scholarly journals Lexical aspects of comprehensibility and nativeness from the perspective of native-speaking English raters

2019 ◽  
Vol 170 (1) ◽  
pp. 24-52 ◽  
Author(s):  
Randy Appel ◽  
Pavel Trofimovich ◽  
Kazuya Saito ◽  
Talia Isaacs ◽  
Stuart Webb
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
English Learners ◽  
Statistical Software ◽  
Picture Description ◽  
Description Task ◽  
L1 English ◽  
Lexical Factors

Abstract This study analyzed the contribution of lexical factors to native-speaking raters’ assessments of comprehensibility and nativeness in second language (L2) speech. Using transcribed samples to reduce non-lexical sources of bias, 10 naïve L1 English raters evaluated speech samples from 97 L2 English learners across two tasks (picture description and TOEFL integrated). Subsequently, the 194 transcripts were analyzed through statistical software (e.g., Coh-metrix, VocabProfile) for 29 variables spanning various lexical dimensions. For the picture description task, separation in lexical correlates of the two constructs was found, with distinct lexical measures tied to comprehensibility and nativeness. In the TOEFL integrated task, comprehensibility and nativeness were largely indistinguishable, with identical sets of lexical variables, covering dimensions of diversity and range. Findings are discussed in relation to the acquisition, assessment, and teaching of lexical properties in L2 speech.

scholarly journals PRIMING DATIVE CLITICS IN SPOKEN SPANISH AS A SECOND AND HERITAGE LANGUAGE

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-24
Author(s):  
Irati Hurtado ◽  
Silvina Montrul
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Heritage Language ◽  
Structural Priming ◽  
Heritage Speakers ◽  
Baseline Study ◽  
Second Language Speakers ◽  
Picture Description ◽  
Description Task

Abstract Spanish monolingual speakers often produce recipient (Pedro le da un lápiz a María) and nonrecipient constructions (Antonio le lava la camiseta a Carmen) doubled by a dative clitic. Second language speakers and heritage speakers usually avoid clitics. This study examined whether structural priming could effectively increase the production of clitics in monolingual speakers (N = 23), L2 speakers (N = 28), and heritage speakers (N = 24). Participants completed a baseline study that measured the use of clitics in a picture description task, followed by a priming treatment, an immediate posttest, and a posttest a week later. Results showed that priming increased clitic production for all groups, and that the increase was still significant a week later in L2 speakers and heritage speakers. These findings support the view that structural priming may implicate implicit language learning and considers its pedagogical implications.

scholarly journals Hjælp! Jeg har mistede min yndlings rød taske. Et studie af grammatikafvigelser

2019 ◽  
pp. 89-104
Author(s):  
Katrine Falcon Søby ◽  
Line Burholt Kristensen
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
English Learners ◽  
Second Language Learners ◽  
Future Studies ◽  
Naturally Occurring ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
L1 English

Grammar anomalies are frequent in texts produced by second language learners. When describing these anomalies, two main issues arise: What is anomalous use of grammar? And how are grammar anomalies distinct from orthographic and lexical anomalies? We review earlier error-definitions and suggest defining grammar anomalies according to an explicit norm instead of L1 usage. We propose a broader definition of grammar than in previous studies, based on Boye & Harder (2012). The distinction between grammar, lexicon and orthography is illustrated with data from 28 adult L1 English learners of L2 Danish. In the corpus, 55.9 % of the anomalies were related to grammar. Finally, we discuss how definitions and procedures can be used in future studies of naturally occurring grammar anomalies.

Inhibitive and facilitative priming induced by traces in the processing of wh-dependencies in a second language

2013 ◽  
Vol 29 (3) ◽  
pp. 345-372 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laurent Dekydtspotter ◽  
A Katherine Miller
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Lexical Access ◽  
English Learners ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Object Position ◽  
Indirect Object ◽  
L1 English

Two experiments involving picture classifications investigated priming behavior in the context of wh-movement at clause edge and in indirect object position, respectively. In Experiment 1, intermediate L1-Chinese L2-English learners produced slower classification times (inhibitions) at clause edge, apparently induced by the computation of intermediate traces, whereas faster classification times (facilitations) were detected in native speakers (NSs). In Experiment 2, advanced L1-English L2-French learners produced facilitations apparently induced by the computation of traces in indirect object position. Learners’ priming pattern differed from the priming pattern produced by NSs, however. We argue that the patterns found suggest structural computations interacting with distinct activation modes in the maintenance of discourse referents, plausibly resulting from the automaticity of lexical access, or lack thereof.

scholarly journals Cross-linguistic perceptual learning in advanced second language listeners

2016 ◽  
Vol 1 ◽  
pp. 31
Author(s):  
Katharina S. Schuhmann
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Perceptual Learning ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
English Learners ◽  
Second Language Learners ◽  
Mental Representations ◽  
Learning Effects ◽  
L1 And L2 ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
L1 English

An issue of long-standing interest is whether phones, which correspond to each other phonologically but differ phonetically across two languages, are distinct in the minds of bilinguals and second language learners. Here, we ask whether listeners maintain separate representations for phonetically highly similar phonemes common to two languages even though this might seem inefficient. One way to address this question is to induce a change in the representation of phonemes in one language, and to test whether the other language is also affected. We carried out two perceptual learning studies, one with intermediate to advanced L1 English learners of German and one with intermediate to advanced L1 German learners of English, to probe the relationship between listeners’ representations for the /f-s/ contrast in English and in German. We found cross-linguistic perceptual learning effects extending from English to German in both studies, though the effect sizes for perceptual learning in English and German differed. Based on these findings, we propose that phonetically highly similar phonemes common to listeners’ L1 and L2 have separate yet interconnected mental representations for speech perception.

scholarly journals Developing second language oral ability in foreign language classrooms: The role of the length and focus of instruction and individual differences

2015 ◽  
Vol 37 (4) ◽  
pp. 813-840 ◽  
Author(s):  
KAZUYA SAITO ◽  
KEIKO HANZAWA
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Oral Performance ◽  
Language Classrooms ◽  
Picture Description ◽  
Description Task ◽  
Cram School ◽  
Temporal Qualities

ABSTRACTThe current study aimed to examine how instruction can impact the global, segmental, prosodic, and temporal qualities of second language (L2) oral ability in foreign language (FL) settings (i.e., a few hours of target language input per week). Spontaneous speech was elicited via a timed picture description task from 56 Japanese freshman college students who had studied English through FL instruction from Grades 7 to 12 without any experience abroad. The tokens were rated for global accentedness and then submitted to segmental, prosodic, and temporal analyses. According to statistical analyses, (a) the participants' oral performance widely varied in relation to the length and focus of FL instruction, the frequency of their conversations in the L2, and aptitude; and (b) their diverse proficiency levels were predicted in particular by the amount of extra FL activities inside (i.e., pronunciation training) and outside (i.e., cram school) of high school (but not junior high) classrooms. The results in turn suggest that whereas extensive FL instruction (>875 hr) itself does make some difference in L2 oral ability development, its pedagogical potential can be increased by how students optimize their most immediate FL experience beyond the regular syllabus.

Discourse characteristics of patients with mild Alzheimer's disease: Analysis of a picture description task and a procedural explanation task.

2001 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 152-161
Author(s):  
Rumi Honda ◽  
Harumi Matuura ◽  
Yoko Takatuki ◽  
Toshiko S. Watamori ◽  
Noriko Kamakura
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Picture Description ◽  
Description Task ◽  
Disease Analysis

Identification of Mild Cognitive Impairment Among Chinese Based on Multiple Spoken Tasks

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-20
Author(s):  
Tianqi Wang ◽  
Yin Hong ◽  
Quanyi Wang ◽  
Rongfeng Su ◽  
Manwa Lawrence Ng ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Mild Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Memory Load ◽  
Lexical Retrieval ◽  
Semantic Fluency ◽  
Late Fusion ◽  
Single Task ◽  
Sentence Repetition ◽  
Picture Description ◽  
Description Task

Background: Previous studies explored the use of noninvasive biomarkers of speech and language for the detection of mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Yet, most of them employed single task which might not have adequately captured all aspects of their cognitive functions. Objective: The present study aimed to achieve the state-of-the-art accuracy in detecting individuals with MCI using multiple spoken tasks and uncover task-specific contributions with a tentative interpretation of features. Methods: Fifty patients clinically diagnosed with MCI and 60 healthy controls completed three spoken tasks (picture description, semantic fluency, and sentence repetition), from which multidimensional features were extracted to train machine learning classifiers. With a late-fusion configuration, predictions from multiple tasks were combined and correlated with the participants’ cognitive ability assessed using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). Statistical analyses on pre-defined features were carried out to explore their association with the diagnosis. Results: The late-fusion configuration could effectively boost the final classification result (SVM: F1 = 0.95; RF: F1 = 0.96; LR: F1 = 0.93), outperforming each individual task classifier. Besides, the probability estimates of MCI were strongly correlated with the MoCA scores (SVM: –0.74; RF: –0.71; LR: –0.72). Conclusion: Each single task tapped more dominantly to distinct cognitive processes and have specific contributions to the prediction of MCI. Specifically, picture description task characterized communications at the discourse level, while semantic fluency task was more specific to the controlled lexical retrieval processes. With greater demands on working memory load, sentence repetition task uncovered memory deficits through modified speech patterns in the reproduced sentences.

Plural marking in the second language: Atomicity, definiteness, and transfer

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-30
Author(s):  
Sea Hee Choi ◽  
Tania Ionin
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
English Learners ◽  
Judgment Task ◽  
Native Languages ◽  
L1 Transfer ◽  
Mass Nouns ◽  
Count Nouns ◽  
Grammaticality Judgment ◽  
L2 Learners ◽  
Plural Marking

Abstract This paper examines whether second language (L2)-English learners whose native languages (L1; Korean and Mandarin) lack obligatory plural marking transfer the properties of plural marking from their L1s, and whether transfer is manifested both offline (in a grammaticality judgment task) and online (in a self-paced reading task). The online task tests the predictions of the morphological congruency hypothesis (Jiang 2007), according to which L2 learners have particular difficulty automatically activating the meaning of L2 morphemes that are incongruent with their L1. Experiment 1 tests L2 learners’ sensitivity to errors of –s oversuppliance with mass nouns, while Experiment 2 tests their sensitivity to errors of –s omission with count nouns. The findings show that (a) L2 learners detect errors with nonatomic mass nouns (sunlights) but not atomic ones (furnitures), both offline and online; and (b) L1-Korean L2-English learners are more successful than L1-Mandarin L2-English learners in detecting missing –s with definite plurals (these boat), while the two groups behave similarly with indefinite plurals (many boat). Given that definite plurals require plural marking in Korean but not in Mandarin, the second finding is consistent with L1-transfer. Overall, the findings show that learners are able to overcome morphological incongruency and acquire novel uses of L2 morphemes.

scholarly journals ‘Almost people’: A Learner Corpus Account of L2 Use and Misuse of Non-numerical Quantification

2016 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Crosthwaite ◽  
Lavigne L.Y. Choy ◽  
Yeonsuk Bae
Keyword(s):  
English Learners ◽  
English Speakers ◽  
L2 Proficiency ◽  
L1 Transfer ◽  
Learner Corpus ◽  
Proficiency Level ◽  
Closed Class ◽  
Corpus Data ◽  
Noun Number ◽  
L1 English

AbstractWe present an Integrated Contrastive Model of non-numerical quantificational NPs (NNQs, i.e. ‘some people’) produced by L1 English speakers and Mandarin and Korean L2 English learners. Learner corpus data was sourced from the ICNALE (Ishikawa, 2011, 2013) across four L2 proficiency levels. An average 10% of L2 NNQs were specific to L2 varieties, including noun number mismatches (*‘many child’), omitting obligatory quantifiers after adverbs (*‘almost people’), adding unnecessary particles (*‘all of people’) and non-L1 English-like quantifier/noun agreement (*‘many water’). Significantly fewer ‘openclass’ NNQs (e.g a number of people) are produced by L2 learners, preferring ‘closed-class’ single lexical quantifiers (following L1-like use). While such production is predictable via L1 transfer, Korean L2 English learners produced significantly more L2-like NNQs at each proficiency level, which was not entirely predictable under a transfer account. We thus consider whether positive transfer of other linguistic forms (i.e. definiteness marking) aids the learnability of other L2 forms (i.e. expression of quantification).

scholarly journals PHONOLOGICAL PROCESSING OF STRESS BY NATIVE ENGLISH SPEAKERS LEARNING SPANISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-23
Author(s):  
Ramsés Ortín ◽  
Miquel Simonet
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Phonological Processing ◽  
First Language ◽  
Native English Speakers ◽  
Recall Task ◽  
English Speakers ◽  
Auditory Stimuli ◽  
L2 Learners ◽  
L1 English ◽  
Processing Stress

Abstract One feature of Spanish that presents some difficulties to second language (L2) learners whose first language (L1) is English concerns lexical stress. This study explores one aspect of the obstacle these learners face, weak phonological processing routines concerning stress inherited from their native language. Participants were L1 English L2 learners of Spanish. The experiment was a sequence-recall task with auditory stimuli minimally contrasting in stress (target) or segmental composition (baseline). The results suggest that learners are more likely to accurately recall sequences with stimuli contrasting in segmental composition than stress, suggesting reduced phonological processing of stress relative to a processing baseline. Furthermore, an increase in proficiency—assessed by means of grammatical and lexical tests—was found to be modestly associated with an increase in the accuracy of processing stress. We conclude that the processing routines of native English speakers lead to an acquisitional obstacle when learning Spanish as a L2.

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