Evaluating two ways for marking Swedish phonological length in written text

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bosse Thorén ◽  
Hyeseung Jeong
Keyword(s):  
Native Speakers ◽  
The Other ◽  
Read Aloud ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Written Text ◽  
System A ◽  
Short Vowels ◽  
L2 Learners ◽  
Phonological Length ◽  
The Way

Abstract The study compares two different graphic marking systems designed to help L2 learners of Swedish notice and realize phonological length. In System A, 22 L2 learners read aloud three /VːC/ words with length marked under long vowels and three /VCː/words with dots under short vowels. Twenty-two other L2 learners read the same words marked by the other system (System B) that underlines long vowels and long consonants. As a control group, 20 native Swedish speakers read the same words without any marking. We measured and compared the temporal realizations of the six words by all the three groups. System B readers realized Swedish phonological length more closely to the way that native speakers did, compared to System A readers. These results suggest that prompting both long vowels and long consonants can be more effective than marking long and short vowels.

scholarly journals The effects of re-exposure to instruction and the use of discourse-level interpretation tasks on processing instruction and the Japanese passive

2015 ◽  
Vol 53 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Alessandro Benati
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Study ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Processing Instruction ◽  
Target Feature ◽  
Passive Construction ◽  
Sentence Level ◽  
L2 Learners ◽  
Task Interpretation

AbstractThis experimental study explores immediate and re-exposure effects of processing instruction on the acquisition of Japanese passive forms as measured by sentence-level and discourse-level tasks. The passive construction in Japanese is affected by learners' use of the First Noun Strategy. Participants were English native speakers and were randomly assigned to one of three groups (processing instruction, processing instruction and re-exposure, and one control group), with the aim of measuring discourse-level and re-exposure effects. Two sentence-level tasks (interpretation and production), and one discourse level task (interpretation) were used in this experiment. The main findings from the study show that L2 learners receiving processing instruction not only improved in their ability to interpret and produce the target feature at sentence level, but they can also use the target forms to interpret discourse. Learners receiving re-exposure to the processing instruction treatment further improve their performance on both sentence-level and discourse-level tasks in an immediate and delayed post-tests battery.

Wie Zijn 'Onze' Leerders?

1999 ◽  
Vol 62 ◽  
pp. 87-97
Author(s):  
Anne-Mieke Janssen-van Dieten
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
The Other ◽  
Learning And Teaching ◽  
Highly Educated ◽  
Other Hand ◽  
L2 Learners ◽  
The One

There is an increasing awareness that the number of non-native speakers in the category of 'adult, highly educated, advanced L2-learners' is rapidly increasing. This paper presents an analysis of what it means to teach them a second language - whether it is Dutch or any other second language. It is argued that, on the one hand, conceptions about language learning and teaching are insufficiendy known, and that, on the other hand, there are many widespread misconceptions that prevent language teachers from catering adequately for people's actual communicative needs, and from providing tailor-made solutions to these problems.

scholarly journals The Effects of Corrective Feedback on Chinese Learners’ Writing Accuracy: A Quantitative Analysis in an EFL Context

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 74
Author(s):  
Xin Wang
Keyword(s):  
Corrective Feedback ◽  
The Other ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Grammar Instruction ◽  
College Level ◽  
Significant Group ◽  
L2 Learners ◽  
Grammatical Accuracy ◽  
Quasi Experimental ◽  
Writing Accuracy

Scholars debate whether corrective feedback contributes to improving L2 learners’ grammatical accuracy in writingperformance. Some researchers take a stance on the ineffectiveness of corrective feedback based on theimpracticality of providing detailed corrective feedback for all L2 learners and detached grammar instruction inlanguage classrooms. On the other hand, many researchers promote the efficacy and significance of the role playedby corrective feedback in the process of L2 writing. This research employs a quasi-experimental design andexamines two major issues: (1) the extent to which CF facilitates or improves students’ writing accuracy; (2) students’expectations and preferences for CF. The research consists of 105 college level EFL learners from three intact classesin an Eastern Chinese University. One class was assigned to the control group which only received comments oncontent of their writing. The other two classes were then assigned to each of the two experimental groups whichreceived indirect or direct CF. Data collection includes student text/error analysis, treatments (i.e., provision ofcorrective feedback), examination of tests (i.e., pretest, posttest and delayed posttest), and questionnaires. Within aresearch period of ten weeks, this study did not reveal statistically significant group differences between the two CFgroups and the control group on overall error reduction. However, students believed CF was important and beneficial,although there is contradiction between what the students believed and their teachers’ actual practices in theclassroom. Pedagogical recommendations for EFL teachers are also discussed.

PARSING STRATEGIES IN L1 AND L2 SENTENCE PROCESSING

2003 ◽  
Vol 25 (4) ◽  
pp. 501-528 ◽  
Author(s):  
Despina Papadopoulou ◽  
Harald Clahsen
Keyword(s):  
Sentence Processing ◽  
Relative Clause ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Native Languages ◽  
Advanced Learners ◽  
L2 Learners ◽  
On Line ◽  
L1 And L2 ◽  
Lexical Cues

To contribute to a better understanding of second language (L2) sentence processing, the present study examines how L2 learners parse temporarily ambiguous sentences containing relative clauses. Results are reported from both off-line and on-line experiments with three groups of advanced learners of Greek whose native languages (L1s) were Spanish, German, or Russian as well as from corresponding experiments with a control group of adult native speakers of Greek. We found that, despite their nativelike mastery of the construction under investigation, the L2 learners showed relative-clause attachment preferences that were different from those of the native speakers. Moreover, the L2 learners did not exhibit L1-based preferences in their L2 Greek, as might be expected if they were directly influenced by L1 attachment preferences. We suggest that L2 learners integrate information relevant for parsing differently from native speakers, with the L2 learners relying more on lexical cues than the native speakers and less on purely structurally based parsing strategies.

Development of disyllabic tones in different learning contexts

2019 ◽  
Vol 57 (2) ◽  
pp. 205-233
Author(s):  
Bei Yang ◽  
Nuoyi Yang
Keyword(s):  
Language Contact ◽  
Acoustic Analysis ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Read Aloud ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Tone Production ◽  
Context Sensitive ◽  
Learning Contexts ◽  
Immersion Programs ◽  
Post Test

AbstractTones are the most challenging aspect of learning Chinese. We study tonal acquisition for American learners of Chinese in three learning contexts: study-abroad, at-home and immersion programs. This paper explores whether and how tone production is improved in these contexts. Fifteen learners of Chinese participated in this study. They took a pre-test and a post-test. The control group contained ten native speakers. The task was a read-aloud test in Chinese. Additionally, learners filled out a language contact form. To assess students’ tonal accuracy, we conducted two kinds of analysis: a perception assessment by native Mandarin speakers and an acoustic analysis of pitch track comparison. Contextual data were coded based on the length of language contact with native speakers of Chinese. The results indicate that difficult tone combinations are context sensitive. It also reveals what strategies learners of Chinese use to produce tones similar to native speakers’ production.

scholarly journals Second Language Acquisition and the Mastery of Discourse Connectives: Assessing the Factors That Hinder L2-Learners from Mastering French Connectives

Languages ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 35 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mathis Wetzel ◽  
Sandrine Zufferey ◽  
Pascal Gygax
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Second Language Acquisition ◽  
Language Acquisition ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Cognitive Complexity ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Minor Role ◽  
L2 Learners ◽  
Discourse Connectives

Even though the mastery of discourse connectives represents an important step toward reaching high language proficiency, it remains highly difficult for L2-learners to master them. We conducted an experiment in which we tested the mastery of 12 monofunctional French connectives conveying six different coherence relations by 151 German-speaking learners of French, as well as a control group of 63 native French speakers. Our results show that the cognitive complexity of the coherence relation and connectives’ frequency, both found to be important factors for native speakers’ connective mastery, play a minor role for the mastery by non-native speakers. Instead, we argue that two specific factors, namely the connectives’ register and meaning transparency, seem to be more predictive variables. In addition, we found that a higher exposure to print in L1, correlates with a better mastery of the connectives in L2. We discuss the implications of our findings in the context of second language acquisition.

Korean L2 learners’ perception and production of Vietnamese tones

2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 195-222 ◽  
Author(s):  
Đích Mục Đào ◽  
Anh-Thư T. Nguyễn
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Pattern Analysis ◽  
The Other ◽  
Read Aloud ◽  
Language Transfer ◽  
Error Pattern ◽  
Lexical Tones ◽  
L2 Learners ◽  
Korean Phonology ◽  
Vietnamese Speakers

Abstract This study investigated the production and perception of Vietnamese tones by Korean second language (L2) learners [n = 11], comparing their performance in an Imitation task to that in Identification and Read-Aloud tasks. The results showed that the Imitation task was generally easier for Korean speakers than the Identification and Read-Aloud tasks, suggesting that imitation was performed without some of the skills required by the other two tasks. The result on tonal F0 range and speakers’ tonal range showed that the Korean leaners have significantly narrower tonal F0 range than control Vietnamese speakers [n = 11]. The results of error pattern analysis and tonal transcription in this study also suggested the effects of phonetic realizations of lexical tones in Vietnamese that are in interaction with language transfer from Korean phonology.

scholarly journals Comprehension of grammatically modified and nonmodified sentences by second language learners

1992 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 147-171 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diana C. Issidorides ◽  
Jan H. Hulstijn
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Second Language Learners ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Nonnative Speakers ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Grammatical Structure ◽  
L2 Acquisition ◽  
L2 Learners ◽  
State Of Affairs

ABSTRACTAt issue in the present research is whether native speakers' “simplified” or modified utterances, as in foreigner-talk (FT), actually facilitate comprehension for nonnative speakers hearing such utterances. It was hypothesized that (grammatical) Dutch inversion sentences (AdvVSO) that have proven to be problematic in studies on Dutch second language (L2) acquisition - as reflected both in the (ungrammatical) output of L2 learners and in the (ungrammatical) FT input to L2 learners - would not be problematic in terms of comprehension, when compared with modified, ungrammatical AdvSVO and AdvSOV sentences, as long as such sentences do not express an implausible state of affairs. Three subject groups participated in the experiment: 20 English and 22 Turkish L2 learners of Dutch and 30 Dutch native speakers (control group). Subjects heard and interpreted declarative Dutch sentences, in which word order (NVN, VNN, NNV) and animacy configurations (Al [i.e., animate/inanimate], AA, LA) were systematically manipulated. Subjects had to name the noun (first or second) that functions as actor/subject of the sentence. Positive evidence was found for the hypotheses. It is concluded from the present study, as well as from a previous study (Issidorides, 1988), that linguistically more complex input will not necessarily impede comprehension. The fact that normative speakers have difficulties in producing a certain grammatical structure (e.g., the AdvVSO structure) does not imply that such a structure is also more difficult to understand in the speech of others.

scholarly journals Ética e pesquisa: o compromisso com o discurso do outro / Ethics and Research: the commitment with the other’s discourse

2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 98 ◽  
Author(s):  
Solange Jobim e Souza ◽  
Cíntia De Souza Carvalho
Keyword(s):  
Philosophy Of Language ◽  
Mikhail Bakhtin ◽  
Methodological Approach ◽  
The Other ◽  
Human Sciences ◽  
Conceptual Foundation ◽  
Written Text ◽  
Ethical Commitment ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
The Way

ResumoO objetivo deste artigo é discutir o ato de pesquisar em ciências humanas, tendo como foco a produção escrita. Assim sendo, buscamos definir o que entendemos por escrever com o outro, a partir do pesquisar com. O que está em pauta é uma postura metodológica, que tem como referência a filosofia da linguagem de Mikhail Bakhtin, cujo fundamento é assumir o interlocutor da pesquisa como parceiro e coautor. O compromisso ético com o discurso do outro tem como premissa os conceitos de dialogismo e alteridade para iluminar o encontro com o outro no campo e, posteriormente, na escrita do texto. Esse modo de atuar instaura alguns questionamentos éticos, tal como a exigência do anonimato, e problematiza a forma como o consentimento livre e esclarecido é tratado na pesquisa. Em síntese, narrar uma pesquisa não é só registrar os acontecimentos, mas consiste em um trabalho político de afirmação de algumas verdades em detrimento de outras.Palavras-chave: ética; dialogismo; alteridade; escrever com; pesquisar com. AbstractThis article discusses the act of research in Human Sciences which focuses on the production of writing. Thus, starting from the conceptual foundation of researching with, we seek to define what we mean by writing with the other. What is at stake is a methodological approach which accepts the interlocutor of research as partner and co-author, an approach based on Mikhail Bakhtin’s philosophy of language. The ethical commitment to the other’s discourse is premised on the concepts of dialogism and alterity to illuminate the encounter with the other in the field and, subsequently, in the written text. This way of working poses ethical questions—such as conditions of anonymity—and problematizes the way in which consent is accorded and treated in the research. In short, relating research findings is not just about recording events. It consists in the affirmation of certain truths at the expense of others as political activity.Keywords: ethics; dialogism; alterity; writing with, researching with.

Access to UG and language transfer: a study of L2 learners' interpretation of reconstruction in Chinese

1999 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 41-72 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. G. Ying
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Second Language Learners ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Universal Grammar ◽  
Language Transfer ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Parameter Setting ◽  
L2 Learners ◽  
English Speaking

Twenty-seven English-speaking learners of Chinese (the experimental groups) and 20 native speakers of Chinese (the control group) participated in a study that investigated second language learners' knowledge of reconstruction (NP and predicate fronted sentences with ziji ‘self’) in Chinese. Results of a sentence interpretation task indicate that English-speaking learners of Chinese had knowledge of ambiguity of antecedence of ziji inside a moved predicate, and lack of ambiguity of antecedence of ziji inside a moved NP, although such information is not directly available in English. While the experiment produced evidence that they appeared to have access to Universal Grammar, English-speaking learners of Chinese bound ziji in non-movement sentences to an embedded subject, indicating that they mapped the narrower setting of reflexives in English onto a wider parameter setting of ziji in Chinese.

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