Principle B constrains the processing of cataphora: Evidence for syntactic and discourse predictions

We tested whether comprehenders can use Binding Principle B (Chomsky, 1981) to guide antecedent search during the processing of cataphoric pronouns. We implemented two self-paced reading experiments using the gender mismatch paradigm (van Gompel & Liversedge, 2003) as an index of active prediction of coreference between a cataphor and a main clause subject. In both experiments, we find gender mismatch effects at the main clause subject when coreference with the cataphor is grammatically acceptable. We do not find comparable gender mismatch effects in conditions where coreference is ruled out by Principle B. Our results are broadly consistent with models in which grammatical constraints guide active referential processing in comprehension. We illustrate how such the parser integrates syntactic and discourse-level information to achieve grammatical sensitivity during incremental referential processing.

Neural harmonics reflect grammaticality

Can neural activity reveal syntactic structure building processes and their violations? To verify this, we recorded electroencephalographic and behavioral data as participants discriminated concatenated isochronous sentence chains containing only grammatical sentences (regular trials) from those containing ungrammatical sentences (irregular trials). We found that the repetition of abstract syntactic categories generates a harmonic structure of their period independently of stimulus rate, thereby separating endogenous from exogenous neural rhythms. Behavioral analyses confirmed this dissociation. Internal neural harmonics extracted from regular trials predicted participants’ grammatical sensitivity better than harmonics extracted from irregular trials, suggesting a direct reflection of grammatical sensitivity. Instead, entraining to external stimulus rate scaled with task sensitivity only when extracted from irregular trials, reflecting attention-capture processing. Neural harmonics to repeated syntactic categories constitute the first behaviorally relevant, purely internal index of syntactic competence.

A comparison between academic achievement and language aptitude among pre-service language teachers

The main purpose of this research is to investigate whether there is a correlation between university pre-service language teachers’ language aptitude and their English achievement levels. The sample of the study determined by the stratified sampling method consists of 72 pre-service language teachers who are selected from 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th year pre-service language teachers at Language Teaching Department. In this study, the data were collected through “Verbal Aptitude Test” modified from the psychometric success site. In this program, the Spearman Correlation Coefficient analysis was used to elicit the correlation of pre-service language teachers’ language aptitude with their English achievement levels. The results indicated that while there is a moderate relation of pre-service language teachers’ English achievement levels with their rote learning ability and grammatical sensitivity there is a weak relation of phonetic coding ability with language aptitude. Additionally, a slight correlation between pre-service language teachers’ inductive learning ability and their achievement levels is found. All in all, even if the dimensions of language aptitude test pointed to some degree of correlation between the components of language aptitude and English achievement level, the overall results of the language aptitude test indicated that there is a weak correlation between pre-service language teachers’ language aptitude and achievement levels. However, the fact that pre-service language teachers have low language aptitude scores does not guarantee they will be less successful in language learning.

EFL Learners’ Grammatical Awareness through Accumulating Formulaic Sequences of Morphological Structure (-ing)

Even young EFL learners who have not yet learned L2 grammar will notice language patterns if, when retrieving exemplars (“item-based patterns”), they succeed in making form-meaning connections (FMCs). Item-based patterns, termed formulaic sequences (FS), serve as a basis for creative constructions. Although learners are implicitly sensitive to the frequency of the occurrence of constructions, item-based patterns are largely overlooked and are not retained. Because of the gap between elementary and secondary schools, students believe there is a difference between item-based patterns and the process of learning grammar. This phenomenon extends to EFL. The study investigated the extent to which Japanese students who had completed 150 hours of English lessons (age 13, N = 95) noticed linguistic patterns when using a grammatical judgment test. Targeting the present progressive form -ing as FS, the teacher used three treatments: (a) recall of chunking, (b) structured input and dictogloss, and (c) a ten-minute inductive explication of grammar in L1. The results revealed significant differences between pre- and post-tests for awkwardness of word order (31% < 59%) and omission of morphemes: -ing (61% < 74%). Overall, students who had received the instructional medium exhibited grammatical sensitivity to FS.

An exploratory study on the role of foreign language aptitudes in instructed pragmatics learning in L2 Chinese

This study investigated whether and how foreign language (FL) aptitudes interacted with different instructional conditions to affect pragmatic gains in L2 Chinese. Fifty American learners of Chinese were randomly assigned to an (explicit) input-based treatment group, an (explicit) output-based treatment group, and a control group. Following a metapragmatic session, the two treatment groups practiced target request-making forms through their respective computer programs, while the control group did not practice. Gains in pragmatic performance were measured by a listening judgment test and an oral production test at immediate and delayed posttests. The participants also completed three foreign language (FL) aptitude tests assessing rote memory, grammatical sensitivity, and working memory. The results revealed different patterns of correlation between FL aptitudes and pragmatic gains. The input group showed positive correlations between working memory and reductions in judgment response times at both immediate and delayed posttests. The output group showed a positive correlation between grammatical sensitivity and gains in production speech rates at immediate posttest; a negative correlation was also found between rote memory and reductions in production planning times made at immediate posttest.

Aptitude and pedagogical conditions in the early development of a nonprimary language

ABSTRACTThe article summarizes results from a study investigating the role of aptitude on initial learning of Latin morphosyntax. The study includes two different computerized conditions: with or without metalinguistic information, provided during input-based practice with right/wrong feedback. Four aptitude measures were included: linguistic analytic ability, rote memory, working memory, and phonological short-term memory. The results revealed that linguistic analytic ability gave learners an advantage under the metalinguistic information condition when processing sentences for meaning, although only working memory (and rote memory to a lesser extent) had a role in development of grammatical sensitivity to the form. In contrast, except rote memory in immediate aural interpretation, none of the aptitude measures predicted learning under the nonmetalinguistic information condition.

CORRECTIVE FEEDBACK AND WRITING ACCURACY OF STUDENTS ACROSS DIFFERENT LEVELS OF GRAMMATICAL SENSITIVITY

<span>This study investigates whether indirect corrective feedback is effective o<span>n students’ writing <span>accuracy and whether there is any interaction between corrective feedback and students’ levels of <span>grammatical sensitivity. A quasi-factorial design was adopted for this research. The subjects of the <span>study were fourth-semester students of English Department, at a State University in Malang, selected <span>randomly. The experimental group was treated with indirect corrective feedback and the control <span>group with direct corrective feedback. A parametric statistical test, ANCOVA, was used to test the <span>hypotheses. The findings show that there was no statistical difference on writing accuracy between <span>the experimental and control groups. Yet, among students with a high level of grammatical <span>sensitivity, there was significant difference in writing accuracy between those given indirect and <span>direct corrective feedback. Further, there was no interaction between corrective feedback on writing <span>accuracy and students’ levels of grammatical sensitivity. However, indirect corrective feedback <span>improved students’ writi<span>ng accuracy better than direct corrective feedback.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br /></span></span></span>

APTITUDE AS GRAMMATICAL SENSITIVITY AND THE INITIAL STAGES OF LEARNING JAPANESE AS A L2

In this article, we challenge the notion that aptitude—operationalized as grammatical sensitivity as measured by the Words in Sentences section of the Modern Language Aptitude Test—is central to adult second language (L2) acquisition. We present the findings of a study on the acquisition of two properties of Japanese, head-final word order and case marking, by naïve learners of Japanese as a L2 who had no prior knowledge of this language or any other head-final, case-marking language. Participants underwent an input treatment in which they heard and saw basic subject-object-verb sentences in Japanese and were subsequently tested on these basic sentences and also on sentences to which they were not exposed during the treatment (i.e., polar questions and embedded clauses). Reading times on grammatical and ungrammatical sentences served as measures of underlying sensitivity to violations of grammatical word order for both the basic sentences and the novel sentences. Our results yielded three groups of learners: those who showed sensitivity to violations of basic word order, polar questions, and embedded clauses (parameter reset); those who showed sensitivity to violations of basic word order and polar questions only (partial parameter reset); and those who showed sensitivity to violations of basic word order only (no parameter reset). Because our measure of aptitude as grammatical sensitivity did not emerge as a factor distinguishing the three groups from one another, we argue that this component of aptitude is not a factor in whether learners are able to reset parameters. We also found that all participants, regardless of group, demonstrated sensitivity to case-marking violations, suggesting that aptitude as grammatical sensitivity plays no role in the acquisition of underlying features related to case or to the surface-level markings of case in Japanese.