SECOND LANGUAGE LEARNERS' THEORIES ON THE USE OF ENGLISH ARTICLES

2002 ◽  
Vol 24 (3) ◽  
pp. 451-480 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuko Goto Butler
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Second Language Learners ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Specific Reference ◽  
Making Sense ◽  
Article System ◽  
English Articles ◽  
Metalinguistic Knowledge ◽  
Qualitative Analyses

Although it is well known that many second language (L2) learners have trouble using articles “properly,” the primary causes of their difficulties remain unclear. This study addresses this problem by examining the metalinguistic knowledge of the English article system that learners employ when selecting articles in a given situation. By doing this, the present study attempts to better understand the process of “making sense” of the English article system by learners who are at different stages in their interlanguage development. Eighty Japanese college students with varying levels of English proficiency participated in this study. Immediately after completing a fill-in-the-article test, a structured interview was conducted to investigate the reasons for their article choices. The quantitative and qualitative analyses reveal a number of conceptual differences with regard to their considerations of the hearer's knowledge, specific reference, and countability, which may account for learners' errors in article use across different proficiency groups.

Noticing in second language acquisition: a critical review

1998 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 103-135 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Truscott
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Cognitive Psychology ◽  
Second Language Acquisition ◽  
Language Acquisition ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Critical Review ◽  
Second Language Learners ◽  
Theory Of Language ◽  
Indirect Tests ◽  
Metalinguistic Knowledge

This article examines the Noticing Hypothesis – the claim that second language learners must consciously notice the grammatical form of their input in order to acquire grammar. I argue, first, that the foundations of the hypothesis in cognitive psychology are weak; research in this area does not support it, or even provide a clear interpretation for it. The problem of interpreting the hypothesis is much more acute in the area of language acquisition. Partly because the hypothesis is not based on any coherent theory of language, it is very difficult to determine exactly what it means in this context,or to draw testable predictions from it.In the absence of specific predictions, research on form-focused instruction and feedback provide indirect tests, the results of which create additional problems for the hypothesis. The various problems can be eliminated or greatly reduced if the Noticing Hypothesis is reformulated as a claim that noticing is necessary for the acquisition of metalinguistic knowledge but not competence.

scholarly journals Article Pedagogy: Encouraging Links between Linguistic Theory and Teaching Practice

RELC Journal ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 50 (1) ◽  
pp. 188-201 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elaine Lopez ◽  
Mona Sabir
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Intervention Studies ◽  
Teaching Practice ◽  
First Language ◽  
Intermediate Level ◽  
Linguistic Research ◽  
Systematic Pattern ◽  
Article System ◽  
English Articles

It is two decades since Master (1997) published a framework for second language (L2) article pedagogy, based on several years of research into the acquisition of the English article system. Among his recommendations were a focus on intermediate level learners and a simplification of the rules presented to language learners. Since then, substantial work has been conducted to better understand the underlying reasons why English articles are difficult to acquire by learners with diverse language backgrounds (Ionin et al., 2004; Ionin et al., 2008; Ionin et al., 2009; Ionin et al., 2011; Trenkic, 2008; García Mayo, 2009; amongst others). The results of such research indicate a systematic pattern of errors amongst learners whose first language does not have an article system, with varying theoretical explanations for this systematicity. Despite some intervention studies which have explored the pedagogical implications of this work (Snape and Yusa, 2013; Sabir, 2015; Lopez, forthcoming; Umeda et al., 2017), on the whole theoretical linguistic research in this area has not influenced pedagogy. The aim of this article is to build on the work of Master (1997) by exploring whether the cumulative insights from the last 20 years of research into L2 article acquisition and instruction can help us to better understand the most effective method for teaching the complex uses of the English article system to L2 learners.

scholarly journals Strategy Use Among Chinese as Second Language Learners in Mainland China From the Mediation Theory Perspective

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chili Li ◽  
Lu Chen ◽  
Chunyan Ma ◽  
Shuang Zhang ◽  
Haiquan Huang
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Second Language Learners ◽  
Cognitive Strategies ◽  
Mainland China ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Cultural Factors ◽  
Strategy Use ◽  
Mediation Theory

This paper reports a mixed-methods study that explored the strategy use of a cohort of Chinese as second language learners in mainland China from the perspective of mediation theory. Data sources include a questionnaire survey (N = 189) and a semi-structured interview (N = 12). The findings revealed that the participants orchestrated a repertoire of language learning strategies and frequently used social and meta-cognitive strategies. Analysis of the qualitative data suggested that the participants' strategy use was shaped by the learners' self agentic power (their beliefs and Ideal L2 self), and the socio-cultural environment. Specifically, their strategy use was mediated by a host of socio-cultural factors, including learner beliefs, social agents, cultural artifacts, and learning environment. Considered together, the findings illuminate the socially situated nature of the use of language learning strategy. That is, strategy use of the participants stems from the interplay of learner agency and socio-cultural factors. The findings also imply the necessity of strategy-based instruction and highlight the importance of a Chinese-speaking environment for Chinese learning.

The acquisition of English articles by first- and second-language learners

1989 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 335-355 ◽  
Author(s):  
Margaret Thomas
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Second Language Learners ◽  
Definite Article ◽  
L2 Acquisition ◽  
Indefinite Article ◽  
L2 Learners ◽  
Initial Hypothesis ◽  
English Articles ◽  
L1 And L2

ABSTRACTChild first-language (L1) learners frequently use the definite article in referential indefinite contexts, that is, with nouns appearing in the discourse for the first time, where adults use the indefinite article. Adult second-language (L2) learners also overgeneralize the definite article. Research reported here shows 30 L2 learners use the in referential indefinite contexts at significantly higher rates than in nonreferential contexts. Thus, both L1 and L2 learners may share an initial hypothesis associating the with referential nouns. This evidence of a strategy common to L1 and L2 learners invites reinterpretation of both L1 and L2 acquisition data.

A longitudinal ERP study of language effects in beginning second language learners

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katherine J. Midgley ◽  
Laura N. Soskey ◽  
Phillip J. Holcomb ◽  
Jonathan Grainger
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Second Language Learners ◽  
Language Effects
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