Thai tonal confusion patterns in the production of L1 Chinese Zhuang students

2021 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Siriluck Hoonsringam Phonphanich
Keyword(s):  
Native Speakers ◽  
Positive Transfer ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Language Experience ◽  
Accuracy Rate ◽  
Research Hypothesis ◽  
L1 And L2 ◽  
Zhuang Language ◽  
Experimental Group ◽  
Tonal System

Abstract This paper examines Thai tonal confusion patterns in two sample groups of Chinese Zhuang Students with the research hypothesis that the experimental group who possess Zhuang language experience as native speakers (C+Z) would have better tonal performance in the process of assigning tone for each lexical word than the control group who have no experience of Zhuang (C−Z). The hypothesis focuses on the C+Z′ familiarity of tone split which is a common feature of the tonal system in Tai languages as their L1 positive transfer. The tone split patterns of their L1 and L2 were explored and contrasted in the comparative Gedney’s tone box. The C+Z and the C−Z were asked to pronounce 60 words of two wordlists, one of which contained Zhuang-Thai cognates to stimulate the familiarity of their L1 tone split pattern. The findings show that Thai tonal confusion patterns in the two groups present differently. The accuracy rate of the C+Z is significantly higher than that of the C−Z overall and especially in T3 and T5. Their confusion rate on the Zhuang-Thai cognate wordlist was not higher than the non-cognate wordlist. All of the aforementioned indicates the positive transfer of the L1 Zhuang in the students’ Thai L2 tonal acquisition.

An exploratory study on pro-drop in a written description task in L2 Spanish

2020 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
An Vande Casteele ◽  
Alejandro Palomares Ortiz
Keyword(s):  
Language Learners ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Mother Tongue ◽  
Spanish Speakers ◽  
Control Group ◽  
L2 Spanish ◽  
Spanish Language Learners ◽  
Description Task ◽  
Experimental Group ◽  
Written Description

Abstract The present article aims at investigating the pro-drop phenomenon in L2 Spanish. The phenomenon of pro-drop or null subject is a typological feature of some languages, which are characterized by an implicit subject in cases of topic continuity. More specifically, behaviour regarding subject (dis)continuity in Spanish differs from French. This paper will offer a contrastive analysis on subject realisation by French learners of L2 Spanish compared to L1 Spanish speakers. So, the goal of this pilot study is to see if a different functioning in pro-drop in the mother tongue also influences the L2. The study is based upon a written description task presented to the two groups of participants: the experimental group of French mother tongue L2 Spanish language learners and the control group of Spanish native speakers.

scholarly journals The effect of prosody teaching on developing word recognition skills for interpreter trainees: An experimental study

2016 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 1101-1107 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mahmood Yenkimaleki ◽  
Vincent J. van Heuven
Keyword(s):  
Word Recognition ◽  
English Language ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Theoretical Explanation ◽  
Male Students ◽  
Control Group ◽  
State University ◽  
Prosodic Features ◽  
Instruction Time ◽  
Experimental Group

The present study investigates the effect of the explicit teaching of prosodic features on developing word recognition skills with interpreter trainees. Two groups of student interpreters were composed. All were native speakers of Farsi who studied English translation and interpreting at the BA level at the State University of Arak, Iran. Participants were categorized into two groups at random, but with equal division between genders (9 female and 9 male students in each group). No significant differences in English language skills (TOEFL scores) could be established between the groups. Participants took a pretest of word recognition skill before starting the program. The control group received exercises in listening comprehension, while the experimental group spent part of the time on theoretical explanation and practical exercises developing conscious knowledge of prosodic features of English, such as word stress. The total instruction time was the same for both groups, i.e. 8 hours. Students then took a posttest of word recognition skills. The results show that prosodic feature awareness training did yield a statistically significant improvement of word recognition skills. The result has pedagogical implications for researchers in the field of second language teaching, instructors, curriculum designers, conductors of interpreting programs for training future interpreters, material producers and all who are involved in language study and pedagogy.

scholarly journals Effects of prosody awareness training on the intelligibility of Iranian interpreter trainees in English

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 291-309 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mahmood Yenkimaleki ◽  
Vincent J. van Heuven
Keyword(s):  
English Translation ◽  
Speech Intelligibility ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Theoretical Explanation ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Awareness Training ◽  
Prosodic Feature ◽  
Effect Of Treatment ◽  
Experimental Group ◽  
Speaking Skills

Abstract The present study investigates the effect of prosodic feature awareness training on the intelligibility of speech produced by Iranian interpreter trainees. Two groups of student interpreters were formed. All were native speakers of Farsi who studied English translation and interpreting at the BA level. Participants took a pretest of speaking skills before starting the program so that their speech intelligibility level was rated. The control group listened to authentic audio tracks in English and discussed their contents, watched authentic English movies, discussed issues in the movies in pairs in the classroom. The experimental group spent part of the time on theoretical explanation of, and practical exercises with, English prosody. Students then took a posttest in speaking skills so that the effect of treatment on the intelligibility of their speech could be assessed. The results show that the prosody awareness training significantly improved the students’ speech intelligibility.

scholarly journals The Effect of Comparative FonF Structure on Learning L2 Verb Components

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 8
Author(s):  
Gholam Reza Parvizi
Keyword(s):  
English Language ◽  
Explicit Knowledge ◽  
Judgment Task ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Perfect Form ◽  
Quasi Experimental ◽  
Grammatical Judgment ◽  
L1 And L2 ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Experimental Group

This study focuses on the impact of the type of form-focused instruction (FFI) on its efficiency in mastering L2forms. The hypothesis that FFI, which induces structural and metalinguistic salience on the basis of contrastiveanalysis of the learner’s L1 and L2, would be particularly effective at facilitating the acquisition of difficult L2 formswas tested in a quasi-experimental study comparing the effectiveness of two types of FFI, one with and one without acontrastive component. The contrastive FFI explicitly drew learners’ attention to the cross-linguistic differences inthe tense-aspect systems of their L2 and L1 while the non-contrastive treatment only focused on the tense-aspectsystem of the L2. The effects of these two types of FFI were assessed by analyzing the learners’ pre-test and post-testperformance on two tasks differing in the extent to which they involve the activation of explicit and implicitlinguistic knowledge: a grammatical judgment task and a controlled translation task. The subjects of the studycomprised of 43 students majoring in English language in the Iranian capital university, Tehran, 22 were selected asfor experimental group and 21 for control group randomly. The results of the study revealed that the quantitativeanalysis of the Grammatical Judgment Test (GJT) data indicated no significant effect of CFFI due to the novelty ofthe translatory technique, or the potential individual differences in the learning orientation of the learners. On thecontrary, the qualitative analysis indicated differential effects of this type of FFI according to the nature of targetform, i.e. CFFI was beneficial in raising the grammatical judgment of Persian Learners of English (PLE) regardingpresent perfect form but not effective in their judgment of ungrammatical progressive forms. In terms of translationtask, the CFFI appeared to be effective in the correct use of the target structures by PLE. This may be mainly due tothe fact that Translation Test (TT) needed explicit knowledge which was presented in CFFI and that translation is acontrastive activity in nature.

scholarly journals Tracking Syntactic Conflict between Languages over the Course of L2 Acquisition: A Cross-sectional Event-related Potential Study

2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (5) ◽  
pp. 822-846 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne Mickan ◽  
Kristin Lemhöfer
Keyword(s):  
Word Order ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Event Related Potential ◽  
Control Group ◽  
L2 Acquisition ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Sentence Reading ◽  
Conflict Condition ◽  
Beginning Learners ◽  
L1 And L2

One challenge of learning a foreign language (L2) in adulthood is the mastery of syntactic structures that are implemented differently in L2 and one's native language (L1). Here, we asked how L2 speakers learn to process syntactic constructions that are in direct conflict between L1 and L2, in comparison to structures without such a conflict. To do so, we measured EEG during sentence reading in three groups of German learners of Dutch with different degrees of L2 experience (from 3 to more than 18 months of L2 immersion) as well as a control group of Dutch native speakers. They read grammatical and ungrammatical Dutch sentences that, in the conflict condition, contained a structure with opposing word orders in Dutch and German (sentence-final double infinitives) and, in the no-conflict condition, a structure for which word order is identical in Dutch and German (subordinate clause inversion). Results showed, first, that beginning learners showed N400-like signatures instead of the expected P600 for both types of violations, suggesting that, in the very early stages of learning, different neurocognitive processes are employed compared with native speakers, regardless of L1–L2 similarity. In contrast, both advanced and intermediate learners already showed native-like P600 signatures for the no-conflict sentences. However, their P600 signatures were significantly delayed in processing the conflicting structure, even though behavioral performance was on a native level for both these groups and structures. These findings suggest that L1–L2 word order conflicts clearly remain an obstacle to native-like processing, even for advanced L2 learners.

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.

scholarly journals Training Japanese Speakers to Identify Nasal Codas of Mandarin Chinese

2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 7
Author(s):  
Ruining. Yang ◽  
Hiroaki. Nanjo ◽  
Masatake. Danstuji
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Mandarin Chinese ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
High Variability ◽  
Early Research ◽  
Identification Accuracy ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Training Process ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Experimental Group

The aim of this study is to examine the effect of high variability training on “-n” and “-ng” in Mandarin Chinese. 46 Japanese native speakers who study Mandarin Chinese as a second foreign language at a university in Japan were divided into one experimental group and one control group. Participants assigned to the experimental group trained themselves using software, which was developed in our early research. Participants in the control group took Chinese lessons normally. Identification tasks (ITs) were conducted before and after the training. After 12 sessions, the average identification accuracy of nasal codas increased 7.1% (p < .05) in the experimental group, however, decreased 1.2% (p > .05) in the control group. Results of the training process prove that the training was effective for some participants, while had little effect on other participants. From the questionnaires, we found that there is a disagreement between the participants’ subjective ability to identify nasal codas and the actual identification accuracy in ITs. Participants underestimate their ability to identify “-n” and “-ng” before training and overestimate their ability to identify “-n” and “-ng” after training. We made a formula to predict the accuracy of ITs (y) in the last 4 training sessions (x): y = 2.13x2 - 2.35x + 1.23. This formula will help participants to grasp the training process and predict their identification ability.

Effect on Reading Comprehension of Training to Automaticity in Word-Reading

1981 ◽  
Vol 53 (3) ◽  
pp. 779-786 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carl Spring ◽  
Dale Blunden ◽  
Mary Ann Gatheral
Keyword(s):  
Reading Comprehension ◽  
Word Reading ◽  
Third Graders ◽  
Positive Transfer ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Not Given ◽  
Experimental Group

Automaticity training, aimed at decreasing latencies to read a specific set of words, was given to an experimental group of third-graders. A control group of third-graders was not given this training. Following training, the cloze method was used to test the reading comprehension of texts composed from the training words. No evidence was found to support the hypothesized positive transfer of automaticity training to reading comprehension. Possible interpretations of this result are discussed.

scholarly journals The Effects of Instructions in L1 and L2 in EFL Listening Classes on A2 Level Learners

2021 ◽  
Vol 45 (3) ◽  
pp. 97-107
Author(s):  
Tarkan Gündüz ◽  
Ferit Kılıçkaya
Keyword(s):  
Research Design ◽  
Experimental Research ◽  
Foreign Languages ◽  
Control Group ◽  
State University ◽  
Post Test ◽  
Quasi Experimental ◽  
L2 Listening ◽  
L1 And L2 ◽  
Experimental Group

The current study aimed to investigate the effects of proving instructions in L2 listening activities on the participants’ performance in the classroom and the participants’ views regarding the use of L1. The study included 48 students in the preparatory classes in the School of Foreign languages, at a state university in Turkey. Through the post-test, only quasi-experimental research design, the participants’ performance was compared in classes with L1 and L2 instructions in the listening activities. The results indicated that the participants in the experimental group scored higher than those in the control group who were exposed to L2 instructions.

scholarly journals Evaluating the Ramifications of ESP Vocabulary Instruction through Facilitating Cognitive Processing

2017 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 59-72
Author(s):  
Shiue-mei Kuo
Keyword(s):  
Learning Strategies ◽  
Cognitive Processing ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Cognitive Strategies ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Business English ◽  
Proficiency Level ◽  
Cognitive Awareness ◽  
Professional Fields ◽  
Experimental Group

This study examines English for General Purposes’ (EGP) words that take on specialized meanings in particular contexts. For English native speakers, it may be easy to differentiate between these according to context, but it is challenging for non-native speakers to build cognitive awareness of the divergence between English for Specific Purposes’ (ESP) and EGP vocabulary usage. There are also conceptual metaphors within the ESP vocabulary that require cultural understanding or unequivocal definition guidance. Strengthening students’ proficiency in navigating the demands of professional fields is the ultimate goal of practitioners. As has been observed during language practice, building ESP vocabulary is the imperative groundwork for non-native speakers to establish their language skills in their specialized occupational fields to enhance employability. This study undertakes a comparison of ESP vocabulary proficiency between an experimental and a control group. The experimental group is comprised of learners who undertook cognitive processing training through learning strategies in business English courses, in which vocabulary was presented to students in ways that aimed to facilitate cognitive processing of ESP vocabulary acquisition. The control group is comprised of learners who took English vocabulary courses adopting conventional approaches toward intensifying their vocabulary volume. The outcome indicates that the experimental group significantly outperforms the control group in ESP vocabulary proficiency level. Examining these two groups allows us to explore the extent of the enhancement rate of vocabulary learning provided by ESP cognitive strategies’ training. Implications for future ESP reinforcement plans are also discussed in accordance with the findings.  

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