful and effective tool in the classroom. However, students do note some difficulties related to DDL, such as encountering unfamiliar vocabulary and cut-off concordance lines. Finally, questions are raised as to the students’ ability to embed learned phrases in a pragmatically appropriate way.

scholarly journals Phonological transfer effects in novice learners: A learner's brain detects grammar errors only if the language sounds familiar

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-14
Author(s):  
Sabine Gosselke Berthelsen ◽  
Merle Horne ◽  
Yury Shtyrov ◽  
Mikael Roll
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Second Language Acquisition ◽  
Language Acquisition ◽  
Spoken Word ◽  
Error Processing ◽  
Transfer Effects ◽  
Association Learning ◽  
Novice Learners ◽  
Grammar Rules ◽  
Related Response

Abstract Many aspects of a new language, including grammar rules, can be acquired and accessed within minutes. In the present study, we investigate how initial learners respond when the rules of a novel language are not adhered to. Through spoken word-picture association-learning, tonal and non-tonal speakers were taught artificial words. Along with lexicosemantic content expressed by consonants, the words contained grammatical properties embedded in vowels and tones. Pictures that were mismatched with any of the words’ phonological cues elicited an N400 in tonal learners. Non-tonal learners only produced an N400 when the mismatch was based on a word's vowel or consonants, not the tone. The emergence of the N400 might indicate that error processing in L2 learners (unlike canonical processing) does not initially differentiate between grammar and semantics. Importantly, only errors based on familiar phonological cues evoked a mismatch-related response, highlighting the importance of phonological transfer in initial second language acquisition.

A COMPOSITIONAL METHOD USING AN EVOLUTIONARY ALGORITHM FOR FINDING FUZZY RULES IN 3-LAYERED HIERARCHICAL FUZZY STRUCTURE

2009 ◽  
Vol 08 (04) ◽  
pp. 467-485 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. ZAJACZKOWSKI ◽  
B. VERMA
Keyword(s):  
Evolutionary Algorithm ◽  
Control Systems ◽  
Initial Conditions ◽  
Fuzzy Rules ◽  
Large Set ◽  
Multi Objective ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Dynamical Control ◽  
Better Than ◽  
Compositional Method

This paper presents a novel compositional method for finding fuzzy rules in a three-layered hierarchical fuzzy structure. The proposed method incorporates a multi-objective evolutionary algorithm and a large set of initial conditions, including dynamical conditions of the system under investigation. The proposed method is focused on handling the large set of initial conditions by a multi-objective evolutionary algorithm and it can be applied to a wide range of dynamical control systems in robotics. The method has been evaluated on a dynamical system such as the inverted pendulum. The experimental results and analysis showed that the proposed method is much better than the existing methods such as amalgamation and single objective evolutionary algorithm based methods.

Education Research and Scholarship in an Intercultural Context

2020 ◽  
pp. 118-133
Author(s):  
Beena Giridharan
Keyword(s):  
Education Research ◽  
Second Language ◽  
Cognitive Psychology ◽  
Applied Linguistics ◽  
Vocabulary Development ◽  
Lexical Representation ◽  
Vocabulary Strategies ◽  
Inquiry Process ◽  
Explicit Teaching ◽  
L2 Learners

In this chapter, the research framework for a study that focused on the development of a second language vocabulary acquisition model in a tertiary setting is presented. This study is an investigation of lexical inferencing strategies specifically employed by second language (L2) learners, and focuses on whether the explicit teaching of effective vocabulary strategies benefited learners in developing vocabulary. The framework presented here draws on theories of learning from the fields of education, applied linguistics, vocabulary development, and cognitive psychology. Several theoretical standpoints on vocabulary development, and factors such as lexical representation, theoretical constructs in reading comprehension, and vocabulary processing in tertiary L2 learners, and socio-linguistics were considered in the design and inquiry process of the study, which was set in an intercultural context. The nature of scholarship involved in this exercise is referenced and its relationship to research paradigms is discussed.

Education Research in an Intercultural Context

2016 ◽  
pp. 263-277
Author(s):  
Beena Giridharan
Keyword(s):  
Education Research ◽  
Second Language ◽  
Cognitive Psychology ◽  
Applied Linguistics ◽  
Vocabulary Development ◽  
Lexical Representation ◽  
Vocabulary Strategies ◽  
Inquiry Process ◽  
Explicit Teaching ◽  
L2 Learners

This chapter presents a research framework for a study that focused on the development of a second language vocabulary acquisition model in a tertiary setting. The study was an investigation of lexical inferencing strategies specifically employed by second language (L2) learners, and of whether the explicit teaching of effective vocabulary strategies benefited learners in developing vocabulary. The framework presented here draws on theories of learning from the fields of education, applied linguistics, vocabulary development, and cognitive psychology. Several theoretical standpoints on vocabulary development, including factors such as lexical representation; theoretical constructs in reading comprehension; vocabulary processing in tertiary L2 learners; and socio-linguistics were considered in the design and inquiry process of the study, which was set in an intercultural context. The association of components of this research exercise to research paradigms is discussed.

Insights into the neural mechanisms of becoming bilingual: A brief synthesis of second language research with artificial linguistic systems

2019 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 87-91 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kara Morgan-Short
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Test Tube ◽  
Neural Mechanisms ◽  
System Research ◽  
L2 Acquisition ◽  
Learning Mechanisms ◽  
Grammar Learning ◽  
Linguistic System ◽  
Language Research ◽  
Neural Processes

AbstractArtificial linguistic systems can offer researchers test tube-like models of second language (L2) acquisition through which specific questions can be examined under tightly controlled conditions. This paper examines what research with artificial linguistic systems has revealed about the neural mechanisms involved in L2 grammar learning. It first considers the validity of meaningful and non-meaningful artificial linguistic systems. Then it contextualizes and synthesizes neural artificial linguistic system research related to questions about age of exposure to the L2, type of exposure, and online L2 learning mechanisms. Overall, using artificial linguistic systems seems to be an effective and productive way of developing knowledge about L2 neural processes and correlates. With further validation, artificial linguistic system paradigms may prove an important tool more generally in understanding how individuals learn new linguistic systems as they become bilingual.

scholarly journals A Study of the Difficulties in Learning of English Faced by Hindi and Urdu Speaking Students in India and Indian Expatriates in Saudi Arabia

2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 29
Author(s):  
Qudsia Iqbal Hashmi
Keyword(s):  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Second Language ◽  
Learning Environment ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Learning Process ◽  
Second Language Learning ◽  
Learning Difficulties ◽  
English Learning ◽  
Statistical Inferences ◽  
Better Than

Main aim of the study was to explore and analyze the learning difficulties faced by Hindi and Urdu speaking-students in India and Indian expatriates in Saudi Arabia. It is generally felt that learning of English varies in different context. Learners having background of Urdu, Hindi differ on account of learning achievements. Similarly those who enjoy more English learning environment may perform better than their counterparts. In order to carry out the study, three types of subjects were purpose. The study, though was descriptive-qualitative in nature, quantification was used to arrive at statistical inferences. The results indicated that most of the learner’s problems arose due to L1 interference on second language learning process.

Clause linking in L2 English

2015 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
pp. 41-68 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manon Buysse
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Second Language Acquisition ◽  
Oral Narrative ◽  
Present Contribution ◽  
Role And Reference Grammar ◽  
Subordinate Clauses ◽  
Reference Grammar ◽  
Language Research ◽  
Traditional Grammar

The development of clause linkage in a second language has been studied extensively in the fields of applied linguistics and second language research. Several studies have focused on the development of specific types of complex structures, essentially based on the development of different classes of subordinate clauses distinguished by traditional grammar. The present contribution uses as a theoretical framework Role and Reference Grammar. RRG’s model of clause linkage proposes a different array of possible relations between combined clauses, adding the concept of cosubordination to the traditional dichotomy coordination/subordination, and pays attention to both predicate-based complexification within the clause and full clause combinations. RRG bases its classification of linkage types on the Interclausal Relations Hierarchy (Van Valin & LaPolla 1997), which unites syntactic and semantic aspects of clause complexification. The present article focuses on the syntax-semantics interface as realized within the Interclausal Relations Hierarchy, and on its impact on the acquisition of clause linkage structures by adolescent L2 learners of English. The corpus consists of oral narrative English interlanguage data elicited from 12- to 18-year-old Dutch-speaking secondary school pupils in Flanders (Belgium). Results show that RRG’s main principles of clause linkage are easily applicable to second language acquisition. The syntactic and semantic strength of a given juncture were found to often coincide in the data, as predicted, and any syntactic encoding of a semantic juncture which matches its semantic strength is likely to be acquired more easily and/or earlier than non-matching realizations. Although not all predictions made by RRG concerning structural variation were confirmed by our L2 English data, we conclude that RRG provides a fruitful, coherent and powerful framework for studying clause linkage and sentence complexification in spoken L2 learner discourse.

Application of Radial Categories to the Second Language Learning of Chinese Learners

2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (5) ◽  
pp. 972
Author(s):  
Xiaqing Li
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
20Th Century ◽  
Second Language Learning ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Cognitive Linguistics ◽  
Language Teaching ◽  
Chinese Learners ◽  
Grammar Rules ◽  
Metaphor And Metonymy

As a relatively new discipline which raised in the 20th century Cognitive linguistics has gradually become the mainstream in the development of recent decades. In cognitive linguistics some major theories related with language teaching and learning are construal, categorization, encyclopedic knowledge, symbol, metaphor, and metonymy. In this paper being based on the theory of radial categories the author turns attention to second language learning to explore implications of performance of vocabulary, morphemes, grammar rules, phonology, and intonation in radial categories in the second language learning.

Induction in a modular learner

2002 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 224-249 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susanne E. Carroll
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Second Language Acquisition ◽  
Language Acquisition ◽  
Concept Learning ◽  
Inductive Learning ◽  
Learning Theories ◽  
Language Faculty ◽  
Hypothesis Formation ◽  
Linguistic Categories ◽  
Linguistic Units

This paper presents a theory of inductive learning (i-learning), a form of induction which is neither concept learning nor hypothesis-formation, but rather which takes place within the autonomous and modular representational systems (levels of representation) of the language faculty. The theory is called accordingly the Autonomous Induction Theory. Second language acquisition (SLA) is conceptualized in this theory as:• learning linguistic categories from universal and potentially innate featural primitives;• learning configurations of linguistic units; and• learning correspondences of configurations across the autonomous levels.Here I concentrate on the problem of constraining learning theories and argue that the Autonomous Induction Theory is constrained enough to be taken seriously as a plausible approach to explaining second language acquisition.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document