Una indagación sobre el papel de la proficiencia en L3 sobre la influencia transversal en la adquisición de terceras lenguas

Abstract: With the rise of multilingualism, studies have proliferated that investigate the interaction of the different languages. The study presented here sets out to examine the role that proficiency plays on the occurrence of a specific interaction, namely interlanguage transfer from a prior non–native language (L2 German) upon another non–native language (L3 English) at the level of syntax in Spanish/ Catalan bilinguals. Data were collected from 80 learners of L3 English who were at different proficiency levels (as indicated by a 30-item cloze test), while data for the analysis of transfer was elicited using a story telling task. Statistical tests revealed significant differences across proficiency levels, i.e. low and pre–intermediate (p= .032), low and intermediate levels (p= .000), and pre–intermediate and intermediate levels (p= .018). Título en español: “Una indagación sobre el papel de la proficiencia en L3 sobre la influencia transversal en la adquisición de terceras lenguas”Resumen: Con el crecimiento del multilingüismo, han proliferado los estudios que investigan la interacción entre diferentes lenguas. El presente estudio se plantea examinar el rol que desempeña la proficiencia en la ocurrencia de un tipo específico de interacción, a saber, transferencia entre interlenguas de una lengua no nativa (L2 Alemán) a otra lengua no nativa (L3 Inglés) a nivel sintáctico en bilingües Castellano/ Catalán. Se recogieron datos de 80 aprendices de L3 Inglés que estaban en diferentes niveles de proficiencia (como indicó un cloze test de 30 ítems), mientras que los datos para el análisis de la transferencia se elicitaron empleando una tarea narrativa. Los tests estadísticos realizados revelaron diferencias significativas entre niveles bajo y pre–intermedio (p= .032), bajo e intermedio (p= .000) y pre–intermedio e intermedio (p= .018).</jats:p

THE CROSSLINGUISTIC EFFECT IN MOTION EVENT AND JUDGEMENT OF TYPOLOGICALLY DIFFERENT CONCEPTUALIZATION PATTERNS BY TURKISH PROSPECTIVE TEACHERS AND NATIVE SPEAKERS OF ENGLISH

This study aimed to reveal the bidirectional crosslinguistic effect between L1 and L2 in description of motion event, which has been a basis of comparison of different types of languages for many decades since Talmy (1991; 2000) proposed his two-way typology of languages as v-framed and s-framed, and Slobin (1996) showed the relation between language and thought with thinking for speaking hypothesis. Turkish prospective language teachers of English described motion events in L1 and L2 in the present study. Boundary-crossing motion events were used as stimuli since this kind of motion event has been found to be eliciting the difference between language types more than other types of motion event. We have also looked for the language mode effect between spoken and written English because written language descriptions were found to be more similar with native speaker conceptualization patterns (Hohenstein et al., 2006; Isler, 2014). To add a new perspective to the current field, the frequent conceptualization patterns in these L2 descriptions were judged by the same participants and native speakers of English. In fact, it was purposed to find out the receptive knowledge of Turkish participants in addition to productive one and to what extent English native speakers find the most frequent patterns natural or intelligible.  Article visualizations

Cross-Linguistic Influence in Croatian-English-Spanish Multilinguals: Evidence from Spoken and Written Production

This thesis deals with the issue of crosslinguistic influence in multilinguals who, besides their mother tongue Croatian, also speak English and Spanish. The aim of this paper is to establish whether the multilinguals use other languages they know in spoken and written production, and whether they use previously acquired skills and findings related to those languages during that process. The theoretical part of the paper covers the definitions of the concept of crosslinguistic influence, history of the development of the field, as well as possible theories why crosslinguistic influence appears or does not appear in particular cases. Furthermore, what is briefly discussed are the separateness of languages in the brain and numerous factors which influence the occurrence of CLI. Finally, there is a short overview of the status of English and Spanish languages in Croatia. The research part consists of two studies comparing two groups of language users: one where participants are not proficient speakers of English and Spanish, but still possess enough knowledge to be called multilinguals, and the other whose participants are at a high level of both languages. The language samples were obtained through the qualitative method of gathering data, i.e. writing compositions on a certain topic (group 1) and translation of texts and oral interview (group 2), while the data obtained were analyzed and systematized according to the type of influence. At the end of the paper there is a conclusion, implication and relevance of this paper for educational context, as well as suggestion for further research

The Acquisition of Implicit Knowledge by Chinese & Spanish EFL Learners: Experimental Studies on Grammatical Errors in Egnlish questions and Pedagogical Implications

La tesi se centra en si els estudiants avançats d'ALE poden adquirir coneixement implícit, si les diferents primeres llengües (L1) dels estudiants d'ALE influeixen en l'adquisició de L2, i si la competència de producció lingüística dels estudiants d'ALE es desenvolupa simultàniament a la seva adquisició de coneixement gramatical. Mitjançant la realització d'experiments, incloses proves escrites, proves de seguiment de paraules i prova d'imitació oral provocada, la tesi investiga el coneixement implícit de les preguntes en anglès adquirit pels aprenents avançats xinesos i espanyols d’ALE. La tesi demostra que els trets morfosintàctics relacionats amb l'elecció de l'auxiliar i el temps de l'auxiliar constitueixen els reptes més freqüents per als estudiants d'ALE en l'adquisició de les preguntes en anglès. La influència interlingüística de la L1, resultant de la incongruència morfosintàctica L1-L2, és un dels principals factors que afecten els estudiants en l'adquisició d'ALE. La troballa experimental que mostra que la competència de producció dels estudiants avançats d'ALE no es desenvolupa simultàniament amb el seu coneixement gramatical proporciona proves addicionals que reforcen la conclusió que els estudiants avançats d'ALE no adquireixen un coneixement implícit de les preguntes en anglès equivalent al d'un parlant natiu. A partir d'aquests resultats, es proposen una sèrie d'implicacions pedagògiques relacionades amb la conscienciació, l'enfocament orientat a la producció i les activitats interactives per a millorar l'adquisició de les preguntes en anglès en estudiants d'ALE.La tesis se centra en si los estudiantes avanzados de ILE pueden adquirir conocimiento implícito, si las diferentes primeras lenguas (L1) de los estudiantes de ILE influyen en la adquisición de L2, y si la competencia de producción lingüística de los estudiantes de ILE se desarrolla simultáneamente a su adquisición de conocimiento gramatical. Mediante la realización de experimentos, que incluyen pruebas escritas, prueba de seguimiento de palabras y prueba de imitación oral provocada, la tesis investiga el conocimiento implícito de preguntas en inglés adquirido por estudiantes avanzados de inglés chinos y españoles como lengua extranjera. La tesis demuestra que los rasgos morfosintácticos relacionados con la elección del auxiliar y el tiempo del auxiliar constituyen los retos más frecuentes para los estudiantes de ILE en la adquisición de las preguntas en inglés. La influencia interlingüística de la L1, resultante de la incongruencia morfosintáctica L1-L2, es uno de los principales factores que afectan a los estudiantes en la adquisición de ILE. El hallazgo experimental que muestra que la competencia de producción de los estudiantes avanzados de ILE no se desarrolla simultáneamente con su conocimiento gramatical proporciona pruebas adicionales que refuerzan la conclusión de que los estudiantes avanzados de ILE no adquieren un conocimiento implícito de las preguntas en inglés equivalente al de un hablante nativo. A partir de estos resultados, se proponen una serie de implicaciones pedagógicas relacionadas con la concienciación, el enfoque orientado a la producción y las actividades interactivas para mejorar la adquisición de las preguntas en inglés en estudiantes de ILE.The thesis focuses on issues of whether advanced EFL learners can acquire implicit knowledge, whether EFL learners’ different first language (L1) backgrounds influence their acquisition, and whether EFL learners’ language production competence develops simultaneously with their acquisition of grammatical knowledge. By conducting experiments, including written tests, word monitoring test, and elicited oral imitation test, the thesis investigated the implicit knowledge of English questions acquired by Chinese and Spanish advanced EFL learners. The dissertation demonstrates that morphosyntactic features related to the choice of auxiliary and tense of auxiliary constitute the most prevalent challenges for EFL learners to acquire English questions. Cross-linguistic L1 influence, resulting from the L1-L2 morphosyntactic incongruency, is one major factor that affects EFL learners’ acquisition. The experimental finding showing that advanced EFL learners’ production competence does not develop simultaneously with their grammatical knowledge provides further evidence to reinforce the conclusion that advanced EFL learners do not acquire native-equivalent implicit knowledge of English questions. Based on these findings, pedagogical implications related to consciousness-raising, production-oriented approach, and interactive activities are proposed for improving EFL learners’ acquisition of English questions

Cross-linguistic influence in the writing of an italian learner of English as a foreign language: an exploratory study

This paper is based on the analysis of the nature of the first language influence on the written production of an Italian learner of English as a foreign language. The goal of the present exploratory study is to examine how cross-linguistic influence manifests itself at the level of syntax and lexis. Findings suggest that forms and meanings in the L2 are expressed and shaped by the learner’s knowledge and use of the foreign language as well as by the influence of the mother tongue.Este artículo se basa en el análisis de la naturaleza de la influencia de la lengua primera en la producción escrita de un estudiante de inglés como lengua extranjera cuya lengua primera es el italiano. El propósito principal es examinar cómo la influencia croslingüística se manifiesta a nivel sintáctico y léxico. Los resultados sugieren que tanto la forma como los significados expresados en la lengua extranjera son formados por el conocimiento y el uso de la lengua extranjera y la influencia de la lengua materna

Cross-linguistic influence in the writing of an Italian learner of English as a foreign language: An exploratory study

Este artículo se basa en el análisis de la naturaleza de la influencia de la lengua primera en la producción escrita de un estudiante de inglés como lengua extranjera cuya lengua primera es el italiano. El propósito principal es examinar cómo la influencia croslingüística se manifiesta a nivel sintáctico y léxico. Los resultados  sugieren que tanto la forma como los significados expresados en la lengua extranjera son formados por el conocimiento y el uso de la lengua extranjera y la influencia de la lengua materna

Past Tense Marking in English by Chinese learners

Researchers in the field of both first and second language acquisition have been studying the mechanisms underlying the marking of past tense in English, and have identified verb saliency, grammatical aspect, and proficiency level as some of the factors influencing the process. This study tests these factors by comparing 60 Chinese English learners\u27 correct marking of English past tense under various conditions using analysis of variance. I found that Chinese learners of English are more likely to mark irregular verbs and aspectual perfectives than regular verbs and aspectual imperfectives for past tense. However, proficiency level was not found to have any main effect or interaction effect. No three way interaction was found, but results suggest that grammatical aspect may interact with verb saliency in the process of past tense marking. This study confirms both the aspect and the saliency hypotheses, but raises questions about the role that proficiency level of English. as a second language plays in the acquisition of past tense in English

L1 Influence on the Acquisition Order of English Grammatical Morphemes

We revisit morpheme studies to evaluate the long-standing claim for a universal order of acquisition. We investigate the L2 acquisition order of six English grammatical morphemes by learners from seven L1 groups across five proficiency levels. Data are drawn from approximately 10,000 written exam scripts from the Cambridge Learner Corpus. The study establishes clear L1 influence on the absolute accuracy of morphemes and their acquisition order, therefore challenging the widely held view that there is a universal order of acquisition of L2 morphemes. Moreover, we find that L1 influence is morpheme specific, with morphemes encoding language-specific concepts most vulnerable to L1 influence.EF Education First ResearchThis is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Cambridge University Press via http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S027226311500035

Automatic Acquisition of Knowledge About Multiword Predicates

PACLIC 19 / Taipei, taiwan / December 1-3, 200