Abstract
The aim of the research was to investigate how native speakers of Russian, which is a highly complex inflectional language, cope with the acquisition of the similar by structure and complexity Lithuanian language. The subjects were adults of different age and education who learned Lithuanian in Belarus. I analyse errors related to the acquisition of noun case. The errors are divided into formal (acquisition of endings) and conceptual ones (choice of the appropriate case). I shortly compare my results with the results of similar research conducted in Lithuania where the subjects were native speakers of different languages.The results of the study show that similar errors are typical for native speakers of different languages irrespective of their morphological complexity. A complex inflectional system of a native language is not necessarily beneficial, but it seems to give some advantages for the acquisition of semantic (not syntactic) cases.
Highlights
The issue of morphology and inflection acquisition of a foreign language still represents both theoretical and practical interest, as it allows better understanding how the language is acquired in general and helps to improve the methodology of teaching (Ellis 1994, Littlewood 2004)
Is a complex morphological system of a native language beneficial? Are there any differences in acquisition compared with other researches? It is usually assumed that native speakers of a language with poor morphology who learn a foreign language with complex morphology are “by definition” under unfavourable conditions (Ellis 1994: IV, Peirce 2015: 62)
The described errors are typical for native speakers of other languages both with poor and rich morphology
Summary
The issue of morphology and inflection acquisition of a foreign language still represents both theoretical and practical interest, as it allows better understanding how the language is acquired in general and helps to improve the methodology of teaching (Ellis 1994, Littlewood 2004). The majority of works on this topic are concentrated on studying of morphology acquisition of broadly used languages like Russian, German, Polish (Kempe, MacWhinney 1998, Peirce 2015, Gabrys-Barker 2007), but there are studies on the material of less common Lithuanian (Ramonienė 2006, Savickienė 2005, Savickienė 2006, Dabašinkienė, Čubajevaitė 2009) The latter four were conducted in Lithuania, and the learners were not grouped by their native languages (they were native speakers of languages both with rich and poor morphology). It is usually assumed that native speakers of a language with poor morphology who learn a foreign language with complex morphology are “by definition” under unfavourable conditions (Ellis 1994: IV, Peirce 2015: 62). Native speakers usually are aware of language complexity but do not know or understand its grammar and morphology systems consciously
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
