Search Results (6)

The cause(s) of missing inflectional morphology in obligatory contexts by adult speakers of second language (L2) English is subject to ongoing discussion. Whatever the specific theory, however, the apparent asymmetrical production of the morpheme ‘-s’ in the marking of number on plural nouns versus that on third person singular agreement has to be accounted for. This study adopts the theoretical approach put forward by the Prosodic Transfer Hypothesis, whereby the prosodic representation of inflectional morphology in the first language (L1) can, to some extent, account for differences in the suppliance of inflectional morphology in L2 English within and across L1s. It is in this context that the production of third person singular agreement, and, for contrastive purposes, number on plural nouns, by L1 Bengali speakers of L2 English, is considered in relation to available prosodic representation in the L1, as well as against phonological processes attested in L1 acquisition. More specifically, with respect to covert contrasts. An inspection of spectrograms from instances of the apparent omission of inflection by L1 Bengali speakers of L2 English at Beginner to Intermediate proficiency levels does not, however, indicate that learners are covertly supplying agreement on the third person singular (or plural number on nouns). This finding does not necessarily rule out the occurrence of covert contrasts in L2 production of inflectional morphology; alternative techniques may detect a systematic difference between bare verbs and non-audible (to the listener) inflection. Full article

Grammatical gender presents persistent difficulty for adult learners of Spanish in L2 acquisition; however, there is a literature gap in L3 acquisition of gender, specifically of typologically different languages. In this project, we investigate the acquisition of Spanish gender agreement by Russian (L1)/Mandarin (L1)-English (L2) speakers of Spanish (L3) and compare the findings with English(L1) speakers of Spanish (L2). Studying these languages is particularly interesting because some exhibit an explicit gender system (Spanish and Russian) while others do not (English and Mandarin). In order to examine the effect of L1/L2 influence of these languages on L3 Spanish acquisition, 55 participants completed two tasks: a picture identification task and a grammaticality judgement task. Results indicate that advanced learners of Spanish of all L1 backgrounds performed at or near ceiling. All beginner learners performed better with canonically marked masculine nouns than noncanonical feminine nouns, thus corroborating previous findings. Regarding L1 influence, Russian participants outperformed the other two groups, especially in Task 1 (Picture Identification), thereby indicating that they may be transferring to some degree the grammatical gender system of their L1. Overall, this research provides evidence that multiple factors, including structural typology and L3 proficiency level, play a role in L3 acquisition. Full article

This study serves to fill a research gap in the written feedback practices of teachers in a second language (L2) writing by focusing on adult beginners, previously uninvestigated in feedback studies. For investigating this, a feedback analysis model was developed. Unlike previous models in L2 contexts, in this study feedback is divided into two main areas, focus (what the teachers comment on) and manner (how the comments are given). The study was conducted in a web-based Swedish as a second language course and included three experienced teachers and their L2 students. The analysis of teachers’ written comments on 60 texts from 12 of the students revealed that in the two main areas both new and previously used categories of feedback were identified. In the area focus five new subcategories were identified within language accuracy, and in the area manner politeness, and reinforcement of learning outcomes were identified as new categories. Within the area, focus, the teachers concentrated on language accuracy, and within the area, manner, all three teachers mostly provided information, but also made a range of suggestions. There was also individual variation among teachers. The analysis of feedback strengthens the importance of applying the main distinction between ‘focus’ and ‘manner’ in L2 contexts. Full article

The role of interactional corrective feedback in second language assessment has attracted both teachers’ and second language researchers’ interest, as they are concerned with when corrective feedback can be implemented to assist second language acquisition. This quasi-experimental intervention study aims to investigate the impact of two corrective feedback types, namely recasts and metalinguistic feedback, and students’ proficiency in the acquisition of the Greek perfective past tense. The sample consists of ten adult beginners’ classes (n = 86 students) of the Modern Greek Language Teaching Center of the University of Athens. The classes were randomly assigned to three treatment conditions: (a) recast; (b) metalinguistic feedback; (c) no feedback and participated in form-focused production activities. A grammaticality judgment pretest and posttest were administrated to measure participants’ development on the explicit knowledge of perfective past tense morphology. After the treatment, participants were divided in the database into high and low beginner students based on their performance on a placement test administrated prior to the treatment. Results revealed that the groups that received corrective feedback outperformed the control group, while no statistical significance was found between the two treatment groups. Moreover, high-beginner learners benefited equally from both feedback types, whereas low-beginner learners benefited significantly from metalinguistic feedback. Full article

Digital storytelling, including text, images, audio, music, and video, has been researched as a means of enhancing learners’ motivation, autonomy, and engagement and as a way to improve oral and speaking skills in foreign language learning. This study examined the relation between adults’ engagement in digital storytelling (scaffolded by an interactive learning environment) and their speaking skills and motivation when learning a foreign language. The study used a pre-test, post-test control group design with two groups of 20 Russians who were beginners in learning Greek as a foreign language (n = 40). The 12-h intervention was technology-supported only for the experimental group. Even though the comparison of participants’ recorded speech pre- and post-intervention revealed a statistically significant decrease of mistakes made during speech from pre- to post-intervention for both groups, an independent samples t-test to compare the groups’ post-intervention speaking performance revealed a statistically significant difference in favor of the experimental group (t(38) = 4.05, p < 0.05). The analysis of results from a motivation questionnaire administered pre- and post-intervention showed a statistically significant increase in the motivation of the experimental group only. Findings provide an indication that digital storytelling, scaffolded by an interactive learning environment, supports the development of adults’ speaking skills in a foreign language and increases their motivation. Full article

Objective. Derivation dependence, inter- and intrasubject/intertest variability, bilateral differences of the eardrum vibration characteristics have been investigated using laser Doppler vibrometry (LDV).
Material and methods. A total of 31 normally hearing adults were examined. In each subject, both ears were consecutively stimulated by the chirp acoustic stimulus that covered 500–3700-Hz frequencies. The laser beam was directed to and the reflection was consecutively picked up from the tympanic membrane surface.
Results. LDV curves derived from different eardrum loci possessed dissimilar characteristics. The derivation area dependence was particularly apparent for the stimulus frequency constituents above 1500 Hz. The intersubject variability of LDV parameters exceeded the intrasubject/ intertest one. The intersubject divergences looked selectively distinct for the frequencies over 2000 Hz. Under repeated recordings, LDV parameters remained stable. The intertest differences, if appeared, concerned predominantly the magnitudes of separate frequency bands. LDV waveforms registered by experienced and beginner investigators were alike. Bilaterally derived LDV curves regularly differed from each other. In individual cases, the bilateral divergences approximated the intersubject deviation.
Conclusions. The derivation area on the eardrum should be taken into account when estimating the actual LDV recording. Over repeated recordings in separate individuals, LDV waveforms are stable while the experience of investigator has slight if any influence on the principal LDV characteristics. Due to bilateral differences in the middle ear transfer function, in LDV testing of the ear suspected to the pathology, LDV recording from the opposite healthy ear could hardly be taken as an appropriate reference sample. Full article