Insights into the cognition of mood selection in L2 learners of Spanish

The role of aural recognition in L2 Spanish mood selection

Revista Española de Lingüística Aplicada/Spanish Journal of Applied Linguistics ◽

10.1075/resla.28.2.08tei ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 28 (2) ◽

pp. 555-587

Author(s):

Annalisa Teixeira

Keyword(s):

Unique Challenge ◽

Positive Correlation ◽

Phonological Sensitivity ◽

L2 Learners ◽

English Speaking ◽

L2 Spanish ◽

Mood Selection ◽

Insight Into ◽

Pedagogical Approaches

It is widely recognized that the development of mood selection in Spanish poses a unique challenge for English-speaking L2 learners, but the role that aural mood recognition plays in this process has yet to be fully explored (Collentine, 2010). This present study, conducted with intermediate-advanced L2 Spanish students, considers issues of aural saliency for regular and irregular present subjunctive forms, and argues that if students cannot perceive mood modeled in spoken input, the necessary frequency-driven, form-meaning connections essential for acquisition could be hindered, impacting mood production (Ellis, 2002, 2009). These exploratory results suggest a positive correlation between phonological sensitivity to the present subjunctive form and target-like mood production, especially when coupled with mood noticing strategies. The outcome of this study offers insight into L2 mood selection development and adds support to pedagogical approaches that strengthen aural mood recognition and encourage explicit strategies for mood processing.

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Chapter 15. The acquisition of obligatory and variable mood selection in epistemic predicates by L2 learners and heritage speakers of Spanish

Current Theoretical and Applied Perspectives on Hispanic and Lusophone Linguistics - Issues in Hispanic and Lusophone Linguistics ◽

10.1075/ihll.27.15lus ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 319-342

Author(s):

Eduardo Lustres ◽

Alejandro Cuza ◽

Aída García-Tejada

Keyword(s):

Heritage Speakers ◽

L2 Learners ◽

Heritage Speakers Of Spanish ◽

Mood Selection

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Mood Selection in Relative Clauses by French–Spanish Bilinguals: Contrasts and Similarities between L2 and Heritage Speakers

Languages ◽

10.3390/languages3030031 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 3 (3) ◽

pp. 31

Author(s):

Anahí Alba de la Fuente ◽

Maura Cruz Enríquez ◽

Hugues Lacroix

Keyword(s):

Relative Clauses ◽

Control Group ◽

Potential Influence ◽

Control Groups ◽

Heritage Speakers ◽

Bilingual Speakers ◽

Spanish Subjunctive ◽

L2 Learners ◽

Mood Selection ◽

Task Modality

In this paper, we explore three issues related to the acquisition of mood selection in Spanish relative clauses by second language (L2) and heritage (HL) speakers of Spanish: (1) whether HL speakers are more native-like than L2 learners; (2) whether the speakers’ performance differs depending on task modality (written vs. oral), since HL speakers are known to perform better in oral tasks and L2 learners tend to do better in written tasks; and (3) whether knowledge of French as an L1/dominant language (DL) has an impact on the acquisition of Spanish subjunctive, since both languages include this mood in their grammars, but it is used more productively in Spanish. Results from a sentence combination felicity task (SCFT) in Spanish—in written and oral forms—and a written elicited production task (EPT) in French, administered to advanced L2 and HL speakers of Spanish whose L1/DL is French and two monolingual (Spanish and French) control groups, revealed that L2 learners pattern more closely with the control group than HL speakers in the SCFT, both written and orally. In the EPT, all bilingual speakers display higher levels of subjunctive use than the control group, showing a potential influence from the L2/weaker language on the L1/DL.

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