Spanish Object Pronouns Research Articles

Instruction of Spanish Direct and Indirect Object Pronouns through Task-Supported Videoconferencing Instruction

Task-supported videoconferencing instruction emphasizes learner centeredness and experientiallearning in Second Language Acquisition (SLA). Still, relatively few studies have addressed the useof specific linguistic structures in online courses from a task-based perspective. The present studyexamines the effects of an online task-supported module on the acquisition of direct and indirect objectpronouns in Spanish. These pronouns are used very frequently by proficient Spanish speakers,but are less used by Spanish learners because of their morphological and syntactic complexity. Theresults of this study demonstrate the benefits of using an online task-supported module speciallydesigned to promote the use of direct and indirect object pronouns in Spanish through videoconference.Participants used the target structures on many occasions without being prompted to doso. The results suggest that the task-supported module is a promising approach to the teaching ofgrammar.

The influence of computer‐assisted obligatory processing tasks on L2 Spanish object pronouns

AbstractEvidence that L2 learners of Spanish overgeneralize indirect object pronouns (OPs) to direct object contexts with human referents and direct OPs to indirect object contexts with nonhuman referents has been provided by Zyzik (2006), Malovrh (2008), and Olsen and Juffs (2022). However, the effect of instruction on this phenomenon has not been investigated. This study addresses the influence of instruction on preempting (Rutherford, 1989) an Animacy‐based system in L2 learners of Spanish by investigating whether instruction led learners to use a Case‐based OP system rather than an Animacy‐based system and at what level instruction was most beneficial. Data were collected from 115 L2 learners divided into two groups (instructed and control) who completed comprehension and production tasks at two different times (pretest, posttest). Between the pretest and posttest, learners in the instructed group received instruction on Spanish OPs using the PACE model for grammar instruction. Results from mixed analysis of variances indicate preemption of an Animacy‐based system in both learner groups. This finding is taken as evidence that the tasks themselves led learners to change their OP systems by forcing learners to process the object pronouns and notice additional possible contexts.

The effect of animacy on object pronoun distinctions in L2 Spanish

AbstractWhen acquiring Spanish object pronouns (OP), English-speaking second language (L2) learners must learn the variety of forms available, word order, and case distinctions. The acquisition of case distinctions in particular is an aspect that has not been thoroughly investigated.Zyzik (2006)showed, through production tasks, that English-speaking L2Spanish learners overgeneralize the dative form to accusative contexts when the referent is animate. This study investigates how L2learners use animacy (human, animal, and inanimate object) instead of case marking as cues to interpret and produce L2Spanish object pronouns. Data from an interpretation task and a fill-in-the-blank production task were collected from 121 intermediate to advanced levels of Spanish learners. Results from linear mixed effects models reveal that learners show effects of the influence of animacy on object pronoun distinction in comprehension as well as production. A key new finding is that learners use the dative form with human referents, reserving accusative forms for animals and inanimate referents. These results provide evidence that animacy cues strongly influence L2Spanish learners in the formation of their OP paradigm, especially at lower-proficiency levels. As proficiency increases, L2learners begin to rely on case cues to distinguish Spanish OPs.

스페인어 목적대명사 교육에 대한 제언

스페인어 목적대명사 교육에 대한 제언

Toledo frente a Madrid en la conformación del español moderno: el sistema pronominal átono

Los estudios sobre el pronombre átono objeto en español señalan de manera casi unánime en las últimas décadas que el factor más importante para la selección de las formas le(s)/lo(s) para complemento directo es el tipo semántico del sustantivo de referencia (contable o incontable). Dentro de este sistema llamado referencial, se incluyen hoy las provincias de Madrid y Toledo. En este artículo examinamos los datos basados en documentos archivísticos inéditos de ambas provincias para 1) establecer si este sistema estaba vigente en la Edad Media, 2) señalar la extensión a partir del siglo XVI, 3) comprobar si el sistema leísta se extendía a todos los sociolectos y 4) precisar las diferencias geográficas internas del castellano central.

MALOVRTHPAUL A., & JAMESF. LEE. The Developmental Dimension in Instructed Second Language Learning: The L2 Acquisition of Object Pronouns in Spanish. London, UK and New York, NY: Bloomsbury Publishing, 2013. Pp. 280. $140.00, cloth. ISBN: 978–1–441–14629–8.

MALOVRTHPAUL A., & JAMESF. LEE. The Developmental Dimension in Instructed Second Language Learning: The L2 Acquisition of Object Pronouns in Spanish. London, UK and New York, NY: Bloomsbury Publishing, 2013. Pp. 280. $140.00, cloth. ISBN: 978–1–441–14629–8.

Approaching the Direct Object Pronouns: How Much Grammatical Form Is Necessary in Instruction?

The main goal of this investigation was to determine if there is a more effective approach among focus on forms, focus on meaning, or focus on form for teaching the direct object pronouns to beginning students of Spanish. It will be beneficial to discover which of these three widely-used approaches can best help students to acquire correct pronoun use, and may aid instructors of Spanish in the teaching of these pronouns. In order to compare these approaches, three sections of a beginning Spanish course received instruction in one of the three approaches. The participants of this study were 51 beginning level students who had had 3 years of Spanish instruction at the high school level and were native speakers of English. The study follows a pretest/posttest design. Results find positive results for form-focused instruction over purely meaning-focused instruction for teaching the Spanish direct object pronouns with regards to sentence completion tasks. A main implication of this study is that focus on meaning instruction is not sufficient to help beginning learners improve their production of Spanish direct object pronouns. While results show a more positive impact for focus on form instruction over the more traditional focus on forms approach, additional research comparing these two methods is suggested. It is also important to note that beginning level learners show overall low levels of accuracy with direct object pronouns in Spanish.

Learners' attention to input during focus on form listening tasks: the role of mobile technology in the second language classroom

This study explores the differential effects of medium of delivery of aural input during listening tasks on learners noticing and type of comprehension (top-down and bottom-up) of Spanish object pronouns during focus on form listening tasks. Twenty-two college students enrolled in second year Spanish in a technology-enhanced classroom participated in the study. Two types of medium of delivery of input were compared: mobile assisted language learning (MALL), which is learner manipulated, and instructor manipulated language learning (IMLL). A quasi-experimental design was used – treatment and immediate tests – in order to measure participants' reported noticing and type of comprehension. Noticing was operationalized using think-aloud protocols, and measured on the post-test exposure comprehension assessment tasks. The findings of the study, interpreted within the attentional SLA framework, indicate that learners in the MALL group demonstrated significantly higher levels of reported noticing, bottom-up comprehension, and top-down overall comprehension than learners in the IMLL group. Directions for future research as well as pedagogical implications of the use of mobile technology and task-based listening activities are offered.

MORE ON THE EFFECTS OF EXPLICIT INFORMATION IN INSTRUCTED SLA

The role of explicit information (EI) as an independent variable in instructed SLA is largely underresearched. Using the framework of processing instruction, however, a series of offline studies has found no effect for EI (e.g., Benati, 2004; Sanz & Morgan-Short, 2004; VanPatten & Oikkenon, 1996). Fernandez (2008) presented two online experiments with mixed results. She found an effect for EI with processing instruction on one target structure (subjunctive in Spanish) but not the other structures (object pronouns and word order in Spanish). Thus, the effects of EI could be related to the target structure or to a processing problem, or both. The present study is a conceptual replication of one of Fernandez’s experiments. The target was German accusative case markings on articles with both subject (S)- verb (V)- object (O) and OVS word orders. As shown by Jackson (2007) and LoCoco (1987), learners of German as a second language misinterpret OVS sentences as SVO, ignoring case markings as a cue of who does what to whom. Thus, the goal of the instructional intervention was to push learners to process case markings and word order correctly. The treatment consisted of structured input items (Farley, 2005; Lee & VanPatten, 2003) under two conditions: +/−EI. Following Fernandez, the treatment was conducted via computer using e-Prime, and learners’ responses were recorded as they made their way through the items. Whereas Fernandez did not find an effect for EI for word order and object pronouns in Spanish, we found an effect for word order and case markings in German: (a) Twice as many learners in the +EI group reached criterion (began to process input strings correctly) compared with the −EI group, and (b) learners in the +EI group began processing word order and case markings sooner than in the −EI group. Even though the processing problem was the same in both Fernandez’s and our experiments, we attribute the difference in results to the interaction of particular structures with the processing problem and call for additional research on the role of EI not just in processing instruction but in all formal interventions.

Spanish Second Language Acquisition: State of the Science

PrefaceIntroductionBarbara A. Lafford and Rafael Salaberry Part I: Linguistic Topics: Products 1. PhonologyStaking Out the Territory at the Turn of the Century: Integrating Phonological Theory, Research, and the Effect of Formal Instruction on Pronunciation in the Acquisition of Spanish as a Second LanguageA. Raymond Elliott 2. Tense/AspectThe Development of Tense/Aspect Morphology in Spanish as a Second LanguageSilvina Montrul and Rafael Salaberry 3. Subjunctive/SyntaxThe Development of Subjunctive and Complex-Syntactic Abilities among Foreign Language Learners of SpanishJoseph G. Collentine 4. CliticsCognitive and Linguistic Perspectives on the Acquisition of Object Pronouns in Spanish as a Second LangaugeJames F. Lee 5. LexiconThe Acquisition of Lexical Meaning by Second Language Learners: An Analysis of General Research Trends with Evidence from SpanishBarbara A. Lafford, Joseph G. Collentine, and Adam S. Karp 6. Pragmatics/DiscoursePragmatics and Discourse Analysis in Spanish Second Language Acquisition Research and PedagogyDale A. Koike, Lynn Pearson, and Caryn Witten Part II: Theoretical Perspectives: Processes 7. Generative PerspectivesCurrent Issues in the Gernerative Study of Spanish Second Language SyntaxLiliana Sanchez and Almeida Jacqueline Toribio 8. Cognitive PerspectivesCognitive Perspectives on the Acquisition of Spanish as a Second LanguagePaola E. Dussias 9. Sociocultural PerspectivesSociocultural Theory and the Acquisition of Spanish as a Second LanguageMarta Anton, Frederick J. Dicamilla, and James P. Lantolf Part III: Methodological Perspectives 10. InstructionThe Role of Instruction in Spanish Second Language AcquisitionCharles Grove AfterwordBarbara A. Lafford and Rafael Salaberry ContributorsIndex

A Simplified Method of Teaching the Position of Object Pronouns in Spanish

The placement of direct, indirect, and reflexive object pronouns is often presented disjointedly in textbooks. We offer a succinct, easily-learned pair of mnemonic devices that have universal applicability for the position of object pronouns in Spanish sentences. The acronym IGA indicates that these pronouns follow and are appended to infinitives, gerunds, and affirmative commands; otherwise, the pronouns directly precede the verb. In sentences where two positions are allowed, application of the IGA rule will reveal both possibilities. The acronym RID prescribes the sequential order of two object pronouns to be always reflexive, indirect, and direct, whether they precede or follow the verb. Additionally, the use of accent marks when pronouns are appended to verbs and the substitution of se for le or les are simplified in a concise didactic system.

Joel Rini, Motives for linguistic change in the formation of the Spanish object pronouns. Juan de la Cuesta, Newark, De, 1992; 152 pp.

Se reseñó el libro: Motives for linguistic change in the formation of the Spanish object pronouns.

Motives for Linguistic Change in the Formation of the Spanish Object Pronouns

Motives for Linguistic Change in the Formation of the Spanish Object Pronouns

More on Pronominal Phenomena: A Rejoinder to Dieter Wanner's Review of Joel Rini's "Motives for Linguistic Change in the Formation of the Spanish Object Pronouns."

More on Pronominal Phenomena: A Rejoinder to Dieter Wanner's Review of Joel Rini's "Motives for Linguistic Change in the Formation of the Spanish Object Pronouns."

Joel Rini, Motives for linguistic change in the formation of the Spanish object pronouns. Juan de la Cuesta, Newark, DE, 1992; 152 pp.

Se reseñó el libro: Motives for linguistic change in the formation of the Spanish object pronouns.

Motives for Linguistic Change in the Formation of the Spanish Object Pronouns

Motives for Linguistic Change in the Formation of the Spanish Object Pronouns

Modern Greek clitic pronouns and the ‘surface structure constraints’ hypothesis

In his (1970) article ‘Surface structure constraints in syntax’ Perimutter has argued that the restrictions on the combination of the weak atonic forms of the object pronouns in Spanish and restrictions on their order cannot be accounted for naturally either in the deep structure, by constraints on the phrase structure rules, or by constraints on the rules which introduce these pronouns.1 He concludes that a transformational generative grammar must be supplemented by positive output constraints which act as a filter accepting only sequences which match the filter and rejecting the rest as ungrammatical.

A Rhymthic Presentation of Spanish Object Pronouns

A Rhymthic Presentation of Spanish Object Pronouns