scholarly journals A Longitudinal Study in the L2 Acquisition of the French TAM System

Languages ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 42
Author(s):  
Dalila Ayoun
Keyword(s):  
Longitudinal Study ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Repeated Exposure ◽  
L2 Acquisition ◽  
Main Research ◽  
L2 Learners ◽  
Post Test ◽  
Interface Hypothesis ◽  
L1 English

Empirical studies investigating the second language (L2) acquisition of tense, aspect, mood/modality (TAM) systems offer an enlightening window into L2 learners’ linguistic competence because they involve all areas of a language, making them ideal testing grounds for the Interface hypothesis and ultimately whether adult learners may achieve a native-like TAM system. This longitudinal study used a pre-test, repeated exposure, delayed post-test design guided by a main research question—does the L2 learners’ interlanguage display contrasts and systematicity? Sixteen L2 French learners—L1 English (n = 9), HL French (n = 4), and HL Spanish (n = 3) speakers enrolled in a fourth-year college Film and Fiction class read five novels that were extensively discussed in class and used as essay topics, thus providing controlled, repeated exposure to oral and written input over a semester. Qualitative and quantitative findings reveal a highly accurate production of several forms, but with an over-reliance on the indicative present. The learners’ TAM system appears to be contrasted and varied, but unbalanced. Findings regarding the Interface hypothesis are mixed.

scholarly journals The L2 Acquisition of French Interrogatives: Pragmatic Inferences in Clefted wh-Questions

Languages ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 165
Author(s):  
Emilie Destruel ◽  
Bryan Donaldson
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Intermediate Level ◽  
L2 Acquisition ◽  
L2 Learners ◽  
Wh Questions ◽  
Interface Hypothesis ◽  
Discourse Interface ◽  
Incomplete Acquisition

The present study aims to elaborate on the understanding of the second language (L2) acquisition of French interrogatives by focusing on clefted (subject) wh-questions, structures that are largely absent in prior L2 literature. Our research question addresses how L2 learners of French understand two specific properties associated with these interrogatives: existence and exhaustivity. Using two rating tasks, we examined whether a total of 48 L2 learners converge towards the native norm for these properties, which occur at the syntax-discourse interface and may therefore be vulnerable to incomplete acquisition, following the Interface Hypothesis. Our findings suggest that L2 learners at the intermediate level acquire an understanding of the existential inference before an understanding of exhaustivity.

scholarly journals An Exploratory Study on Digital Transformation and Communication within the Moroccan Firms

2021 ◽  
pp. 92-101
Author(s):  
Houda Bassim
Keyword(s):  
Focus Group ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Digital Transformation ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
Economic Sectors ◽  
Main Research ◽  
Know How ◽  
The One ◽  
Use Of Internet

Starting from the beginning of the third millennium, firms around the world in various economic sectors have been powerfully affected by the evolution process of digital technology and associated internet developments. The use of Internet and new digital technologies has been considered as a great revolution that will allow companies to benefit from new opportunities, in order to extend their activities and profitability, specifically through decreases in costs. While some companies have been investing rapidly in this new filed with the aim to take advantages of new opportunities, others seem to fail in following such developmental pattern. The main research question in the present paper is to understand perceptions of a sample of Moroccan firms operating in Casablanca, regarding the currently observed process of communication-based digital transformation worldwide. In this sense, our study turns to be exploratory, that is based on open interviews, within a focus group of professionals in the digital sector, rather than on collected data and effective orientations. Such exploratory analysis will be followed by upcoming empirical studies for a more comprehensive understanding of the profession. Our research paper aspires thereby to better grasping the process of digitalization of communication channels among the firms’ professionals, as selected. The ultimate target is to know how well firms are evolving in utilizing newly integrated digital tools, with respect to innovation and trademarks. To address this issue in an exploratory perspective, we have resorted to a focus group-based enquiry with six professionals of firms operating in Casablanca. The methodological framework relies upon qualitative data, as collected through the conducted interviews.      The major research finding of the present paper is that the pattern of digital transformation and communication seems to follow the one observed worldwide. Nevertheless, in spite of strong customers’ expectations, some hesitations and inadequate fundraising allocations partially explain the relative slowness of the process. In terms of policy implications, a suitable public-private partnership is still needed so as Morocco can foster digital transformation for economic and social development as well as improvements in the population’s standards of life, especially through investment in human capital for better attractivity-generating progress.

LA RÉFÉRENCE AU PASSÉ DANS LE DIALOGUE: ÉTUDE DE L'ACQUISITION DE LA TEMPORALITÉ CHEZ DES APPRENANTS DITS AVANCÉS DE FRANÇAIS.Maria Kihlstedt. Stockholm: Author, 1998. Pp. 227.

2000 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 133-134
Author(s):  
John G. Moses
Keyword(s):  
Longitudinal Study ◽  
Developmental Stages ◽  
L2 Acquisition ◽  
Temporal Expression ◽  
Value Assignment ◽  
Past Time ◽  
Oral Production ◽  
L2 Learners ◽  
Passe Compose

Written in French, this work reports the results of a longitudinal study of past-time reference in the interlanguages of four Swedish learners of French. Unlike most previous studies of L2 acquisition of temporal expression, which have focused on early interlanguage, Kihlstedt shifts the focus of inquiry in this study to the oral production of advanced L2 learners. Kihlstedt discusses evidence supporting a modified interpretation of Andersen's (1991) developmental stages in past temporal expression and proposes an ordering of aspectual value assignment to the passé composé and imparfait constructions in Swedish-French interlanguage.

scholarly journals INSTAGRAM USE TO ENHANCE ABILITY IN WRITING DESCRIPTIVE TEXTS

2018 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 32 ◽  
Author(s):  
Soviyah Soviyah ◽  
Diana Rahayu Etikaningsih
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Research ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Descriptive Analysis ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
Teaching Writing ◽  
Research Writing ◽  
Main Research ◽  
Positive Attitudes ◽  
Significant Difference

Technology is changing the world we live in. It affects the way people see, think, and learn their environment and communicate with others. In the educational field, there have been previous studies revealing the positive attitudes toward the use of mobile devices and applications. However, the empirical studies of the practice of how to use a specific mobile device and application effectively are done in a limited scale. Taking the experimental research method, this study investigated the effectiveness of the use of Instagram application on the students� performance in writing descriptive texts. The main research question was centred around whether there was significant difference in the ability of writing descriptive text between students who were taught using Instagram and those who aren�t. Involving random sampling technique, this study involved 50 students of a private high school in Yogyakarta as the research sample.� The empirical data were collected through pre and post tests. The data were analyzed quantitatively applying t-test computation and descriptive analysis. Results of the study indicate that there is significant difference in students writing score between those taught using Instagram and those who aren�t. In conclusion, teaching students writing by using Instagram pictures are more effective than teaching without using Instagram pictures. In other words, the use of Instagram is effective in teaching writing descriptive texts. �Keywords: technology; Instagram; experimental research; writing descriptive text.

Can E-Training Packages Develop Webquests Designing Skills for Teachers of Gifted Students?

2013 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 59-65 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hanan Ahmed Abdulhameed
Keyword(s):  
Private School ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Gifted Students ◽  
Knowledge And Skills ◽  
Main Research ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Complementary Method ◽  
Training Package ◽  
Post Test ◽  
Quasi Experimental

The research aimed to study the effectiveness of using an E-training package to develop Webquest designing skills for teachers of gifted students. The main research question was how well gifted students' teachers acquire the Webquest’s designing skills after studying the proposed E-training package? The research follows a quasi- experimental design for one group. The sample consists of 23 teachers of gifted students. The research only focuses on the designing skills for long term webquests. It is administered in a private school located in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia during the second semester of academic year 2008-2009. The researcher used a pre-post test and a webquest rubric to evaluate the teachers' knowledge and skills. The researcher found that gifted students' teachers acquired very well the knowledge and skills related to the design of webquests after studying the E-training package. However, the skills of describing the process clearly and selecting resources were poorly acquired. This finding indicates that e-training packages can be used to train teachers on developing new instructional methods and tools. The researcher has put several recommendations. E-training packages should be used as complementary method and not as a replacement for face-to-face training. In addition, E-training packages should be supervised when implemented in an organization. In addition, the Arabic Web resources should be enriched with high quality websites.

scholarly journals Crosslinguistic influence on English and Chinese L2 speakers’ conceptualization of event series

2020 ◽  
pp. 136700692094717
Author(s):  
Mengmeng Tang ◽  
Norbert Vanek ◽  
Leah Roberts
Keyword(s):  
English Learners ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Empirical Support ◽  
L2 Acquisition ◽  
Serial Verb Constructions ◽  
L2 Learners ◽  
Event Series ◽  
Serial Verb ◽  
Conceptual Transfer ◽  
Crosslinguistic Influence

Aims and objectives/purpose/research question: The expression of event series varies across languages in intriguing ways. One key difference is that in some linguistic systems, such as Chinese, events can be tightly sequenced using serial verb constructions (SVCs), for example, qù kāi mén ‘go open door’. Linguistic systems with this property are known as serializing, and those without it, such as English, as non-serializing. This paper explores whether second language (L2) learners with a serializing first language (L1) conceptually transfer tight L1-based event serialization patterns into their non-serializing L2, and, if L2 learners with a non-serializing L1 acquire tight SVC-modulated event serialization in the L2. Design/methodology/approach: To investigate this, a task was created to estimate temporal distances between events on a time axis. Participants were asked to circle two numbers on the axis (0 = far past, 9 = far future) based on their understanding of when two events expressed by two verbs in each stimulus sentence happen. Data and analysis: Results showed that Chinese learners of English estimated significantly shorter temporal distances between multiple events in English SVC-like sentences compared to English natives. Tighter temporal sequencing in L2 English is interpreted as L1-based conceptual transfer of event serialization patterns. In the opposite direction, English learners of Chinese marked events in Chinese SVCs as significantly further apart than did Chinese natives, also showing that their event serialization is L1-based. Originality: This study demonstrates for the first time crosslinguistic influence on the conceptual level in the domain of event serialization. Significance/implications: The reported findings inform L2 acquisition research by providing empirical support for the idea that L1-based event serialization patterns influence how L2 learners conceptualize event distances, and this holds in both directions, from a serializing to a non-serializing language as well as vice versa.

Acquisition of time and locative phrases in Mandarin Chinese

2016 ◽  
Vol 51 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-28
Author(s):  
Hongyi Jia ◽  
Feng-hsi Liu
Keyword(s):  
Mandarin Chinese ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Structural Complexity ◽  
L2 Acquisition ◽  
Complex Time ◽  
Form Function ◽  
L2 Learners ◽  
Type Frequency ◽  
Beginning Learners ◽  
L1 English

In this study we explore the role played by input saliency in L2 acquisition of the time phrase and the locative phrase in Mandarin Chinese. In Chinese the time phrase that indicates when an event takes place and the locative phrase that indicates where an event takes place are similar in that neither can occur after the verb. L1 English L2 learners of Chinese have to learn to place both phrases pre-verbally. Our goal is to find out whether learners acquire the placement of the two types of phrases equally well. On the basis of input saliency measured in terms of form-function mapping and type frequency, we predicted that the time phrase will be easier to acquire than the locative phrase. We then conducted an experiment and put the hypothesis to test on learners at an early stage. The findings largely support our hypothesis: Simple time phrases are easier to acquire than simple locative phrases for beginning learners. In addition, the same group of learners had difficulty with both complex time phrases and complex locative phrases, suggesting that structural complexity also plays a role.

scholarly journals An empirical L2 perspective on possessives: German/Norwegian

2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anneliese Pauline Pitz ◽  
Oliver Bott ◽  
Torgrim Solstad ◽  
Robin Hörnig ◽  
Bergljot Behrens ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Structural Constraints ◽  
L2 Acquisition ◽  
Transfer Effects ◽  
Stem Form ◽  
L2 Learners ◽  
Complex Procedure

The present paper reports on two empirical studies concerning the acquisition of possessive systems by L2 learners of Norwegian and German respectively. The first study investigates comprehension and production in written translation while the second study is a set of offline experiments testing the interpretation of possessives by both native speakers and German learners of Norwegian. Norwegian distinguishes between reflexive and irreflexive possessives, while German does not. The reflexive stem form si* is phonologically similar to German sein*, but may correspond to ihr*, a feminine or plural possessor, as well. These differences make the acquisition of Norwegian and of German as a foreign language a complex procedure of restructuring both at the phonological and the grammatical level. Results of the study indicate that the only partly overlapping forms and structural constraints on possessives in the two languages are cognitively demanding in L2 acquisition and subject to transfer effects.

scholarly journals Digital Transformation and Marketing Activities in Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 2512
Author(s):  
Marta Joanna Ziółkowska
Keyword(s):  
Digital Technology ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Digital Transformation ◽  
Digital Tools ◽  
Marketing Concept ◽  
Main Research ◽  
Business Operations ◽  
Marketing Activities ◽  
Critical Literature

Digital transformation which impacts business operations is one of the most fundamental social and economic occurrences of our times. The paper seeks to find out how digital transformation impacts marketing activities in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and to examine overall changes triggered by digital technology in the marketing concept, its instruments, and activities in SMEs in Poland. The main research question focuses on the direction in which marketing activities performed by organisations evolve nowadays. Analyses and considerations are based on logical inference, examination of results of empirical studies, critical literature review, and author’s market observations. Conducted analyses have demonstrated that, in enterprises covered by the study, digital technologies are deployed in marketing rather widely, although in many instances these technologies belong to the category of traditional tools. IT technologies and digital tools also impact marketing, helping to build relationships with clients and creating the value of each organisation.

L2 acquisition of Bulgarian clitic doubling: A test case for the Interface Hypothesis

2012 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 345-368 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ivan P. Ivanov
Keyword(s):  
Native Speakers ◽  
First Language ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Test Case ◽  
L2 Acquisition ◽  
Clitic Doubling ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
L2 Learners ◽  
Interface Hypothesis ◽  
Discourse Interface

The purpose of this study is to expand the testing ground of the Interface Hypothesis (Sorace, 2006) by investigating the degree to which second language (L2) learners of Bulgarian with English as their first language (L1) had acquired the pragmatic function of clitic doubling as a topicality marker. Advanced and intermediate L2 speakers of Bulgarian, as well as a control group of Bulgarian native speakers, participated in the experiment. The experimental materials included a proficiency test and a pragmatic felicity task. The results showed that the intermediate participants did not differentiate between the felicitous and the infelicitous options in the pragmatic felicity task in a target-like manner as their responses either did not exhibit a statistically significant difference or favored the response closest to the L1. However, the advanced L2 learners had successfully acquired the pragmatic meaning of clitic doubling in Bulgarian and performed in a native-like manner. The study highlights the fact that successful learning at the syntax–discourse interface cannot be excluded, and more research – exploring as many interface conditions as possible – needs to be carried out in order to validate the Interface Hypothesis as a legitimate constraint that permanently hinders native-like performance.

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