1887
Sociocognitive Approaches to Second Language Pedagogy
  • ISSN 0155-0640
  • E-ISSN: 1833-7139

Abstract

This study investigates the status of morphology in the L2 English of three members of a family from Indonesia (parents and their 5-year-old daughter) who have lived, studied or worked in Australia for a year. The investigation is contextualized against various learning settings in which the informants have learned English: formal instruction in the foreign language environment, naturalistic learning in the target language setting, and a mixture of formal and naturalistic learning in the target language environment. Following the developmental hierarchy for English morphology (Pienemann, 2005; Bettoni and Di Biase, forthcoming) and analytical procedures in Processability Theory (Pienemann, 1998, 2005), we found the informants were at different stages of L2 English morphology, with the father being the most advanced and the daughter the least. We also found a systematic developmental profile of each informant in line with the developmental hierarchy for English morphology. Both findings are discussed with reference to the developmental sequences and the role of learning settings in SLA.

Loading

Article metrics loading...

/content/journals/10.2104/aral1029
2010-01-01
2025-02-16
Loading full text...

Full text loading...

References

  1. Bardovi–Harlig, Kathleen
    (1995) The interaction of pedagogy and natural sequences in the acquisition of tense and aspect. In F. Eckman , D. Highland , P. Lee , J. Mileham and R. Weber (Eds.), Second language acquisition theory and pedagogy (pp. 151–168). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
    [Google Scholar]
  2. Beck, Maria–Luise
    (1997) Regular verbs, past tense and frequency: Tracking down a potential source of NS/NNS competence differences. Second Language Research, 13, 93–115. doi: 10.1191/026765897670780840
    https://doi.org/10.1191/026765897670780840 [Google Scholar]
  3. Berko, Jean
    (1958) The child’s learning of English morphology. Word, 14, 150–177. doi: 10.1080/00437956.1958.11659661
    https://doi.org/10.1080/00437956.1958.11659661 [Google Scholar]
  4. Bettoni, Camilla ; Di Biase, Bruno
    . (Forthcoming). Processability Thoery and its theoretical bases.To appear in B. Di Biase and C. Bettoni Eds. Processability Theory: Current issues in theory and application. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.
    [Google Scholar]
  5. Carroll, John
    (1967) Foreign language proficiency levels attained by language majors near graduation from college. Foreign Language Annals, 1, 131–151. doi: 10.1111/j.1944‑9720.1967.tb00127.x
    https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1944-9720.1967.tb00127.x [Google Scholar]
  6. De Graaff, Rick ; Housen, Alex
    (2009) Investigating effects and effectiveness of L2 instruction. In M. Long and C. Doughty (Eds.), The handbook of language teaching (pp. 726–753). Oxford: Wiley–Blackwell. doi: 10.1002/9781444315783.ch38
    https://doi.org/10.1002/9781444315783.ch38 [Google Scholar]
  7. Dekeyser, Robert
    (2007) Skill acquisition theory. In B. van Pattern and J. Williams (Eds.). Theories in second language acquisition (pp. 97–14). Lawrence Erlbaum.
    [Google Scholar]
  8. Ellis, Rod
    (1989) Are classroom and naturalistic acquisition the same? A study of the classroom acquisition of German word order rules. Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 11, 305–328. doi: 10.1017/S0272263100008159
    https://doi.org/10.1017/S0272263100008159 [Google Scholar]
  9. Hawkins, Roger ; Liszka, Sarah
    (2003) Locating the source of defective past tense marking in advanced L2 English speakers. In R. van Hout , A. Hulk , F. Kuiken and R. Towell (Eds.), The Lexicon–syntax interface in second language acquisition (pp. 21–44). Amsterdam: John Benjamins. doi: 10.1075/lald.30.03haw
    https://doi.org/10.1075/lald.30.03haw [Google Scholar]
  10. Hyltenstam, Kenneth ; Abrahamsson, Niclas
    (2003) Maturational constraints in SLA. In C. Doughty and M. Long (Eds.), The handbook of second language acquisition (pp. 539–588). Oxford: Blackwell. doi: 10.1002/9780470756492.ch17
    https://doi.org/10.1002/9780470756492.ch17 [Google Scholar]
  11. Jansen, Louise
    (2008) Acquisition of German word order in tutored learners: A cross–sectional study in a wider theoretical context. Language Learning, 58, 185–231. doi: 10.1111/j.1467‑9922.2007.00438.x
    https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9922.2007.00438.x [Google Scholar]
  12. Jia, Gisela ; Fuse, Akiko
    (2007) Acquisition of English grammatical morphology by native Mandarin–speaking children and adolescents: Age–related differences. Journal of Speech, Language and Hearing Research, 50, 1280–1299. doi: 10.1044/1092‑4388(2007/090)
    https://doi.org/10.1044/1092-4388(2007/090) [Google Scholar]
  13. Kasper, Gabriele
    (1997) “A” stands for acquisition: A response to Firth and Wagner. The Modern Language Journal, 81, 307–312.
    [Google Scholar]
  14. Kessler, Jeorg
    (Ed.) (2008) Processability approaches to second language development and second language learning. Newcastle: Cambridge Scholars Press.
    [Google Scholar]
  15. Krashen, Stephen
    (1982) Principles and practice in second language acquisition. New York: Pergamon Press.
    [Google Scholar]
  16. Krashen, Stephen ; Long, Michael ; Scarcella, Roger
    (1979) Age, rate and eventual attainment in second language acquisition. TESOL Quarterly, 13, 573–582. doi: 10.2307/3586451
    https://doi.org/10.2307/3586451 [Google Scholar]
  17. Lardiere, Donna
    (1998a) Case and tense in the ‘fossilized’ steady state. Second Language Research, 14(1), 1–26. doi: 10.1191/026765898674105303
    https://doi.org/10.1191/026765898674105303 [Google Scholar]
  18. (1998b) Dissociating syntax from morphology in a divergent L2 end–state grammar. Second Language Research, 14, 359–375. doi: 10.1191/026765898672500216
    https://doi.org/10.1191/026765898672500216 [Google Scholar]
  19. (2000) Mapping features to forms in second language acquisition. In J. Archibald (Ed.), Second language acquisition and linguistic theory (pp.102–129). Oxford: Blackwell.
    [Google Scholar]
  20. Liddicoat, Anthony
    (1997) Interaction, social structure, and second language use: A response to Firth and Wagner. The Modern Language Journal, 81, 313–317. doi: 10.1111/j.1540‑4781.1997.tb05485.x
    https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-4781.1997.tb05485.x [Google Scholar]
  21. Mansouri, Fethi
    (Ed.) (2007) Second language research theory–construction and testing. Newcastle: Cambridge Scholars Press.
    [Google Scholar]
  22. Mason, Charles
    (1971) The relevance of intensive training in English as a foreign language for university students. Language Learning, 21, 197–204. doi: 10.1111/j.1467‑1770.1971.tb00058.x
    https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-1770.1971.tb00058.x [Google Scholar]
  23. Ortega, Lourdes
    (2009) Sequences and processes in language learning. In M. Long and C. Doughty (Eds.). The handbook of language teaching (pp. 81–105). Oxford: Wiley–Blackwell. doi: 10.1002/9781444315783.ch6
    https://doi.org/10.1002/9781444315783.ch6 [Google Scholar]
  24. Pallotti, Gabriele
    (2007) An operational definition of the emergence criterion. Applied Linguistics, 28, 361–382. doi: 10.1093/applin/amm018
    https://doi.org/10.1093/applin/amm018 [Google Scholar]
  25. Pienemann, Manfred
    (1987) Psychological constraints on the teachability of language. In C. Pfaff (Ed.), First and second language acquisition processes (pp. 146–168). New Book: Newbury House.
    [Google Scholar]
  26. (1998) Language processing and second language development: Processability Theory. Amsterdam: John Benjamins. doi: 10.1075/sibil.15
    https://doi.org/10.1075/sibil.15 [Google Scholar]
  27. (2005) An introduction to Processability Theory. In M. Pienemann (Ed.), Cross–linguistic aspects of Processability Theory (pp. 1–60). Amsterdam John Benjamins. doi: 10.1075/sibil.30.03pie
    https://doi.org/10.1075/sibil.30.03pie [Google Scholar]
  28. Sato, Charlene
    (1990) The syntax of conversation in interlanguage development. Tubingen: Gunter Narr.
    [Google Scholar]
  29. Schmidt, Richard
    (1983) Interaction, acculturation, and the acquisition of communicative competence: A case study of an adult. In N. Wolfson and E. Judd (Eds.), Sociolinguistics and language acquisition (pp. 137–174). Rowley, MA.: Newbury House.
    [Google Scholar]
  30. Siegel, Jeff
    (2003) Social context. In C. Doughty and M. Long (Eds.), The handbook of second language acquisition (pp. 179–223). Oxford: Blackwell. doi: 10.1002/9780470756492.ch8
    https://doi.org/10.1002/9780470756492.ch8 [Google Scholar]
  31. Upshur, John
    (1968) Four experiments on the relation between foreign language teaching and learning. Language Learning, 18, 111–124. doi: 10.1111/j.1467‑1770.1987.tb00393.x
    https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-1770.1987.tb00393.x [Google Scholar]
  32. Zhang, Yanyin
    (2003) A note on the accuracy criterion and the emergence criterion. Chinese Teaching in the World [in Chinese], 65 (3), 52–60.
    [Google Scholar]
  33. Zhang, Yanyin ; Liu, Bo ; Bower, Eileen
    . (in preparation). Nature or nurture? Past tense marking by advanced Chinese speakers of L2 English.
    [Google Scholar]
/content/journals/10.2104/aral1029
Loading
  • Article Type: Research Article
This is a required field
Please enter a valid email address
Approval was successful
Invalid data
An Error Occurred
Approval was partially successful, following selected items could not be processed due to error