scholarly journals Nonconvergence on the native speaker grammar: Defining L2 success

2018 ◽  
Vol 21 (5) ◽  
pp. 934-935 ◽  
Author(s):  
LYDIA WHITE
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Native Speaker ◽  
Childhood And Adolescence ◽  
L2 Acquisition ◽  
Learning Abilities ◽  
Learning Capacity ◽  
Sensitive Periods ◽  
Task Effects ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Influential Paper

The issue of critical or sensitive periods affecting the outcome of second language (L2) acquisition has been the subject of intense investigation and debate for many years, with people arguing for or against maturational effects on ultimate attainment. In their influential paper, Johnson and Newport (1989) identify two hypotheses: the exercise hypothesis and the maturational state hypothesis. According to the former, if the capacity for acquiring language is exercised early in life (in first language acquisition), then language learning abilities will remain intact throughout life: in other words, permitting successful L2 acquisition regardless of age. In contrast, according to the maturational state hypothesis, the language learning capacity declines with age, affecting L2 acquisition as well as late L1. Johnson and Newport take their results, which show an age-related decline in performance during childhood and adolescence, to support the maturational state hypothesis. Many L2 researchers have adopted a maturational perspective and have reached similar conclusions as to the presence of critical or sensitive periods (e.g., Abrahamsson, 2012; DeKeyser & Larson-Hall, 2005; Long, 1990; Oyama, 1976; Patkowski, 1980). Some researchers have pointed out that age effects continue into adulthood, contrary to the claim for a critical period (e.g., Birdsong & Mollis, 2001). Others have suggested that what looks like an age-related maturational decline may be accounted for by confounding factors, such as task effects, effects of L1, amount of L2 use, education or input (e.g., Bialystok & Miller, 1999; Flege, Yeni-Komshian & Liu, 1999).

scholarly journals Understanding High Performance in Late Second Language (L2) Acquisition—What Is the Secret? A Contrasting Case Study in L2 French

Languages ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 32
Author(s):  
Fanny Forsberg Lundell ◽  
Klara Arvidsson
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Native Speaker ◽  
Age Of Onset ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Host Community ◽  
L2 Acquisition ◽  
Attribute Importance ◽  
High Performing ◽  
High Performers

Adult L2 acquisition has often been framed within research on the Critical Period Hypothesis, and the age factor is one of the most researched topics of SLA. However, several researchers suggest that while age is the most important factor for differences between child and adult SLA, variation in adult SLA is more dependent on social and psychological factors than on age of onset. The present qualitative study investigates the role of migratory experience, language use/social networks, language learning experience, identity and attitudes for high performance among Swedish L1 French L2 users in France. The study constitutes an in-depth thematic analysis of interviews with six high-performing individuals and four low-performing individuals. The main results show that the high performers differ from the low performers on all dimensions, except for attitudes towards the host community. High performers are above all characterized by self-reported language aptitude and an early interest in languages, which appears to have led to rich exposure to French. Also, they exhibit self-regulatory behaviors and attribute importance to being perceived as a native speaker of French—both for instrumental and existential reasons.

scholarly journals Adults learning additional languages in their later years

2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 112-124
Author(s):  
David Singleton ◽  
Dorota Záborská
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
The Self ◽  
Older Learners ◽  
Third Age ◽  
Learning Capacity ◽  
Foreign Language Learners ◽  
Age Related

This article will explore the experience—challenges, benefits, and satisfactions— that awaits older adults who embark on the adventure of learning additional languages, either as ‘true’ or ‘false’ beginners, or in some cases as resilient lifelong (foreign language) learners (to be distinguished from polyglots). Drawing on the increasing number of studies focusing on third-age language learning, the article will address the self-doubt afflicting many third-age language learners and the difficulties claimed to be imposed on them by the effects of an age-related decline in language-learning capacity. It will go on to discuss the benefits that are said to accrue for older learners of languages other than their first. Finally, it will address and exemplify from our own data the intense enjoyment which many older adults derive from language learning.

What is to be learned

2012 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 265-293 ◽  
Author(s):  
William Labov
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Production ◽  
Native Speaker ◽  
General Pattern ◽  
Language Learner ◽  
Outward Bound ◽  
Speech Community ◽  
Learning Capacity ◽  
High Degree ◽  
General Effort

This paper is an effort to define the target of the language learner: asking, what are the data that the child pays attention to in the process of becoming a native speaker? In so doing, we will necessarily be engaged in the more general effort to define language itself. The general argument to be advanced here is that the human language learning capacity is outward bound, that is, aimed at the acquisition of the general pattern used in the speech community. The end result is a high degree of uniformity in both the categorical and variable aspects of language production, where individual variation is reduced below the level of linguistic significance.

scholarly journals Near-native, nativelike or native? Some terminological and conceptual remarks on L2 ultimate attainment research

2018 ◽  
Vol 93 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kamil Zubrzycki
Keyword(s):  
Critical Period ◽  
Native Speaker ◽  
Relevant Literature ◽  
L2 Acquisition ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Age Factor ◽  
State Of Affairs ◽  
Study Participants ◽  
Ultimate Attainment

The main objective of this paper is to draw attention to the problem of the inconsistent and potentially confusing use of the terms near-native, nativelike and native with reference to study participants and their level of L2 ultimate attainment in age-related research, as well as to highlight certain conceptual discrepancies pertaining to this issue. A basic analysis of some of the best-known publications in the relevant literature has demonstrated that the terms near-native and nativelike are not always defined in the same way, and furthermore, distinct criteria are applied to select highly advanced subjects for studies which set out to determine whether reaching a nativelike (native) level of L2 proficiency is feasible, thereby supporting or challenging the Critical Period Hypothesis. Such a state of affairs might have serious implications both for the methodology of L2 ultimate attainment research and the interpretation of the corresponding results. It is also argued that adopting a more bilingual-oriented approach to nativelikeness and reconsidering the role of the native speaker as the yardstick for L2 performance may significantly benefit the SLA theory by facilitating the interpretation of the findings and increasing the validity of studies investigating the age factor in L2 acquisition.

Collaborative scaffolding in online task-based voice interactions between advanced learners

ReCALL ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 135-151 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marie-Madeleine Kenning
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Native Speaker ◽  
Classical Model ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Advanced Learners ◽  
Task Effects ◽  
Language Problems ◽  
Negotiated Interaction ◽  
Negotiation For Meaning ◽  
The Impact

AbstractThis paper reports some of the findings of a distinctive innovative use of audio-conferencing involving a population (campus-based advanced learners) and a type of application (task-based language learning) that have received little attention to date: the use of Wimba Voice Tools to provide additional opportunities for spoken interactions between advanced learners of French. The experiment had a dual aim: (a) to examine the suitability of Wimba Voice Tools as an environment for sustained interactive talk, and (b) to study the nature of interactions between advanced learners, with particular reference to the processes supporting collaborative activity.After a brief summary of the rationale and main characteristics of the experiment, the paper focuses on the strategies used by three non-native speaker (NNS) dyads to resolve language problems as they worked on a set of four tasks. Extending the classical model of negotiation for meaning to cover other instances of language-related episodes identified through discourse analysis of the empirical data, the study offers a detailed account of the incidence and nature of negotiated interaction and collaboration between partners. This leads to a discussion covering the impact of functionalities, scaffolding and task effects. The paper ends with some suggestions for future research.

scholarly journals A critical review of age-related research on L2 ultimate attainment

2010 ◽  
Vol 44 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-35 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carmen Muñoz ◽  
David Singleton
Keyword(s):  
Second Language Acquisition ◽  
Language Acquisition ◽  
Critical Period ◽  
Brain Research ◽  
Native Speaker ◽  
Current Debate ◽  
L2 Acquisition ◽  
Age Related ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Ultimate Attainment

This article addresses age-related attainment effects in second language acquisition, posing the question of whether such effects are to be explained in terms of a Critical Period with a predictable and abrupt offset point or in terms of the impact of a wider range of factors. It attempts to explore this question by focusing on four discussion points in the current debate: (i) the wide use of native-speaker behaviour as the key L2 attainment yardstick; (ii) the degree of compatibility of prevailing views regarding the notion of a critical period for L2 acquisition; (iii) the relative narrowness of much research in this area, where age of L2 onset is often regarded as the crucial if not the only critical variable; and (iv) insights relative to maturational constraints on language acquisition offered by recent brain research. The article concludes that a loosening of the association between ultimate L2 attainment research and Critical Period Hypothesis (CPH) issues would shed more light on L2 attainment in terms both of the comprehensiveness and of the acuity of the insights which would result.

The Involvement of Native Speakers in Teaching and Learning Japanese Language at UiTM

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 14
Author(s):  
Choong Pow Yean ◽  
Sarinah Bt Sharif ◽  
Normah Bt Ahmad
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Native Speaker ◽  
Japanese Culture ◽  
Japanese Language ◽  
Foreign Language Learners ◽  
Lexical Density

The Nihongo Partner Program or “Japanese Language Partner” is a program that sends native speakers to support the teaching and learning of Japanese overseas. The program is fully sponsored by The Japan Foundation. The aim of this program is to create an environment that motivates the students to learn Japanese. This study is based on a survey of the Nihongo Partner Program conducted on students and language lecturers at UiTM, Shah Alam. This study aims to investigate if there is a necessity for native speakers to be involved in the teaching and learning of Japanese among foreign language learners. Analysis of the results showed that both students and lecturers are in dire need of the Nihongo Partner Program to navigate the learning of the Japanese language through a variety of language learning activities. The involvement of native speaker increases students’ confidence and motivation to converse in Japanese. The program also provides opportunities for students to increase their Japanese language proficiency and lexical density. In addition, with the opportunity to interact with the native speakers, students and lecturers will have a better understanding of Japanese culture as they are able to observe and ask the native speakers. Involvement of native speakers is essential in teaching and learning of Japanese in UiTM.

scholarly journals ULearnEnglish: An Open Ubiquitous System for Assisting in Learning English Vocabulary

Electronics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (14) ◽  
pp. 1692
Author(s):  
Letícia Garcia da Silva ◽  
Eduardo Gonçalves de Azevedo Neto ◽  
Rosemary Francisco ◽  
Jorge Luis Victória Barbosa ◽  
Luis Augusto Silva ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Technology Acceptance ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Incidental Learning ◽  
Ease Of Use ◽  
L2 Acquisition ◽  
Communication Problems ◽  
Learning Techniques ◽  
Ubiquitous System ◽  
Acceptance Model

Language learners often face communication problems when they need to express themselves and do not have the ability to do so. On the other hand, continuous advances in technology are creating new opportunities to improve second language (L2) acquisition through context-aware ubiquitous learning (CAUL) technology. Since vocabulary is the foundation of all language acquisition, this article presents ULearnEnglish, an open-source system to allow ubiquitous English learning focused on incidental vocabulary acquisition. To evaluate our proposal, 15 learners used the developed system, and 10 answered a survey based on the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). Results indicate a favorable response to the application of incidental learning techniques in combination with the learner context. ULearnEnglish achieved an acceptance rate of 78.66% for the perception of utility, 96% for the perception of ease of use, 86.5% for user context assessment, and 88% for ubiquity. Among its main contributions, this study demonstrates a possible tool for ubiquitous use in the future in language learning; additionally, further studies can use the available resources to develop the system.

scholarly journals Age-Related Association of Calcitonin with Parameters of Anthropometry, Bone and Calcium Metabolism during Childhood

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Juliane Sonntag ◽  
Mandy Vogel ◽  
Mandy Geserick ◽  
Felix Eckelt ◽  
Antje Körner ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Bone Formation ◽  
Bone Growth ◽  
Venous Blood ◽  
Physiological Role ◽  
Blood Levels ◽  
Childhood And Adolescence ◽  
Procollagen Type ◽  
Child Study ◽  
Age Related ◽  
High Bone

<b><i>Introduction:</i></b> The thyroid parafollicular hormone calcitonin (CT) shows particularly high blood levels in early childhood, a period of high bone turnover, which decrease with increasing age. Data about the physiological role of CT during infancy, childhood, and adolescence are contradictory or lacking. <b><i>Objective:</i></b> We hypothesize that CT demonstrates age-related correlations with parameters of bone growth and turnover as well as with parameters of calcium homeostasis. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> 5,410 measurements of anthropometric data and venous blood samples were collected from 2,636 participants of the LIFE Child study, aged 2 months–18 years. Univariate correlations and multiple regression analysis were performed between serum CT and anthropometric indicators (height standard deviation scores [SDS] and BMI-SDS), markers of calcium (Ca) homeostasis (Ca, parathyroid hormone, 25-OH vitamin D, and phosphate [P]), bone formation (procollagen type 1 N-terminal propeptide [P1NP], osteocalcin), and bone resorption (β-CrossLaps). <b><i>Results:</i></b> CT was significantly associated with Ca (β = 0.26, <i>p</i> &#x3c; 0.05) and P1NP/100 (β = 0.005, <i>p</i> &#x3c; 0.05) in children aged 2 months–1.1 years. These relations were independent of age and sex and could not be confirmed in children aged 1.1–8 years. Independent of age, sex, puberty, P, and height SDS CT showed a significant positive relation to Ca (β = 0.26; <i>p</i> &#x3c; 0.001) in children aged 8–18 years. <b><i>Conclusions:</i></b> Our findings suggest a unique association between CT and Ca in periods of rapid bone growth and point to a possible involvement of CT in promoting bone formation during the first year of life.

Study abroad and the SLA of variable structures: A look at the present perfect, the copula contrast, and the present progressive in Mexico and Spain

Probus ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew Kanwit ◽  
Kimberly L. Geeslin ◽  
Stephen Fafulas
Keyword(s):  
Study Abroad ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
L2 Acquisition ◽  
Present Perfect ◽  
Immersion Programs ◽  
Growing Body ◽  
English Speaking ◽  
Grammatical Structures

AbstractThe present study connects research on the L2 acquisition of variable structures to the ever-growing body of research on the role of study abroad in the language learning process. The data come from a group of 46 English-speaking learners of Spanish who participated in immersion programs in two distinct locations, Valencia, Spain and San Luis Potosí, Mexico. Simultaneously, we tested a group of native speakers from each region to create an appropriate target model for each learner group. Learners completed a written contextualized questionnaire at the beginning and end of their seven-week stay abroad. Our instrument examines three variable grammatical structures: (1) the copulas

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