USING EXPLICIT INSTRUCTION ABOUT L1 TO REDUCE CROSSLINGUISTIC EFFECTS IN L2 GRAMMAR LEARNING: EVIDENCE FROM ORAL PRODUCTION IN L2 FRENCH

This study advances previous research about the effects of explicit instruction on second language (L2) development by examining learners’ use of verbal morphology following different types of explicit information (EI) and comprehension practice. We investigated the extent to which additional EI about L1 can reduce the effects of crosslinguistic influence in L2 oral production. Sixty-nine English-speaking learners of L2 French undertook either: (a) a ‘core’ treatment of EI about the L2 with L2 comprehension practice, (b) the same L2 core + L1comprehension practice, (c) the same L2 core + L1 comprehension practice + EI about L1, or (d) outcome tests only. Results showed that providing additional EI about the L1 benefitted the accuracy of oral production immediately after the instruction and then 6 weeks later. These results suggest that tailoring instruction, specifically the nature of the EI, to the nature of the learning problem can facilitate L2 learning. In particular, EI about L1 can facilitate L2 learning by increasing learners’ awareness of similarities and differences in how L1 and L2 express the same meanings.

Examining the effectiveness of language-switching practice for reducing cross-language competition in L2 grammatical processing

Bilingualism Language and Cognition ◽

10.1017/s1366728920000218 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 24 (1) ◽

pp. 167-184 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Kevin McManus

Keyword(s):

Linguistic Knowledge ◽

Language Switching ◽

Language Competition ◽

Language Selection ◽

L2 Learning ◽

Viewpoint Aspect ◽

English Speaking ◽

Cross Language ◽

AbstractThis study examined the extent to which language-switching practice enhanced L2 learners’ L2 grammatical processing by improving language selection abilities. Thirty-six English-speaking learners of French completed the same language-switching practice of L1 and L2 sentences, but received different types of pre-practice explicit information (EI) designed to address L2 learning difficulties resulting from crosslinguistic influence: one group (n = 17) received EI about English–French differences for viewpoint aspect, and a second group (n = 19) received EI about viewpoint aspect in French only. This design investigated the extent to which pre-practice linguistic knowledge moderated the effectiveness of the language-switching practice. Longitudinal analyses showed that increasing amounts of practice improved language selection abilities (increased accuracy, reduced reaction time costs), but only for learners who received EI about L1-L2 differences. These findings that language-switching was moderated by type of pre-practice EI have important implications for theories of L2 learning and instruction.

Examining the effectiveness of language-switching practice for reducing cross-language competition in L2 grammatical processing

10.31219/osf.io/bv2yx ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Kevin McManus

Keyword(s):

Linguistic Knowledge ◽

Language Switching ◽

Language Competition ◽

Language Selection ◽

L2 Learning ◽

Viewpoint Aspect ◽

English Speaking ◽

Cross Language ◽

This study examined the extent to which language-switching practice enhanced L2 learners’ L2 grammatical processing by improving language selection abilities. Thirty-six English-speaking learners of French completed the same language-switching practice of L1 and L2 sentences, but received different types of pre-practice explicit information (EI) designed to address L2 learning difficulties resulting from crosslinguistic influence: one group (n = 17) received EI about English-French differences for viewpoint aspect, and a second group (n = 19) received EI about viewpoint aspect in French only. This design investigated the extent to which pre-practice linguistic knowledge moderated the effectiveness of the language-switching practice. Longitudinal analyses showed that increasing amounts of practice improved language selection abilities (increased accuracy, reduced reaction time costs), but only for learners who received EI about L1-L2 differences. These findings that language-switching was moderated by type of pre-practice EI have important implications for theories of L2 learning and instruction

Crosslinguistic influence and L2 grammar learning: Close replications of Ellis & Sagarra (2011) and Tolentino & Tokowicz (2014)

10.31219/osf.io/yxzmh ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Kevin McManus

Keyword(s):

Language Learning ◽

Explicit Instruction ◽

Learning Problem ◽

Digital Repositories ◽

Grammar Learning ◽

Language Knowledge ◽

L2 Learning ◽

Advance Knowledge

Investigations of crosslinguistic effects in SLA have contributed rich understandings about the ways in which prior language knowledge and experience can influence additional language learning. Building on this work, one recent line of research has examined the extent to which SLA findings about crosslinguistic influence can be used to improve L2 learning, indicating that explicit instruction tailored to address the nature of the crosslinguistic learning problem can improve L2 learning. At the same time, however, this line of inquiry is relatively novel and under-researched. The aim of this paper, therefore, is to suggest further research which might advance knowledge and understanding about the ways in which explicit instruction can facilitate L2 learning of crosslinguistically difficult target features. To this end, I lay the ground for a series of replications designed to understand the role of prior language knowledge and experience in L2 learning: Ellis and Sagarra (2011) and Tolentino and Tokowicz (2014). These studies were selected because they are grounded in empirical SLA research and SLA theory. In addition, these studies facilitate replication because they have either (i) made their data collection materials available in digital repositories or (ii) have robustly described their design and provided the stimuli used.

The impact of explicit instruction on different types of linguistic properties

ITL - International Journal of Applied Linguistics ◽

10.1075/itl.18022.tei ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Joana Teixeira

Keyword(s):

Explicit Instruction ◽

The Past ◽

European Portuguese ◽

Different Types ◽

L2 Development ◽

Post Test ◽

Syntactic Properties ◽

Locative Inversion ◽

Discourse Interface ◽

The Impact

Abstract Over the past decades, L2 research has shown that properties involving the syntax-discourse interface are typically more complex to acquire than strictly syntactic properties. To determine whether the complexity of the target property moderates the effectiveness of explicit instruction, this study investigates the impact of explicit instruction on the development of a syntactic property (the ungrammaticality of free inversion) and a syntax-discourse property (the unacceptability of locative inversion with informationally heavy verbs) in L1 European Portuguese-L2 English (B2 and C1 levels), using a pre-test/post-test design. Results reveal that instruction only produced lasting effects when it targeted syntax and learners were at the C1 level. These results indicate that syntax may be more permeable to instructional effects than the syntax-discourse interface and that the effectiveness of explicit instruction depends on learners’ stage of L2 development.

The impact of age and exposure on bilingual development in international adoptees and family migrants

Linguistic Approaches to Bilingualism ◽

10.1075/lab.2.2.03sch ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 2 (2) ◽

pp. 177-208 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

Monika S. Schmid

Keyword(s):

First Language ◽

Long Term Effects ◽

Foster Families ◽

German Jews ◽

International Adoptees ◽

L2 Development ◽

English Speaking ◽

L1 And L2 ◽

The Impact

This paper addresses the long-term effects of being exposed to a language early in life for a limited period of time, as is the case in international adoptees. Recent findings are divided as to whether such a situation will lead to sequential monolingualism or whether speakers do remain bilingual to some extent, although they cannot readily access their vestigial first language (L1) knowledge. Similarly, it has been debated whether a complete switch in language use will provide a qualitative advantage for second language (L2) learning. The present paper investigates L1 and L2 proficiency among German Jews who escaped from Germany at ages 9-15 years either on a Kindertransport, to be placed in English speaking foster families, or in the company of their family. The results suggest that age plays a more important role than context in both L1 retention and L2 development.

Clitics and object expression in the L3 acquisition of Brazilian Portuguese: Structural similarity matters for transfer

Second language Research ◽

10.1177/0267658310386649 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 27 (1) ◽

pp. 21-58 ◽

Cited By ~ 50

Author(s):

Silvina Montrul ◽

Rejanes Dias ◽

Hélade Santos

Keyword(s):

Experimental Studies ◽

Structural Similarity ◽

Brazilian Portuguese ◽

Judgment Task ◽

Third Language ◽

Oral Production ◽

Null Objects ◽

L3 Acquisition ◽

English Speaking ◽

This article addresses the role of previously acquired languages in the acquisition of a third language (L3) in two experimental studies on object expression in Brazilian Portuguese (BP). Participants were English-speaking learners of BP as L3 with knowledge of Spanish as a second language (L2) and Spanish-speaking learners of BP with knowledge of English as L2. Like Spanish, BP has object clitic pronouns, but there are important differences between the two languages with respect to the rates of clitics used in spoken and written registers, null objects and the position of clitics with respect to the verb. English, by contrast, lacks object clitics. Study 1 tested use of clitics and other objects in an oral production task. Study 2 tested knowledge of clitic placement in a written acceptability judgment task. The general results of the two studies show that acquisition of Brazilian Portuguese object expression is not very problematic but there are transfer effects from Spanish (as L1 and L2) in the two experimental groups. This result suggests that structural similarity or cross-linguistic correspondences matter in L3 acquisition.

SIGNATURES OF AUTOMATICITY DURING PRACTICE: EXPLICIT INSTRUCTION ABOUT L1 PROCESSING ROUTINES CAN IMPROVE L2 GRAMMATICAL PROCESSING

10.31219/osf.io/9sqxy ◽

2018 ◽

Author(s):

Kevin McManus ◽

Emma Marsden

Keyword(s):

Explicit Instruction ◽

L2 Processing ◽

Grammar Learning ◽

English Speaking ◽

Group 2 ◽

L1 And L2 ◽

Knowledge Restructuring ◽

Accuracy Speed ◽

Over Time

This study examined the extent to which explicit instruction about L1 and L2 processing routines improved the accuracy, speed, and automaticity of learners’ responses during sentence interpretation practice. Fifty-three English-speaking learners of L2 French were assigned to one of the following treatments: (1) a ‘core’ treatment consisting of L2 explicit information (EI) with L2 interpretation practice (L2-only group), (2) the same L2 core + L1 practice with L1 EI (L2+L1 group), or (3) the same L2 core + L1 practice but without L1 EI (L2+L1prac group). Findings indicated that increasing amounts of practice led to more accurate and faster performance only for learners who received L1 EI (L2+L1 group). Coefficient of Variation analyses (Segalowitz & Segalowitz, 1993) indicated knowledge restructuring early on that appeared to lead to gradual automatization over time (Solovyeva and DeKeyser, 2017; Suzuki, 2017). Our findings that EI and practice about L1 processing routines benefited the accuracy, speed, and automaticity of L2 performance have major implications for theories of L2 learning, the role of L1 EI in L2 grammar learning, and L2 pedagogy.

Crosslinguistic influence and L2 grammar learning: Proposed replications of Ellis and Sagarra (2011) and Tolentino and Tokowicz (2014)

Language Teaching ◽

10.1017/s0261444820000270 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 1-9

Author(s):

Kevin McManus

Keyword(s):

Second Language ◽

Second Language Acquisition ◽

Language Learning ◽

Explicit Instruction ◽

Digital Repositories ◽

Language Knowledge ◽

L2 Learning ◽

Advance Knowledge

Abstract Investigations of crosslinguistic effects in second language acquisition (SLA) have contributed rich understandings about the ways in which prior language knowledge and experience can influence additional language learning. Building on this work, one recent line of research has examined the extent to which SLA findings about crosslinguistic influence can be used to improve L2 learning, indicating that explicit instruction tailored to address the nature of the crosslinguistic learning problem can benefit L2 performance. At the same time, however, this line of inquiry is relatively novel and under-researched. The aim of this paper, therefore, is to suggest further research which might advance knowledge and understanding about the ways in which explicit instruction can facilitate second language (L2) learning of crosslinguistically difficult target features. To this end, I lay the ground for a series of close replications designed to understand the role of prior language knowledge and experience in L2 learning: Ellis and Sagarra (2011) and Tolentino and Tokowicz (2014). These studies were selected because they are grounded in empirical SLA research and SLA theory. In addition, the selected studies facilitate replication because they have either (i) made their data collection materials available in digital repositories or (ii) have robustly described their design and provided the stimuli used.

Effect of Interaction Intensity on Alignment and EFL Learners’ Oral Production in the Reading-Speaking Integrated Continuation Task

Chinese Journal of Applied Linguistics ◽

10.1515/cjal-2021-0020 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 44 (3) ◽

pp. 314-334

Author(s):

Lin Jiang ◽

Yingxuan Luo ◽

Jianling Zhan

Keyword(s):

Teaching And Learning ◽

Oral Performance ◽

Oral Production ◽

Positive Effects ◽

L2 Speaking ◽

L2 Learning ◽

L2 Development ◽

High Interaction ◽

Interaction Intensity

Abstract This study aims to uncover the relationship between interaction and alignment in a reading-speaking integrated continuation task, especially focusing on whether an increase in interaction intensity can lead to stronger alignment and further generate positive effects on L2 learning. To this end, 31 participants were asked to perform reading-speaking integrated continuation tasks under three different conditions featuring low, medium and high interaction intensity respectively. The results showed that 1) alignment existed in the reading-speaking integrated continuation task; 2) increasing interaction intensity generated stronger alignment at both linguistic and situational levels; 3) growing interaction intensity contributed to more coherent and accurate L2 oral production. These findings not only proved the workings of mind-body-world alignment, but also testified that increasing interaction intensity could bring about a stronger alignment effect (Wang, 2010), which then contributed to better L2 oral performance. These findings confirm again the role of interaction in L2 learning and suggest that alignment could possibly be a mediating factor that links interaction and L2 development. Pedagogical implications for teaching and learning L2 speaking are discussed.

A study on explicit instruction and its relation to knowing/using linguistic forms and individual learner readiness

EUROSLA Yearbook ◽

10.1075/eurosla.16.05bat ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 16 ◽

pp. 116-143 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Kristof Baten

Keyword(s):

Explicit Instruction ◽

Judgment Task ◽

First Year ◽

Linguistic Performance ◽

Oral Production ◽

Case System ◽

Developmental Readiness ◽

L2 Development ◽

Grammatical Judgment ◽

First Year University

This paper reports the results of a study on the effects of explicit instruction, which examined the L2 development of the German case system. The study investigated to what extent the effects of instruction, if any, depend on (i) the type of linguistic performance (knowledge vs. use) and (ii) the developmental readiness of the learners. The pretest-posttest study involved 18 first-year university students of German (L1 Dutch), who were administered a grammatical judgment task (which examined their knowledge of the case rule) and an oral production task (which examined their case use). The findings uncover differences between pretest and posttests, which shows that explicit instruction improves linguistic performance in general. Further analysis reveals that the effect does not depend on ‘type of performance’, but that it does depend on ‘developmental readiness’.