Re-assembling objects: a new look at the L2 acquisition of pronominal clitics

Shimanskaya, Elena; Slabakova, Roumyana

doi:10.1017/s1366728915000784

Cited by 15 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 72 publications

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“…This is relevant because, as mentioned in the introduction, English differs from both Spanish and French in terms of encoding the [±Human] feature, since the pronominal system does encode [±Human] (e.g., he/she vs. it). Previous research with Anglophone learners of French revealed differences in reading time patterns depending on the value of the [±Human] feature (Shimanskaya and Slabakova 2017). Thus, we cannot rule out that the L2 learner group could be influenced by the other languages in their repertory.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 80%

Feature Matching Does Not Equal Convergence: Acquisition of L2 French Accusative Pronouns by L1 Spanish Speakers

Shimanskaya

Leal

2021

Languages

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Our study aims to determine whether formal similarity between two languages (operationalized via the Feature Reassembly Hypothesis) allows adult L2 learners of French (Spanish native speakers; NSs) to straightforwardly acquire third-person singular accusative clitics in their L2. Additionally, we examined the role of surface similarity, since French and Spanish overlap and diverge in several ways. In terms of formal similarity, third-person accusative clitic pronouns in Spanish are almost perfect analogues of their French counterparts. In terms of surface similarity, however, while the feminine accusative pronouns are identical (“la” [la]), the masculine ones differ in Spanish (“lo” [lo]) and French (“le” [lǝ]). Participants included French NSs (n = 26) and Spanish-speaking L2 French learners (n = 36). Results from an offline forced-choice picture selection task and an online self-paced reading task did not support the Feature Reassembly Hypothesis because learners showed considerable difficulty with the interpretation and processing of these pronouns, revealing that, unlike French NSs, their interpretations and processing are guided by the feature [±Human] and, to a lesser degree, by gender, which might be due to the surface-level similarity between feminine accusative clitic pronouns in both languages.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 80%

Feature Matching Does Not Equal Convergence: Acquisition of L2 French Accusative Pronouns by L1 Spanish Speakers

Shimanskaya

Leal

2021

Languages

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“…In terms of the L2 speakers, we expected their behaviour to be less clear cut but, most importantly, modulated by the L1 properties. First and foremost, we anticipated there to be a distinct asymmetry between offline (i.e., judgment) and online (i.e., eye movement) data, in light of previous research (cf., Papadopoulou and Clahsen 2003;Marinis et al 2005;Shimanskaya and Slabakova 2017;Stepanov et al 2019). Although we have argued that online knowledge may be modulated by underlying linguistic knowledge, it is likely that delayed lexical access and/or limited computational resources may prevent learners from applying this knowledge during real-time processing.…”

Section: Research Questions and Predictionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

L2 Knowledge of the Obligatory French Subjunctive: Offline Measures and Eye Tracking Compared

Dudley

Slabakova

2021

Languages

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Extensive research has shown that second language (L2) learners find it difficult to apply grammatical knowledge during real-time processing, especially when differences exist between the first (L1) and L2. The current study examines the extent to which British English-speaking learners of French can apply their grammatical knowledge of the French subjunctive during real-time processing, and whether this ability is modulated by the properties of the L1 grammar, and/or proficiency. Data from an acceptability judgment task and an eye-tracking during reading experiment revealed that L2 learners had knowledge of the subjunctive, but were unable to apply this knowledge when reading for comprehension. Such findings therefore suggest that L2 knowledge of the subjunctive, at least at the proficiency levels tested in this study, is largely metalinguistic (explicit) in nature and that reduced lexical access and/or limited computational resources (e.g., working memory) prevented learners from fully utilising their grammatical representations during real-time processing.

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“…The results may be accounted for by L1 transfer effects as well as a task effect and the use of explicit learning strategies. Using insights from Lardiere (2004Lardiere ( , 2008Lardiere ( , 2009 and Hawkins et al's (2006) concerning feature reassembly and feature expression on the English articles, as well as insights from Cho and Slabakova (2014), Shimanskaya and Slabakova (2014), and Slabakova's (2009bSlabakova's ( , 2009cSlabakova's ( , 2016 concerning notions of covert vs. overt and direct vs. indirect form-meaning expressions of functional morphemes, we argue that the article use patterns exhibited by the intermediate L2 English learners were due to L1 transfer and its interaction with the L2 input data.…”

Section: Cjl/rclmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Other scholars have reasoned that variability in English article acquisition patterns among L2 learners (L2 speakers) stems from mismatches in feature specifications on the lexical items between the learners' L1 and the target L2, and thus requires feature reassembly for successful acquisition (Hawkins et al 2006;Lardiere 2004Lardiere , 2005Lardiere , 2008Shimanskaya 2015;Shimanskaya and Slabakova 2014). Other factors are whether the functional morphemes are overtly expressed in both the L1 and L2, whether they are overt in the L1 and covert in the L2, or whether they are overt in the L2 and covert in the L1 (Cho and Slabakova 2014;Slabakova 2009aSlabakova , 2009bSlabakova , 2016.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The acquisition of English articles among L1 Dagbani L2 English learners

Kwame

Westergaard

2020

Can. J. Linguist.

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This study investigates the acquisition of articles in L2 English by L1 speakers of Dagbani, a Gur language spoken in Ghana. Dagbani differs from English in that it has two definite articles, no indefinite article, and a zero-article which may express definiteness, indefiniteness as well as genericity. The study consisted of a Forced-choice task (FCT) and an Acceptability judgement task (AJT) which were administered to Dagbani teenagers with an intermediate proficiency in English (n = 45) and a group of native English speakers as controls (n = 8). The results showed that the learners’ article choice was based on definiteness, not specificity (i.e., no fluctuation between the two) and that they had slightly more problems with indefinite than definite contexts, while generic contexts were the most problematic. Except for a certain task effect as well as a possible interference of instruction (in the FCT), the results can be argued to generally be due to influence from the L1 and to the difficulty of feature reassembly.

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Re-assembling objects: a new look at the L2 acquisition of pronominal clitics

Cited by 15 publications

References 72 publications

Feature Matching Does Not Equal Convergence: Acquisition of L2 French Accusative Pronouns by L1 Spanish Speakers

Feature Matching Does Not Equal Convergence: Acquisition of L2 French Accusative Pronouns by L1 Spanish Speakers

L2 Knowledge of the Obligatory French Subjunctive: Offline Measures and Eye Tracking Compared

The acquisition of English articles among L1 Dagbani L2 English learners

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