A second language classic reconsidered - the case of Schachter's avoidance

1992 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 251-277 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tadamitsu Kamimoto ◽  
Aki Shimura ◽  
Eric Kellerman

This article reconsiders one of the classic articles in the second language literature, Schachter's 'An error in error analysis', in the light of subsequent work on avoidance. Such work is essentially of two kinds, either building on and refining the concept of avoidance, or offering alternative explanations for Schachter's findings. While avoidance as a genuine phenomenon is not proved or disproved by Schachter's data, hypotheses based on her figures suffer from the lack of methodological detail in her original study. In order to be able to establish whether avoidance is a feasible explanation for relative underproduction by a group of learners, it is necessary to look at the first language form, distribution and function of the entity supposedly being avoided in the L2 as well as the means being used to establish whether and to what extent the entity is already part of the L2 knowledge of members of that group.

2016 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 50-66
Author(s):  
Blandina Makina

The South African Language in Education Policy (LiEP) makes provision for learners to be taught in their first language in the first three years of schooling. In accordance with this language policy, in most public schools, learners are taught in their home language in the first three years of school. In grade 4, which is the beginning of the intermediate phase, English - the second language (L2) – becomes the language of learning and teaching (LoLT) across all subjects except the mother tongue. Contrary to expectations, by grade 4, learners in disadvantaged environments have barely developed sufficient reading and writing skills in their home language to make a successful transition and function effectively in the L2. This paper is based on insights from lesson observations and interviews of three Grade 4 teachers of English as a Second Language. It documents the accommodation strategies used to help learners manipulate the language of learning and teaching (LoLT). Findings indicate that the translanguaging processes involved in making English part of the learners’ linguistic repertoire are heavily embedded in the home language, resulting in very slow development of the learners’ language proficiency in English. Recommendations are made on how to enable teachers to assist their learners to bridge this transition gap.


2010 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 473-500 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ineke van de Craats ◽  
Roeland van Hout

This study examines an interlanguage in which Moroccan learners of Dutch use non-thematic verbs in combination with thematic verbs that can be inflected as well. These non-thematic verbs are real dummy auxiliaries because they are deprived of semantic content and primarily have a syntactic function. Whereas in earlier second language (L2) research only patterns with ‘be’ were found for learners of three Germanic languages with various first language (L1) backgrounds, an alternative dummy auxiliary pattern was observed with ‘go’ in the data of the Moroccan learners of Dutch. We argue that the auxiliary pattern with ‘go’ is bootstrapped by the unique similarities between Dutch (L2) and Arabic (L1). The emergence of dummy auxiliaries precedes movement of the thematic verb, and it turns out that adult L2 learners can be plainly focused on expressing syntactic properties.


E-Structural ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 2 (01) ◽  
pp. 30-50
Author(s):  
Ayu Ida Savitri

Delivering exactly and accurately the same message of a text under minor bias and without any form and meaning shifts in another language has always becoming the final-purpose of a translation process as the main objective of translation is transferring the message of a text in one language into another one by highly considering on how the readers of another language will understand and enjoy the translation while obtaining the needed information. Most of the time, the difficulties of expressing similar message in another language lays on the different interpretation due to the different culture. To deal with it, a translator must be a ‘balance-bilingualist’ as she/he must understand well the languages involved in the translation process. Sometimes, the error in translation occurs when the structure of the first language/the source language (SL) of the translator influence the translation in second language/ target language (TL). To analyse the error, Error Analysis Theory from Richard (1974) and Types of Error in producing English from Dulay (1982) is used as it is aimed at revealing the kinds or error along with the factors influencing the error. This research is done to describe the error in public translation such as billboard, banner and decoration containing wise words around Semarang City to show the kinds of error and the factors influencing those errors along with the way the translator translate the text under Translation Theory from Catford (1965) and Nida and Taber (1969) also Translation Model from Venuti (2000) and Translation Method and Technique/ Procedure from Vinay and Darbelnet (1958). The result shows that most of the errors are in generalization that happened as a result of the influence of the first language/SL structure and writing system that is different with that of the second language/TL.


2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 37-44
Author(s):  
Nur Halimah

dominant kinds of errors and the cause of errors made by the first grade of MA Integral Hidayatullah   Makbusun. The data were taken from the erroneous adjective clauses “who and whom” in present continues tense . The test was given by the researcher to the students at MA Integral Hidayatullah Makbusun in the first grade that consists of fifteen students. In analyzing the data, the writer took the result of student test as technique of collecting data. The writer calculated the frequency of errors for each kind and also counted the percentages of errors in the form of table to determine the dominant kind of errors. Finally, the researcher analyzed the cause of errors.  After analyzing the data, the researcher found 56% in used who and 69% in used whom. The researcher found kinds of errors There are addition (20 errors or 11.76 %), ommision (44 errors or 25.88 %), subtitution (69 errors or 40.59 %) and ordering (37 error or 21.76%). Therefore, the subtitution error has the highest frequency (69 errors or 40.59%). It proved that the students do not understand the pattern and function of adjective clauses “who and whom” sentence since they often ignore to put an item needed in the well-formed adjective clause sentence. In this research, the writer found that those errors are caused the cause by three types, that is first language interference, overgeneralization, and ignorance of rule restriction. And factors cause of error are interlangual transfer and intralingual transfer. Interlangual transfer is the errors caused by the mother tongue influence. While, intralingual transfer is the error caused by the target language influence.


Author(s):  
Silvia Sánchez Calderón ◽  
Marina Pacheco Plaza

This study examines written errors in a corpus of 30 compositions produced by 15 students of English as a second language (L2), whose first language (L1) is Spanish. Their ages range from 10 to 11. This paper identifies grammar errors as the most frequent due to L1’s interference in L2 learning. Positive, focused, indirect written feedback is proven to be the most effective, and the L1 seems to help the students to understand the teacher’s metalinguistic explanation to correct errors and avoid mistakes. These results provide insight into language learning given that they offer information regarding the teaching practice.


2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rhonda McClain ◽  
Eleonora Rossi ◽  
Judith F. Kroll

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emily S Nichols ◽  
Marc F Joanisse

We investigated the extent to which second-language (L2) learning is influenced by the similarity of grammatical features in one’s first language (L1). We used event-related potentials to identify neural signatures of a novel grammatical rule - grammatical gender - in L1 English speakers. Of interest was whether individual differences in L2 proficiency and age of acquisition (AoA) influenced these effects. L2 and native speakers of French read French sentences that were grammatically correct, or contained either a grammatical gender or word order violation. Proficiency and AoA predicted Left Anterior Negativity amplitude, with structure violations driving the proficiency effect and gender violations driving the AoA effect. Proficiency, group, and AoA predicted P600 amplitude for gender violations but not structure violations. Different effects of grammatical gender and structure violations indicate that L2 speakers engage novel grammatical processes differently from L1 speakers and that this varies appreciably based on both AoA and proficiency.


2018 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Mona Salem Rashed

This paper discusses the influence of the first language (Arabic) on the second language (English) in the writing pieces of ESL students in Arts College/ Kuwait University. Going over some writing papers taken from the students' work in class, the reader would notice a 'different English'. The overall layout of the paper, the ideas presentation, the personal expression, the syntax and word choice, the punctuation and other elements make this new language on students' papers. From papers written in class and at home, I conducted an analysis to see the difference between the two languages techniques, and to find solutions for that. I also interviewed students and they assured that Arabic has a massive influence on them. They disclosed that they read the topic in English, and think/analyze in Arabic. Some participants mentioned that their limited competence of vocabulary in English hindered them from expressing well on paper. Another group mentioned that the idea of 'being explanatory' prevailed their thinking while writing. They said that they wanted to explain their ideas well and repeatedly so that the reader/teacher would understand their points. They also had troubles in organizing the sentences according to the English paragraph style.


2018 ◽  
Vol 28 (7) ◽  
pp. 2319-2324
Author(s):  
Rina Muka ◽  
Irida Hoti

The language acquired from the childhood is the language spoken in the family and in the place of living. This language is different from one pupil to another, because of their social, economical conditions. By starting the school the pupil faces first the ABC book and then in the second grade Albanian language learning through the Albanian language textbook. By learning Albanian language step by step focused on Reading, Writing, Speaking and Grammar the pupil is able to start learning the second language on the next years of schooling. So, the second language learning in Albanian schools is related to the first language learning (mother tongue), since the early years in primary school. In our schools, the second language (English, Italian) starts in the third grade of the elementary class. On the third grade isn’t taught grammar but the pupil is directed toward the correct usage of the language. The textbooks are structured in developing the pupil’s critical thinking. The textbooks are fully illustrated and with attractive and educative lessons adequate to the age of the pupils. This comparative study will reflect some important aspects of language learning in Albanian schools (focused on Albanian language - first language and English language - second language), grade 3-6. Our point of view in this paper will show not only the diversity of the themes, the lines and the sub-lines but also the level of language knowledge acquired at each level of education. First, the study will focus on some important issues in comparing Albanian and English language texts as well as those which make them different: chronology and topics retaken from one level of education to another, so by conception of linear and chronological order will be shown comparatively two learned languages (mother tongue and second language). By knowing and learning well mother tongue will be easier for the pupil the foreign language learning. The foreign language (as a learning curriculum) aims to provide students with the skills of using foreign language written and spoken to enable the literature to recognize the achievements of advanced world science and technology that are in the interest of developing our technique. Secondly, the study will be based on the extent of grammatical knowledge, their integration with 'Listening, Reading, Speaking and Writing' as well as the inclusion of language games and their role in language learning. The first and second language learning in Albanian schools (grade III-VI) is based on similar principles for the linearity and chronology of grammatical knowledge integrated with listening, reading, writing and speaking. The different structure of both books help the pupils integrate and use correctly both languages. In the end of the sixth grade, the pupils have good knowledge of mother tongue and the second language and are able to write and speak well both languages.


Languages ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 61
Author(s):  
Lisa Kornder ◽  
Ineke Mennen

The purpose of this investigation was to trace first (L1) and second language (L2) segmental speech development in the Austrian German–English late bilingual Arnold Schwarzenegger over a period of 40 years, which makes it the first study to examine a bilingual’s speech development over several decades in both their languages. To this end, acoustic measurements of voice onset time (VOT) durations of word-initial plosives (Study 1) and formant frequencies of the first and second formant of Austrian German and English monophthongs (Study 2) were conducted using speech samples collected from broadcast interviews. The results of Study 1 showed a merging of Schwarzenegger’s German and English voiceless plosives in his late productions as manifested in a significant lengthening of VOT duration in his German plosives, and a shortening of VOT duration in his English plosives, closer to L1 production norms. Similar findings were evidenced in Study 2, revealing that some of Schwarzenegger’s L1 and L2 vowel categories had moved closer together in the course of L2 immersion. These findings suggest that both a bilingual’s first and second language accent is likely to develop and reorganize over time due to dynamic interactions between the first and second language system.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document