Abstract
<p>This research paper aims to test the extent to which 100 Kuwaiti EFL learners are aware of the correct use of inflectional morphemes in English. It also explores the main causes of the errors that Kuwaiti EFL learners may make. Additionally, it checks whether the English proficiency level of the participants plays a role in their answers on the test. To this end, a multiple-choice test was used to measure the participants’ ability to use the correct inflectional morphemesin English. Following data analysis, the results reveal that Kuwaiti EFL learners are aware of the correct use of the inflectional morphemes in English to a certain degree (total mean=65.5%). Additionally, the t-test shows that the participants’ English proficiency level plays a central role in their comprehension of these morphemes. In particular, there is a statistically significant difference between the answers of the advanced learners (ALs) (73.5%) and intermediate learners (ILs) (57.5%). The number of correct answers provided by ALs is higher than that provided by ILs. Regarding the types of errors made by the participants, it has been argued that the most noticeable ones are due to first language (L1) negative transfer and the irregularity of some types of inflectional morphemes in English. Finally, the study concludes with some pedagogical implications and recommendations for further research.</p>
Highlights
The acquisition of inflectional morphology has received a lot of attention in the last few decades (Bybee, 1995; Clahsen, 1999; Clark, 2003; Clahsen, 2006; Dabrowska, 2008; among others)
The number of correct answers provided by Advanced Learners (ALs) is higher than that provided by Intermediate Learners (ILs)
This study investigated the comprehension of inflectional morphemes by Kuwaiti EFL learners by measuring their ability to choose the right word on a multiple-choice test
Summary
The acquisition of inflectional morphology has received a lot of attention in the last few decades (Bybee, 1995; Clahsen, 1999; Clark, 2003; Clahsen, 2006; Dabrowska, 2008; among others). The acquisition of inflectional morphemes has been dominated by two main controversies; namely, dual-route and single-route acquisition models of inflection (see section 2.1). Based on reviewing the previous literature, there are few studies which have investigated the acquisition of inflectional morphemes in English by Arab EFL learners. As a result, this field still requires further research and the current study aims to bridge this gap. Over the last few decades, there has beenwide debate on the acquisition of inflectional morphemes, concerning dual-route acquisition models versus single-route models New irregular verb forms (e.g., E. brung for brought) are ells.ccsenet.org
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