L2 Grammatical Knowledge Research Articles

Praxis-Based Grammar Instruction Using Social Media Networking: Mediational Feedback within ZPD

Recent second or foreign language (L2) research has shown that integration of form-focused instruction into collaborative, communicative activity is highly influential. Sociocultural theory (SCT) provides a praxis-oriented educational ecosystem wherein L2 grammatical knowledge and practical use can be effectively linked. This SCT-inspired study examined the effects of praxis-oriented grammar instruction and mediational feedback within the social media networking (SMN) platform (i.e., Telegram) on L2 learners’ microgenetic development of grammatical knowledge. Participants were 30 EFL learners that were assigned to three different instructional conditions: (i) conventional teacher-fronted instruction as the comparison group, (ii) collaborative instruction attuned to learners’ Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) in an actual classroom as the first experimental group, and (iii) ZPD-based instruction in virtual Telegram space as the second. The groups were pre- and posttested on a grammar test targeting subject-verb non-inversion in embedded WH-questions, which poses cross-linguistic challenges to Persian L2 learners of English. Collaborative whole-class, dyadic, or triadic talk-in-interactional activities were employed to engage learners in co-constructing educational praxis and providing contingent, ZPD-sensitive graduated mediation in both virtual and face-to-face settings. The results indicated that the two ZPD groups outperformed the comparison group. No significant difference was, however, found between the ZPD groups despite witnessing a developmental trend in favor of the virtual SMN setting. Post-intervention interviews revealed learners’ positive attitudes towards using Telegram affordances for praxis-oriented grammar instruction. Further theoretical and pedagogical implications are discussed.

Grammatical gender acquisition in sequential trilinguals: Influence of a gendered L1 vs. L2

In an investigation of the acquisition of grammatical gender at the initial stage of L3 acquisition, beginner L3 German learners with L1 English/L2 Spanish or L1 Spanish/L2 English were compared in their ability to identify gender errors in a German grammaticality judgement task. L2 Spanish learners significantly outperformed L1 Spanish learners. Potential explanations for group differences include (1) exclusive transfer of L2 grammatical knowledge at the initial stages of L3, as predicted by the L2 Status Factor Model (Bardel & Falk 2007), as well as (2) increased metalinguistic knowledge of gender as a result of instruction in the L2.

Investigating Distribution of Practice Effects for the Learning of Foreign Language Verb Morphology in the Young Learner Classroom

AbstractWithin limited‐input language classrooms, understanding the effect of distribution of practice (spacing between practice) on learning is critical, yet evidence is conflicting and of limited relevance for young learners. For second language (L2) grammar learning, some studies reveal advantages for spacing of 7 days or more, but others for shorter spacing. Further, little is known about the role of cognitive individual differences (e.g., language analytic ability; LAA) in mediating practice distribution effects for L2 grammatical knowledge development and retention. To address this gap, this classroom‐based study investigated whether distribution of practice and LAA moderated the effectiveness of explicit, input‐based grammar instruction for young first language (L1) English learners of French (aged 8 to 11). The study revealed minimal differences between longer (7‐day) versus shorter (3.5‐day) spacing of practice for learning a French verb inflection subsystem, at either posttest or delayed posttest. Minimal group‐level gains and substantial within‐group variation in performance at posttests were observed. Accuracy of practice during training and LAA were significantly associated with posttest performance under both practice schedules. These findings indicated that within an ecologically valid classroom context, differences in distribution of practice had limited impact on learner performance on our tests; rather, individual learner differences were more critical in moderating learning. This highlights the importance of considering individual learner differences in the development of resources and the potential of digital tools for dynamically adapting instruction to suit individuals.

Promoting Grammatical Development Through Textually Enhanced Captions: An Eye‐Tracking Study

AbstractThis study launched an investigation into the extent to which textual enhancement in captions can promote learner attention to and subsequent development in second language (L2) grammar. Using eye‐tracking, it also intended to extend research on the relationship between attention and L2 learning. A pretest–posttest experimental design was employed, with 3 treatment sessions. Forty‐eight Korean learners of L2 English were randomly assigned into a captions group (n = 24) and an enhanced captions group (n = 24). For the enhanced captions group, the components of pronominal anaphoric reference were boldfaced in the treatment task input. Learner attention to anaphora antecedents and personal pronouns was assessed with eye‐movement indices, and a written and an oral grammaticality judgment test were used to measure learning gains. Textual enhancement succeeded in directing learner attention to the anaphora antecedents, and led to increased gains in receptive knowledge of pronominal anaphoric reference. However, significant links between attention and L2 development were only observed for the unenhanced captions group. The findings, overall, demonstrate that textually enhanced captioning is a useful pedagogical tool to facilitate development in L2 grammatical knowledge.

Animacy, Frequency and Working Memory Effects in the Acquisition of a Noun-Adjective Agreement Pattern in L2 under Incidental Learning Conditions

<p>Animacy is recognized as an important feature in cognition and language processing. The present paper reports the results of an experiment that investigated the effects of animacy of the head noun (animate, denoting animals-epicenes, and inanimate, denoting non-living objects) and working memory on the learning of a noun-adjective agreement pattern in Russian. Participants were 60 novice learners whose L1 did not mark grammatical gender. The between-subjects design manipulated token frequency (high vs. low) under incidental learning conditions. No animacy effect was found in either learning condition. Working memory was a significant factor in both incidental learning conditions, and it explained a greater amount of variance in the high token frequency condition where accuracy was also significantly higher than in the low token condition. The results have implications for incidental learning research and language learning practices, specifically how different factors contribute to the acquisition of L2 grammatical knowledge.</p>

ATTENTIONAL PROCESSING OF INPUT IN EXPLICIT AND IMPLICIT CONDITIONS

In this study we examined language learners’ attentional processing of a target syntactic construction in written L2 input in different input conditions, the change in learners’ knowledge of the targeted construction in these conditions, and the relationship between the change in knowledge and attentional processing. One hundred L2 learners of English in Sri Lanka were divided into four experimental groups and control group: input flood, input enhancement, a specific instruction to pay attention to the target grammatical construction in the input, and an explicit metalinguistic explanation of the target construction. Eye tracking was used to collect data on the attentional processing of 45 participants in the sample. The eye-tracking measures of learners who received a specific instruction to pay attention to the target structure and an explicit metalinguistic explanation indicated increased attentional processing. The learners in these groups also improved their knowledge of the target structure significantly. The results suggest that increased attentional processing is needed for development in L2 grammatical knowledge and that explicit instruction to pay attention to the input and metalinguistic explanation are successful in directing learners’ attentional resources toward novel grammatical constructions in the input.

Validating an Elicited Imitation Task as a Measure of Implicit Knowledge: Comparisons With Other Validation Studies

This study builds on research investigating the construct validity of elicited imitation (EI) as a measure of implicit second language (L2) grammatical knowledge. It differs from previous studies in that the EI task focuses on a single grammatical feature and time on task is strictly controlled. Seventy‐three EFL learners and 20 native English speakers completed the EI and four other tests hypothesized as measures of implicit or explicit L2 knowledge. Factor analytic results indicated that learners’ EI scores loaded on the factor labeled implicit L2 knowledge, confirming previous findings. Results from other tests and methodological issues concerning EI design and use suggest that the construct validation of EI as a measure of implicit L2 grammatical knowledge awaits further investigation.

The Effects of Implicit and Explicit Instruction on Foreign Language Learners’ Working Memory Capacity and L2 Grammatical Knowledge

This study investigated the role of implicit and explicit grammar instruction on expanding working memory capacity (WMC) and improving L2 grammatical knowledge. The participants were 30 L2 learners equally divided into two experimental classes. Before the treatment, a grammar pretest was used to measure their grammatical knowledge, and three tests (Forward Digit Span Test, Paired Associates Test, Operation Span Test) were used to measure their WMC. During the treatment, the explicit group studied grammar using the guided discovery, text-based teaching, and explicit feedback techniques, and the implicit group did so using textual enhancement, input flood, and implicit feedback techniques. At the end of the experiment, the same grammar test and WMC tests were used as posttests to check the effects of the treatments. The results showed that the implicit group had significantly outperformed the explicit group on WMC tests, while no such difference was observed between their grammar posttest scores.

English Reading Comprehension by Japanese High School Students: Structural Equation Modeling including Working Memory and L1 Literacy

The present study aims to build a model of second language (L2) reading, taking into account working memory capacity and first language (L1) literacy as variables within structural equation modeling (SEM). In this study, a total of 120 Japanese L1 high school students were given a series of tests: 1) English reading span tests, 2) English vocabulary size tests, 3) English grammar tests, 4) Japanese literacy tests, and 5) two kinds of English reading tests. One of the English reading tests was on a general topic, and the other required specific background knowledge to control for the effects of topic familiarity. SEM revealed that L2 working memory, L2 grammatical knowledge, and L2 vocabulary knowledge significantly predicted general L2 reading, while general L2 reading, along with L1 literacy, was the significant predictor of L2 reading on a specific topic. Furthermore, L1 literacy predicted L2 vocabulary knowledge, and skilled L1 readers excelled at creating situation model for L2 reading comprehension, even when they lacked topical knowledge. The present study presents a more refined model of L2 reading comprehension, which accounts for L1 literacy and working memory more comprehensively than previous research has.

The Relationship between Implicit and Explicit Knowledge and Second Language Proficiency

Implicit and explicit knowledge as two important concepts have long been at the center of attention in second language research. In this paper, first of all some theoretical backgrounds about the nature of linguistic knowledge and implicit and explicit L2 knowledge, interface issue and its pedagogical implications, and operational definition of implicit and explicit L2 grammatical knowledge were presented. And then, previous studies about the two types of knowledge and L2 proficiency operationalized in different ways were discussed. The results showed that the relationship between explicit knowledge and L2 proficiency is still not clear and previous investigations have found mix results concerning this relationship. Therefore, future investigations are needed to better probe the relationship between explicit knowledge and L2 proficiency in second language learning.

The Relationship between Critical Thinking and L2 Grammatical and Lexical Knowledge

The present study was conducted to investigate the relationship between critical thinking and L2 grammatical knowledge on the one hand, and the relationship between critical thinking and lexical knowledge on the other. To fulfill this objective, a 60-item vocabulary and grammar subtest of the TOEFL test and an 80–item Watson Glaser Critical Thinking questionnaire were distributed among 150 male and female Iranians studying English as a foreign language at Azad University in Takestan, Iran. Data were analyzed using Pearson correlation procedure. The result of data analysis indicated that the correlation between vocabulary and critical thinking was not statistically significant. The correlation between grammar and critical thinking was not statistically significant either, but there was a strong trend towards a positive relationship.

Brain Potentials Reveal Discrete Stages of L2 Grammatical Learning

In this article we review several studies investigating the neural correlates of second‐language (L2) grammatical learning in the context of novice adult learners progressing through their first year of L2 classroom instruction. The primary goal of these studies was to determine how and when learners incorporate L2 knowledge into their online language processing system. We show that at least some learners progress through discrete stages of grammatical learning during the first year of instruction. These stages are robust across languages, experimental tasks, and levels of language (lexical vs. sentential) and indicate that there is an intermediate stage of learning between no L2 grammatical knowledge and grammaticalization. We also show that although learners’ brain responses are quite variable, this variability is highly systematic and can be used to identify meaningful subgroups of learners.

Modelling Learning Difficulty and Second Language Proficiency: The Differential Contributions of Implicit and Explicit Knowledge

This article re-examines the question of what makes some grammatical structures more difficult to learn than others, arguing that this question can only be properly understood and investigated with reference to the distinction between implicit and explicit knowledge of a second language. Using a battery of tests that were designed to measure implicit and explicit L2 grammatical knowledge of seventeen grammatical structures (Ellis 2005), learning difficulty in relation to these two types of knowledge was investigated. The results showed that structures that were easy in terms of implicit knowledge were often difficult in terms of explicit knowledge and sometimes vice versa and that, overall, there was no correlation between the rank orders of difficulty of seventeen grammatical structures for the two types of knowledge. A correlational analysis showed that the structures varied as to whether it was implicit or explicit knowledge of them that was related to a measure of general language proficiency. A regression analysis demonstrated that both types of knowledge predict general language proficiency.