Second Language Acquisition Course Research Articles

Universal Grammar and Universal Grammar’s Influence and Related Theories Concerning Second Language Acquisition

Universal Grammar, represented by Chomsky, believes that the human brain is born with a Language Acquisition Device. Under the stimulation of the language environment, the language function of the human brain dedicated to language learning will be activated and begin to acquire a language. Universal grammar is the core idea of Chomsky's generative linguistics theory, which is composed of a limited number of syntactic principles representing the common features of human language. It is precisely because the human brain naturally generates this universal grammar that human beings can acquire their own mother tongue when language input is poor or even lacks "negative corpus" (that is, the indication of language errors or faults). Chomsky once proposed a simple language acquisition model, namely "language input —Language Acquisition Device —language acquisition", which means that language input generates grammar through Language Acquisition Device, thus acquiring language. It is worth noting that Chomsky's theory is not specifically designed for the study of Second Language Acquisition, and he himself has not given any guidance in this field, but it provides theoretical support for the theory of Second Language Acquisition (Yang Chunyuan, 2020). Hence, learning the whole semester’s course of Second Language Acquisition, having seen universal grammar as a important content in my textbook, this paper tries to integrate these related theories and make a conclusion and comment or paraphrasing（not all the bibliographies are quoted directly in this paper, paraphrased or arranged instead）based on various bibliographies.

Do Online Courses Change Teachers’ Beliefs? A Study of Omani Teacher-trainees’ Beliefs in Second Language Acquisition

Teachers’ beliefs on language learning play a pivotal role in teachers’ classroom practices and are thought to be stable. This article aims to show the change in the teacher-trainees’ beliefs after taking an online second language acquisition (SLA) course as opposed to the traditional face-to-face SLA course from previous studies. The participants are sixteen teacher-trainees from a rural university in Oman. All participants attended a 16-week online SLA course. The data was captured by juxtaposing pre-course and post-course questionnaires. The results show that teachers’ beliefs on language learning theories, language policies, and classroom practices present a change, whereas teachers’ beliefs on error correction are resistant to change. Furthermore, teacher-trainees with some teaching experience reported dramatic changes in their beliefs regarding classroom practices. This study provides preliminary evidence that semester-long online courses may affect teachers’ beliefs.

Using the Relative Entropy of Linguistic Complexity to Assess L2 Language Proficiency Development.

This study applies relative entropy in naturalistic large-scale corpus to calculate the difference among L2 (second language) learners at different levels. We chose lemma, token, POS-trigram, conjunction to represent lexicon and grammar to detect the patterns of language proficiency development among different L2 groups using relative entropy. The results show that information distribution discrimination regarding lexical and grammatical differences continues to increase from L2 learners at a lower level to those at a higher level. This result is consistent with the assumption that in the course of second language acquisition, L2 learners develop towards a more complex and diverse use of language. Meanwhile, this study uses the statistics method of time series to process the data on L2 differences yielded by traditional frequency-based methods processing the same L2 corpus to compare with the results of relative entropy. However, the results from the traditional methods rarely show regularity. As compared to the algorithms in traditional approaches, relative entropy performs much better in detecting L2 proficiency development. In this sense, we have developed an effective and practical algorithm for stably detecting and predicting the developments in L2 learners’ language proficiency.

Tone-induced split in stop category mapping by Korean learners of Mandarin Chinese

AbstractThe present study reports a novel case where a simple one-to-one category mapping may develop into a systematic one-to-two mapping over the course of second language acquisition. We examined the split in category mapping of the Mandarin unaspirated stops conditioned by tone by Korean-speaking learners of Mandarin Chinese (e.g. Mandarin /ta35/ to Korean lenis [ta] vs. Mandarin /ta55/ to Korean fortis [t’a]). Korean L2 learners and naïve listeners participated in identification tasks in whichf0contours of Mandarin words containing unaspirated stops with short-lag VOTs were digitally manipulated. In word-initial position, learners showed a near-categorical perception from lenis to fortis asf0increased, while most stimuli were identified as fortis by naïve listeners. The effect off0was much smaller in word-medial position, but the group difference remained the same, confirming the two groups’ differential use of phonetic cues for stop identification. Taken together, a substantial reorganization of perceptual cues, namely the promotion off0concurrent with significant underweighting of VOT cues, seems to have taken place during L2 acquisition. The findings were discussed with reference to PAM-L2 whereby the knowledge of the L2 phonological system along with particular phonetic properties of the L2 sounds may have driven a perceptual regrouping of the L2 stop categories.

Teacher-learners' engagement in the reconceptualization of second language acquisition knowledge through inquiry

For decades, teacher educators have struggled to better prepare teachers who critically understand and utilize second language acquisition (SLA) theory and research. Using a sociocultural theoretical framework that positions teacher-learners as active users and producers of SLA theory, this study explores how teacher-learners in two sections of one capstone SLA course (offered in a graduate-level TESOL/World Language teacher education program) construct their SLA knowledge and praxis. We used thematic content analysis to examine our data set which included written artifacts teacher-learners produced during their course assignments, online discussion posts, observations of class discussions over sixteen weeks, and three questionnaires (completed before, in the middle, and at the end of the course). Findings revealed how teacher-learners externalized their understanding of SLA, struggled with contrasting perspectives, and resituated theory in light of past, present and future teaching. This study has implications for L2 teacher education by shedding light on processes of teacher learning and by offering an inquiry based model for SLA courses that prepare teacher-learners as transformative intellectuals and lifelong learners.

Blending a Three-Way Technology into A Language Acquisition and Development Course for Pre-service Teachers

This article is to report an action research conducted in two sections of a course called Second Language Acquisitionand Development during the fall semester of 2011 and the spring semester of 2012. By focusing on a three-wayblended learning (BL) environment—face-to-face (F2F), eLearning, and Second Life (SL, a virtual-worldenvironment), this study attempts to explore students’ experiences, perceptions, and reflections on multimediatechnology and apply the findings to help improve a second language acquisition course. By conducting 36interviews totally from two semesters (15 from the first semester and 21 from the second semester) as well as 30course observations (20 F2F and 10 SL observations), the result of the study suggests students preferred thecombination of F2F and eLearning. The study concludes that SL application needs to be reevaluated for a better BLinstructional structure in terms of student’s skills, training, high-standard hardware equipment, and design of virtualinstallation in order to effectively integrate it into the course of Second Language Acquisition and Development.

Pre-service teacher beliefs about language learning: The second language acquisition course as an agent for change

This large mixed methods study investigated the effects of the introductory second language acquisition (SLA) course on the beliefs of pre-service teachers ( n = 381) enrolled over a three-year period at a state university in California. Pre- to post-course paired sample t-tests that were run on 23 beliefs statements from a widely used survey revealed significant changes in beliefs in several areas including the length of time for acquisition, difficulty of language acquisition, the role of culture, the role of error correction, the importance of grammar, and the efficacy of audiolingual learning strategies. In extensive written post-course explanations, the pre-service teachers attributed their pre-course beliefs to language learning experience in high school and post-course changes in their beliefs to the SLA course content and experiential activities, most notably tutoring an ESL student (the first contact for some teachers). Depth of knowledge was revealed in the teacher comments; this included information that could not have been gleaned from the beliefs surveys alone. The findings, which demonstrated how pre-service teacher beliefs evolve within the context of a professional education course, have practical implications for course design and evaluation in teacher education programs.

Contact-induced changes

Traditionally, contact-induced changes in languages have been classified into two broad categories: those due to ‘borrowing’ and those due to ‘interference’ by an L1 or other primary language on an L2 in the course of second language acquisition (SLA). Other terms used for ‘interference’ include ‘substratum influence’ and ‘transfer.’ Inconsistencies in the use of these terms pose a problem for the classification and analysis of the outcomes of contact-induced change. Moreover, labels like these, unfortunately, have been used to refer both to the outcomes of language contact and to the processes that lead to such results. This imprecision in the use of key terms poses serious problems for our understanding of what is actually involved in the two types of crosslinguistic influence. Moreover, it has led to inaccuracy in our assignment of changes to one or the other category. The aim of this paper is to reassess the conventional wisdom on the distinction between borrowing and ‘interference,’ and to clarify the vehicles of change as well as the outcomes characteristic of each. My approach is based on Van Coetsem's (1988) distinction between two transfer types – borrowing under RL agentivity, and imposition under SL agentivity, with their shared but differently implemented processes of imitation and adaptation. Crucially, this approach recognizes that the same agents may employ either kind of agentivity, and hence different transfer types, in the same contact situation. It is the failure to recognize this that has sometimes led to inaccuracy in accounts of the nature and origins of contact-induced changes, as well as to conflicting classifications of the outcomes of contact. The present paper proposes a more rigorous and consistent classification, based on the kinds of agentivity involved.

Bilingual language acquisition by Korean schoolchildren in New York City

This paper examines the bilingual language development of young Korean–American children with respect to their acquisition of English grammatical morphemes and the different plural marking systems of Korean and English. We address two specific issues: (1) “do L1 and L2 learners acquire the grammatical features of a given language in the same sequence?” and (2) “do L2 learners of different L1 backgrounds learn the grammatical features of a given second language in the same sequence?” Comparison of our results with those of other morpheme acquisition studies suggests that L1 and L2 learners of English do not acquire English grammatical features in the same sequence. Furthermore, there is evidence that first language influences the course of second language acquisition. Results of an experimental study of plural marking suggest that the bilingual children in most, but not all, respects follow similar, but delayed patterns of first language acquisition of Korean and successive acquisition of English.

Exploring a new role for teachers: promoting learner autonomy

Language teachers have a new role: helping their students develop autonomy in learning. How can language teachers aid their learners in becoming autonomous? How do learning strategies contribute to learner autonomy? How can the promoting of autonomy be incorporated into the teaching and learning of second languages? This article reports an attempt to teach students how to learn and how to become autonomous in their own language learning by combining learning strategy instruction with the content course of second language acquisition. It describes how the course requirement — the language learning project — is helpful in guiding students through the process of self-assessment, goal-setting, planning, monitoring and evaluating their own language learning. Students' attitudes and reactions toward the semester-long strategy training and their evaluation of strategy development are reported, along with suggestions to help teachers succeed in such a process.

The stability of UG principles in second-language acquisition: evidence from Japanese

Second-language acquisition is subject to great variation in terms both of ultimate attainment and of the developmental process itself. This paper explores the possibility that at least part of this variation is due to a lack of stability in learners' access to UG. I report here on a limited-scope longitudinal study that examines this matter. The study focuses on a UG principle that prevents overt pronouns from having quantified NPs as antecedents in languages (such as Japanese) that have null pronouns. Data was collected from a group of 29 English-speaking adults learning Japanese as a second language at two different times. For both sessions, the L2 learners as a group exhibited a statistically significant difference in their interpretation of null and overt pronominals when there was a quantified antecedent. These results clearly suggest access to UG. However, when the performance of individual L2 learners is examined, one can discern a striking inconsistency across the two sessions. I propose that this inconsistency reflects an instability in the relevant UG principle that results from its relatively infrequent use in the course of second-language acquisition

Recognition of English sound contrasts by Arabs

It seems to be widely accepted that there is a biologically determined critical stage for language acquisition in humans during childhood [Slobin (1956, 1971)], indirectly providing support for the observations of language teachers that it is almost difficult to acquire a second language thoroughly after the age of 12 or 13. Such conclusions, however, raise the question of the extent to which remedial training can reverse the diminution of discriminative ability in the course of second language acquisition. Natural speech stimuli were presented to two groups of Arabs majoring in English: (1) relatively inexperienced Arabs and (2) experienced Arabs. Our results show that the experienced group acquired better recognition of English sound contrasts than the inexperienced one. Thus we provide support for the findings of Flege (1983) that the more experience the non‐native speakers gain in the second language, the better discriminative ability is noted. [Research supported by Yarmouk University.]