scholarly journals Interlanguage Driven by Bilingual Abstract Lexical Structure

2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. p1
Author(s):  
Longxing Wei
Keyword(s):  
Argument Structure ◽  
First Language ◽  
Mental Lexicon ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Linguistic System ◽  
Lexical Structure ◽  
Predicate Argument Structure ◽  
Developing System ◽  
Different Sources ◽  
Study Offer

This study explores the nature of interlanguage (IL) in terms of bilingual abstract lexical structure and its role in the formulation and development of IL as learners’ developing linguistic system. Adopting the Bilingual Lemma Activation Model (BLAM) (Wei, 2002, 2003), it assumes that IL is a composite developing linguistic system because at different times different linguistic systems are in contact, such as learners’ first language (L1), the developing IL, and the target language (TL), and each contributes different amounts to the developing system of IL. The important claim of this study is that the mental lexicon contains abstract entries, called “lemmas”, which contain pieces of information about particular lexemes, and the bilingual mental lexicon contains language-specific lemmas, which are in contact in IL speech production. The other important claim of this study is that IL is fundamentally driven by bilingual abstract lexical structure, which contains several discrete but interacting subsystems: lexical-conceptual structure, predicate-argument structure, and morphological realization patterns, and such an abstract lexical structure in IL may have different sources, such as those from learners’ L1 and/or the TL. The typical instances of learner errors discussed in this study offer some evidence that IL is a composite developing linguistic system.

scholarly journals The Composite Nature of Interlanguage as a Developing System

2009 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. 5-30
Author(s):  
Longxing Wei
Keyword(s):  
Second Language Acquisition ◽  
Argument Structure ◽  
First Language ◽  
Mental Lexicon ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Lexical Structure ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Composite Nature ◽  
Predicate Argument Structure ◽  
Developing System

This paper explores the nature of interlanguage (IL) as a developing system with a focus on the abstract lexical structure underlying IL construction. The developing system of IL is assumed to be ‘composite’ in that in second language acquisition (SLA) several linguistic systems are in contact, each of which may contribute different amounts to the developing system. The lexical structure is assumed to be ‘abstract’ in that the mental lexicon contains abstract elements called ‘lemmas’, which contain information about individual lexemes, and lemmas in the bilingual mental lexicon are language-specific and are in contact in IL production. Based on the research findings, it concludes that language transfer in IL production should be understood as lemma transfer of the learner’s first language (L1) lexical structure at three abstract levels: lexical-conceptual structure, predicate-argument structure, and morphological realization patterns, and IL construction is driven by an incompletely acquired abstract lexical structure of a target language (TL) item.

scholarly journals Composite Abstract Lexical Structure in Interlanguage Production

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. p81
Author(s):  
Xuexin Liu ◽  
Longxing Wei
Keyword(s):  
Argument Structure ◽  
Mental Lexicon ◽  
Conceptual Structure ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Conceptual Approach ◽  
Lexical Conceptual Structure ◽  
Lexical Structure ◽  
Abstract Level ◽  
Predicate Argument Structure ◽  
Japanese English

Most previous studies of difficulties in learning a second/foreign language focused on sources of learner errors caused by cross-linguistic differences in various levels of linguistic structure, but most of such studies remain at a rather superficial level of description. This study explores sources of learning difficulties at an abstract level by studying the nature and activity of the bilingual mental lexicon during interlanguage production. The bilingual mental lexicon is defined as the mental lexicon containing abstract entries called cross-linguistic “lemmas” underlying particular lexeme. This study claims that it is language-specific lemma which drives interlanguage production at three levels of abstract lexical structure: lexical-conceptual structure, predicate-argument structure, and morphological realization patterns. It further claims that it is cross-linguistic lemma variations in abstract lexical-conceptual structure which result in not only inappropriate lexical choices but also errors in interlanguage production of target language predicate-argument structure and morphological realization. Naturally occurring interlanguage production date for the study include several native and target language pairs: Japanese-English, Chinese-English, and English-Japanese. Some typical instances of language transfer involving other language pairs are also cited in support of the argument that the lexical-conceptual approach to interlanguage production is fundamental in any study of the nature of learner errors in interlanguage development.

scholarly journals Abstract Lexical Structure in Second Language Learning

2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 223
Author(s):  
Longxing Wei
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Second Language Acquisition ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Argument Structure ◽  
Second Language Learning ◽  
First Language ◽  
Language Transfer ◽  
Lexical Structure ◽  
Predicate Argument Structure ◽  
Different Sources

<em>Different from most previous studies of language transfer phenomena in second language learning which remain at an observational and descriptive level, this study proposes that the major source of language transfer is the interference of first language abstract lexical structure. It assumes that any interlanguage system, like other linguistic systems, has an abstract lexical structure containing several discrete but interacting subsystems: lexical-conceptual structure, predicate-argument structure, and morphological realization patterns. Unlike abstract lexical structures in other linguistic systems, the abstract lexical structure in second language learning has different sources. This study claims that any abstract lexical structure in second language learning contains more abstract elements than surface configurations of language, that is, language-specific lemmas underlie lexical entries, and such language-specific lemmas are in contact in second language learning, which can be split and recombined in novel, yet constrained ways in constructing the developing interlanguage system. Some typical instances of language transfer indicate that parts of the abstract lexical structure from first language lexical entries may influence that of the incompletely acquired L2 lexical entries. Thus, successful second language acquisition is driven by the complete acquisition of the abstract lexical structure underlying second language lexical entries.</em>

scholarly journals The Bilingual Mental Lexicon and Lemmatic Transfer in Second Language Learning

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. p43
Author(s):  
Longxing Wei
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Argument Structure ◽  
Mental Lexicon ◽  
Language Transfer ◽  
L1 Transfer ◽  
Abstract Approach ◽  
Lexical Structure ◽  
L2 Learning ◽  
Predicate Argument Structure

There have been numerous studies of first Language (L1) transfer in second Language (L2) learning. Various models have been proposed to explore the sources of language transfer and have also caused many controversies over the nature of language transfer and its effects on interlanguage. Different from most previous studies remaining at a surface level of observation, this study proposes an abstract approach, which is abstract because it goes beyond any superficial observation and description by exploring the nature and activity of the bilingual mental lexicon in L2 learning. This approach adopts the Bilingual Lemma Activation Model (BLAM) (Wei, 2006a, 2006b) and tests its crucial assumptions and claims: The bilingual mental lexicon does not simply contain lexemes but abstract entries, called “lemmas”, about them; lemmas in the bilingual mental lexicon are language-specific; language-specific lemmas in the bilingual mental lexicon are in contact in L2 learning, lemmas underlying L1 abstract lexical structure may replace those underlying L2 abstract lexical structure. Lemmas in the bilingual mental lexicon are about three levels of abstract lexical structure: lexical-conceptual structure, predicate-argument structure, and morphological realization patterns. The typical instances of L1 lemma transfer in L2 learning are discussed and explained in support of the BLAM.

scholarly journals Codeswitching as Projection of Bilingual Lemmas in Contact

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. p40
Author(s):  
Longxing Wei
Keyword(s):  
Argument Structure ◽  
Mental Lexicon ◽  
Conceptual Structure ◽  
Activation Model ◽  
Naturally Occurring ◽  
Pragmatic Information ◽  
Lexical Conceptual Structure ◽  
Lexical Structure ◽  
Predicate Argument Structure ◽  
Surface Realization

Unlike most previous studies of Codeswitching (CS) focused on describing surface configurations of switched items (i.e., where CS is structurally possible) or the switched items (i.e., what items from another language can be switched), this paper explores formulation processes of bilingual speech and the nature of the bilingual mental lexicon and its activity in CS. More specifically, it applies the Bilingual Lemma Activation Model (Wei, 2002, 2006b) to the data drawn from various naturally occurring CS instances. It claims that the mental lexicon does not simply contain lexemes and their meanings, but also lemmas, which are abstract entries in the mental lexicon that support the surface realization of actual lexemes. Lemmas are abstract in that they contain phonological, morphological, semantic, syntactic and pragmatic information about lexemes. It further claims that lemmas in the bilingual mental lexicon are language-specific and are in contact during a discourse involving CS at three levels of abstract lexical structure: lexical-conceptual structure, predicate-argument structure, and morphological realization patterns. The CS instances described and analyzed in this paper provide evidence that the bilingual speaker’s two linguistic systems are unequally activated in CS, and CS is an outcome of bilingual lemmas in contact.

scholarly journals Interlanguage as an Outcome of Bilingual Systems in Contact

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. p33
Author(s):  
Longxing Wei
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Second Language Acquisition ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Second Language Learning ◽  
First Language ◽  
Mental Lexicon ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Language Transfer ◽  
Lexical Structure ◽  
Abstract Level

Most previous studies of interlanguage regarded commonly observed learner errors as a universal or developmental phenomenon and related language transfer in second language learning to the developing interlanguage system itself. Though language transfer is often defined as one of the processes responsible for interlanguage, the relationship and interaction between the learner’s first language and the target language is largely ignored. This study assumes that any interlanguage system is “composite” in nature because in second language learning several linguistic systems come into contact, and each contributes different amounts to the developing interlanguage system. It further assumes that the bilingual mental lexicon contains abstract elements called “lemmas” about individual lexemes, and lemmas in the bilingual mental lexicon are language-specific and are in contact in interlanguage production. Based on some research findings, this study concludes that language transfer or learner errors in interlanguage production should be understood as lemma transfer of the learner’s first language abstract lexical structure; the developing interlanguage system is driven by an incompletely acquired abstract lexical structure of a target language item. This study treats interlanguage as an outcome of bilingual systems in contact at a rather abstract level to provide an explanatory account of second language acquisition.

scholarly journals NATIVE AND TARGET LANGUAGE INFLUENCE ON THE STUDENTS’ INTERLANGUAGE PRODUCTION: A CASE OF INDONESIAN EFL COMPOSITIONS

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 54
Author(s):  
Endang Fauziati Fauziati
Keyword(s):  
Error Analysis ◽  
Learning Strategy ◽  
Native Language ◽  
First Language ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Intention To Use ◽  
Linguistic System ◽  
Efl Students ◽  
Learner Language ◽  
Language Influence

English compositions written by Indonesian EFL students contain erroneous sentences which portray learner language. The errors are neither of their native language nor the target language, but containing linguistic system from both. This is called an interlanguage. This study focuses on one of interlanguage features, that is, permeability, meaning the susceptibility of interlanguages to infiltration by first language and target language rules or forms. It aims to provide empirical evidence of the permeability of the students’ interlanguage production by describing the types and degree of the native and target language influence and explaining the possible causes of the influences. The data were 264 ill-formed sentences elicited from their English free compositions. Error analysis and interlanguage analysis were used as framework for collecting, identifying, describing, and explaining the data. The results indicate that their interlanguage production was influenced by their native language and the target language at both lexical and syntactical level. The dominant native language influence was on vocabulary (i.e. Indonesian borrowings) and the target language influence was on grammar (i.e. verb tenses). The native language influence had a little lower frequency compared with that of the target language. The main source of the influence was their possession of two language systems in their mind was activated regardless of their intention to use one language only. The native language influence was due to the good mastery of the native language and the limited knowledge of the target language. The target language influence was due to the learning strategy used.

scholarly journals Common Grammatical Errors in Written Discourse of EFL Iraqi Learners

2020 ◽  
Vol 24 ◽  
pp. 25
Author(s):  
Doaa Faris Al-shammery ◽  
Azar Huesiani ◽  
Hesamoddin Shahriari
Keyword(s):  
First Language ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Passive Voice ◽  
Written Discourse ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Written Production ◽  
Proficiency Level ◽  
Linguistic System ◽  
Grammatical Errors ◽  
The Common

The current study was an attempt to explore the common grammatical errors in written discourse of EFL Iraqi learners across gender. To this end, five male and five female Iraqi EFL academic learners with the same proficiency level were randomly selected. The participants were supposed to write a descriptive composition on a common topic.  Findings showed Iraqi EFL learners made various errors in the following categories including tenses, prepositions, articles, active and passive voice, verbs and morphological error. It has been  found that most of these errors caused by the effect of grammatical and linguistic system of participants’ first language on their written production of the target language.

scholarly journals L2 acquisition of Spanish dative clitics by English and Dutch learners

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 517-534 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Ángeles Escobar-Álvarez
Keyword(s):  
Second Language Acquisition ◽  
Argument Structure ◽  
First Language ◽  
Target Language ◽  
L2 Acquisition ◽  
Double Object ◽  
L1 Transfer ◽  
Syntactic Structures ◽  
New Findings

This article examines the second language acquisition (SLA) of Spanish dative clitics in clitic doubling (CLD) structures that are closely related to the double object construction (DOC) in English and Dutch. It also addresses the question of how adult English and Dutch speakers learning L2 Spanish in a formal setting develop knowledge and use of the animacy constraint in the target language, which is different from the first language (L1) counterparts. The role of transfer in acquiring new syntactic structures has been taken into account, where dative clitics appear and animate objects are marked by the dative preposition ‘to.’ New findings are obtained on CLD and the Spanish animacy constraint from a grammaticality judgement task (GJT), completed by English and Dutch learners at B1 and B2 CEFR levels. The difficulties learners experienced were not always due to negative L1 transfer, but also related to the complexity of the argument structure where the clitic is inserted. This has clear implications for the teaching of pronominal elements which are closely related to different syntactic configurations in Spanish.

scholarly journals Developing interlanguage: Driving forces in children learning Dutch and German

2017 ◽  
Vol 55 (4) ◽  
pp. 365-392
Author(s):  
Peter Jordens ◽  
Dagmar Bittner
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Argument Structure ◽  
Driving Forces ◽  
Mother Tongue ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Function Words ◽  
Auxiliary Verbs ◽  
Developmental Progress ◽  
Linguistic System ◽  
Formal Properties

Abstract Spontaneous language learning both in children learning their mother tongue and in adults learning a second language shows that language development proceeds in a stage-wise manner. Given that a developmental stage is defined as a coherent linguistic system, utterances of language learners can be accounted for in terms of what (Selinker, Larry. 1972. Interlanguage. International Review of Applied Linguistics 10. 209–231) referred to with the term Interlanguage. This paper is a study on the early interlanguage systems of children learning Dutch and German as their mother tongue. The present child learner systems, so it is claimed, are coherent lexical systems based on types of verb-argument structure that are either agentive (as in Dutch: kannie bal pakke ‘cannot ball get’, or German: mag nich nase putzen ‘like not nose clean’) or non-agentive (as in Dutch: popje valt bijna ‘doll falls nearly’, or in German: ente fällt ‘duck falls’). At this lexical stage, functional morphology (e. g. morphological finiteness, tense), function words (e. g. auxiliary verbs, determiners) and word order variation are absent. For these typically developing children, both in Dutch and in German, it is claimed that developmental progress is driven by the acquisition of the formal properties of topicalization. It is, furthermore, argued that this feature seems to serve as the driving force in the instantiation of the functional, i. e. informational linguistic properties of the target-language system.

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