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Second Language Acquisition Research (second + language_acquisition_research)

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Humanities and Social Sciences100%

Selected Abstracts

Sociolinguistic Approaches to Second Language Acquisition Research,1997,2007

MODERN LANGUAGE JOURNAL, Issue 5 2007
ELAINE TARONE
This article discusses sociolinguistically oriented research on second language acquisition (SLA) in the decade since Firth and Wagner (1997). Over the last 10 years, substantial progress has been made in developing a model of the sociolinguistic processes that inform second language acquisition. This model is supported by empirical evidence on the relationship between social context and second language use and acquisition, which shows that learners' second language (L2) input and processing of L2 input in social settings are socially mediated, that social and linguistic context affect linguistic use, choice, and development, and that learners intentionally assert social identities through their L2 in communicating in social contexts. A strength of sociolinguistically oriented SLA research is its strong focus on linguistic outcomes, tracking the impact of contextual factors in producing those outcomes. Preston (2000, 2002) and Fasold and Preston (2006) provided a central sociolinguistic framework to integrate research on the interaction of social factors and cognitive processes in producing interlanguage, which is a variable linguistic system. [source]

Sociolinguistic Approaches to Second Language Acquisition Research,1997,2007

MODERN LANGUAGE JOURNAL, Issue 2007
ELAINE TARONE
This article discusses sociolinguistically oriented research on second language acquisition (SLA) in the decade since Firth and Wagner (1997). Over the last 10 years, substantial progress has been made in developing a model of the sociolinguistic processes that inform second language acquisition. This model is supported by empirical evidence on the relationship between social context and second language use and acquisition, which shows that learners' second language (L2) input and processing of L2 input in social settings are socially mediated, that social and linguistic context affect linguistic use, choice, and development, and that learners intentionally assert social identities through their L2 in communicating in social contexts. A strength of sociolinguistically oriented SLA research is its strong focus on linguistic outcomes, tracking the impact of contextual factors in producing those outcomes. Preston (2000, 2002) and Fasold and Preston (2006) provided a central sociolinguistic framework to integrate research on the interaction of social factors and cognitive processes in producing interlanguage, which is a variable linguistic system. [source]

Fossilization: five central issues

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF APPLIED LINGUISTICS, Issue 2 2004
ZhaoHong Han
Second language acquisition research over the past three decades has generated a wide spectrum of different interpretations of "fossilization", a construct introduced by Selinker (1972) for characterizing lack of grammatical development in second language learning. These conceptual differences found in the literature, it has become increasingly clear, create confusion rather than offering clarification, thereby obstructing a coherent understanding of the theoretical notion as well as empirical research findings. This article addresses the conceptual differences by raising and discussing five central issues: (1) Is fossilization global or local? (2) Is L2 ultimate attainment isomorphic with fossilization? (3) Is fossilization a product or a process? (4) Is stabilization synonymous with fossilization? (5) Should empirical studies of fossilization span five years or more? [source]

Investigating grammatical difficulty in second language learning: Implications for second language acquisition research and language testing

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF APPLIED LINGUISTICS, Issue 1 2008
Rod EllisArticle first published online: 20 FEB 200
Both second language acquisition (SLA) researchers and language testers collect data in order to make statements about what learners have learned. Many researchers and testers consider the ideal data for this purpose to be naturally occurring language use. This paper examines whether data elicited by instruments designed to provide separate measures of implicit and explicit second language knowledge afford a valid basis for determining what learners have learned. It reports on a study that tested predictions derived from Pienemann's Processability Theory regarding the learning difficulty of four grammatical structures. The results showed that the predictions were borne out in the data from the tests of implicit knowledge but not in the data from the tests of explicit knowledge. The study suggests that experimentally elicited data can be used to examine interlanguage development (i.e. how learners' implicit knowledge develops) and to make statements about learners' grammatical proficiency. It also indicates that what constitutes learning difficulty needs to be considered separately for implicit and explicit knowledge. The implications for SLA research and language testing are considered.1 [source]

The Definition and Measurement of L2 Explicit Knowledge

LANGUAGE LEARNING, Issue 2 2004
Rod Ellis
A number of theories of second language (L2) acquisition acknowledge a role for explicit L2 knowledge. However, the testing of these theories remains problematic because of the lack of a widely accepted means for measuring L2 explicit knowledge. This article seeks to address this lacuna by examining L2 explicit knowledge from two perspectives. First, it considers explicit knowledge as a construct. How can explicit knowledge be defined? How does it differ from other constructs such as L2 proficiency and language aptitude? Second, the article considers how L2 explicit knowledge can be measured. It critically reviews some of the ways in which explicit knowledge has been operationalized in second language acquisition research and discusses some of the instruments that have been used to measure L2 explicit knowledge. It concludes with some guidelines for investigating explicit knowledge as analyzed knowledge and as metalanguage. [source]

Word Searches in NNS,NS Interaction: Opportunities for Language Learning?

MODERN LANGUAGE JOURNAL, Issue 4 2003
Catherine E. Brouwer
A substantial portion of second language acquisition research focuses on interactional practices in which nonnative speakers (NNSs) engage. From various theoretical viewpoints, it is assumed that certain types of interactional practices, specifically those in which participants focus on linguistic form, may promote language learning. The question of whether, and under which conditions, such sequences can be seen as providing the NNS with language learning opportunities, is considered in a purely data-driven way, applying conversation analysis (CA) as a method. The article considers one specific type of interactional practice, "word search" sequences, and opportunities for language learning that they may provide for NNSs on the basis of naturally occurring interactions between native speakers of Danish and Dutch speakers of Danish. It is argued that in order to distinguish between "language learning opportunities" and other types of interactional practices, the researcher needs to analyze the data in detail. [source]