Transcript Vocabulary acquisition in 2 nd language learning

nd
2
Language Learning
Ch. 2
Lecture 5
Interlanguage
• A term introduced by Larry Selinker
• Errors that are not from the L1 nor the L2
• It is a linguistic system used by 2nd language
learners (SLL). It may have characteristics of
the learners L1, characteristics of the target
language (TL) and characteristics that are
general in all interlanguage systems.
Interlanguage
• There are 3 characteristics of interlanguage:
1. Systematic
It has a set of rules. They may be taken from the learners L1
and the TL. These rules may not be correct, but it has rules.
2. Dynamic
Although it is systematic and has a set of linguistic rules, these
rules may change. (how?)
3. Variable
It depends on the input the learners receive.
Developmental sequences
• 2ND language learners (SLL) similar as 1st language learners
pass through sequences of development.
• The features of a language that are most frequent are not
necessarily learned first. For example, every English
sentence has one/more articles (a – the – an) but even
advanced learners have difficulty using them correctly.
• Although the 1st language of the learner does have (some)
influence, many aspects of these sequences are similar
among learners from different language backgrounds.
Developmental sequences (negation)
• Stages of forming negative sentences:
Stage 1. Using (no/not) before the verb/word being
negated.
[No bicycle]
[I no like it]
[Not my friend]
Stage 2. Using (don’t)
[I don’t like it]
[I don’t can sing]
Developmental sequences (negation)
Stage 3. Using (are – is – can) with the negation.
Still has problems with tense, person.
[I cannot sing]
[He is not happy]
Stage 4. Using auxiliary verbs with (not) that agree
with tense, person and number.
[It doesn’t work]
[She doesn’t work]
[I didn’t work]
Developmental sequences (questions)
Stage 1. Single words, sentence fragments.
[Dog?]
[Eat chocolate?]
Stage 2. Declarative word order, no inversion.
[The boys throw the ball?]
[It’s a flower in the garden?]
Developmental sequences (questions)
Stage 3. Wh-fronting, Do-fronting but no inversion.
[Where the children are playing?]
[Does in this picture there are four boys?]
Stage 4. Inversion in Wh- +copula(linking verb),
yes/no questions.)
[Where is the sun?]
Is there a flower in the garden?]
Developmental sequences (questions)
Stage 5. Inversion in Wh- question with both
auxiliary & main verb.
[What is the boy doing?]
[Where do you play chess?]
Stage 6. Complex questions(tag q – negative q –
embedded q).
[It’s better, isn’t it?]
[Why can’t you go?]
[Can you tell me what the date is today?]
Vocabulary acquisition in 2nd
language learning
• The learner/teacher must make the distinction
between knowing a word & using a word.
(any guesses on what the difference may be?)
• In other words, the purpose of vocabulary
learning should include both remembering
words and the ability to use them
automatically in a wide range of language
contexts when the need arises.
Vocabulary acquisition in 2nd
language learning
• There are 3 terms closely related to vocabulary acquisition in SLL:
High frequency words – Low frequency words - Cognates
• High frequency words: words that occur so regularly in daily
conversation.
•
Low frequency words: words that deal more with certain academic
studies, words that appear throughout all academic texts and
courses, but not very often in day to day speech.
• Cognates: words that come from the same original root. For
example, (water –English // wasser –German)
(Music –English // musique –French)
Vocabulary acquisition in 2nd
language learning
LIST 1
LIST 2
LIST 3
More
Town
Book
Hamburger
T-shirt
Pizza
Government
Dictionary
Elementary
Night
Smile
Hotel
Dollar
International
Remarkable
Vocabulary acquisition in 2nd
language learning
• Factors that make new vocabulary more easily
learnable:
1. Frequency in which the word is seen, heard and
understood (why is understanding imp.?)
In fact, many studies suggest that a learner needs to have
many meaningful encounters
(a number of 16) with a new word before it becomes
firmly established in the memory.
2. How easy/difficult a word is.
Vocabulary acquisition in 2nd
language learning
• Strategies for vocabulary learning:
1. Krashen believes: best source of vocabulary is reading for
pleasure.
However, his idea was criticized because it is difficult to infer
the meaning of a new word from reading unless the reader
already knows 95% of the other words.
2. Engaging in activity.
Keeping a notebook, looking up words in a dictionary and
reviewing what has been learned. It is therefore, an ongoing
process.
Pragmatics in second language
learning
• Pragmatics: A branch of linguistics that studies
the use of language in social settings.
• Words can be interpreted in different ways
based on the situation.
For example,
The tent example
How are you? (supermarket)
Excuse me (Crowd-mistake)
Pragmatics in second language
learning
• Pragmatic competence in 2nd language
includes:
1. Making & interpreting requests &
suggestions
2. Responding to compliments & apologies
3. Responding to invitations
4. Recognizing humor
5. Managing conversation in general
Pragmatics in second language
learning
• Learning how to make and reject suggestions has been largely
investigated.
Harlig & Hartford (1993) study:
- The study observed the difference between the way native & nonnative speakers of English communicated with their advisors in
school as they discussed course selections.
- Results showed that native speakers initiated suggestions, whereas
non-natives did not.
- For example, if the students did not like the course that was
suggested for them, the natives would say something like “My
schedule conflicts with this course”. Non-natives would say “I think I
am not interested in this course.”
Pragmatics in second language
learning
• Direct speech VS, indirect (mitigated speech):
• Mitigation: (Gladwell) any attempt to downplay or
sugarcoat the meaning of what is being said.
• There are 6 degrees of mitigation:
1. Command [Try this method.]
2. Obligation statement [We need to try this method.]
3. Suggestion [Why don’t we try this method instead?]
4. Query [Do you think we could try this method?]
5. Preference [Perhaps we should try this method.]
6. Hint [I wonder if we could try this method.]
Pragmatics in second language
learning
• Gladwell explains that because a hint is the
most mitigated form of speech, it is “the
hardest kind of request to decode and the
easiest to refuse.”
Phonology in 2nd language learning
• The sounds/ pronunciation has been given little attention until
recently.
• Studies show learners’ pronunciation is affected by number of
factors:
1. Learners’ first language: first language influences second
language learners’ phonological development.
For example, Japanese and Korean learners of
English have problems in /l/ and /r/ because they are
not distinct in their L1.
a. The greater the difference is between two languages the greater
difficulty a learner faces to reach phonological fluency.
For example, a Chinese-speaker faces a greater challenge than
does a speaker of German or Dutch.
Phonology in 2nd language learning
2. Period of exposure: Longer periods of exposure to the
2nd language lead to improved pronunciation.
3. Ethnic affiliation and sense of identity: ethnic
affiliation and sense of identity affect the way learners
produce L2. The more they feel connected to the L2
culture or the more they want to be connected, the
better they will be.
4. Method of instruction: instructions focusing on stress
and rhythm in pronunciation classes are more effective
than lessons emphasizing on individual sounds.
Challenges of studying learners’
language
• Although there are numerous studies on language learning,
however, this comes with a bit of challenges:
1. Difficulty of collecting samples of learners’ speech/writing
that are large enough to ensure validity of results.
2. Difficulty to recruit learners to participate in a study and
persuade them to remain available over the time period
necessary to show development.
3. Difficulty to schedule sessions for recording speech or
collecting writing samples and to transcribe the speech
samples for analysis.
Thank you