Second Language Acquisition Semester 1, 2005

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Second Language Acquisition Semester 1, 2005

• Week 8
• The variationist approach to SLA

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Variation

• The notion of an interlanguage assumes that L2
  development is not arbitrary. However, at the
  same time, it is clear that there is a great deal
  of variability in the way people learn a second
  language. People learn at different rates, follow
  different orders and ultimately arrive at
  different places along the curve of L2
  development.

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The variationist perspective

• The basic premise of sociolinguistic-based SLA
  research is that second language data do not
  represent a static phenomenon, even at a single
  point in time. Many external variables (such as
  the specific task required of a learner, social
  status of the interlocutor, gender differences,
  and so forth) affect learner production.
• (Gass Selinker, 2001, p. 222)

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• Language learning as the development of
  function-form mappings (e.g., the Competition
  Model)
•  
• subject verb form
• Daddy hit
• agent action function

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Two kinds of variability

• Systematic When two or more sounds vary
  contextually. Can be due to linguistic or
  sociolinguistic factors.
• Non-systematic Free variability among forms

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Systematic variation

•  
• linguistic Mr. Smith lives in Brisbane. gt
• Contextual Mr. Smith who live_in Brisbane.
• situation levels of formality shift from
  vernacular to formal
• Individual age, motivation, personality etc.

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Non-systematic variation

•  
• free variation When a new form exists
  along side other forms, e.g., use of should/had
  better/better/have to/must. Usually temporary.
•  
• performance variation result of specific context
  demands

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The way in which variability is accounted for in
SLA theory depends on how L2 'competence' is
defined.

• Linguistic competence vs. Communicative
  competence
• Chomsky Labov
• structuralist functionalist
• competence/performance competence to
  perform
• all V non-systematic V essential
  part of theory
• discrete, invariant rules

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Communicative competence

• Knowledge that enables learners to comprehend and
  produce the L2.
• linguistic pragmatic
• sociolinguistic strategic

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Linguistic context as a source of variation

• Phonological environment as a constraint on /s/
  plural marking.
• Factor of plural usage
• Preceding segment
• Nonsibilant fricative (/f/, /v/) 78
• Vowel 71
• Nasal (/m/, /n/) 58
• Lateral (/l/) 42
• Following segment
• Vowel or glide (/w/, /y/) 70
• Pause 64
• (Young, 1991)

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Social context as source of variation

• Percentage of Chinese variants used by bilingual
  Chinese-Thai subjects with Thai and Chinese
  interviewers
• Interviewer
• Variant Thai Chinese
• ? 9.5 16.1
• k 5.8 10.7
• Beebe Zuengler, 1983

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Restructuring as variation (p213)

• Time 1 Time 2 Time 3 Time 4
• I am no go. I am no go. I am no
  go. I am no go.
• No look. No look. Dont
  look. Dont go.
• I am no run. I am dont run. I am dont
  run. I am no run.
• No run. Dont run. Dont run.
  Dont run.
• Indicative, Imperative
• Ellis, (1985) Understanding second language
  acquisition. Oxford University Press

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Stages of Interlanguage Variation (p 238)

• Stages
• Initial no for all forms
• Free variation no/dont interchangeably
• Systematic variation dont / imperatives
• no dont / indicatives
• Categorical use dont / imperatives
• no / indicatives

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Example of IL variation

•   Huebners (1983) longitudinal study of Ge,
  a Hmong L1 immigrant from Laos living in Hawaii.
• is(a) initially used to mark topic-comment
  boundaries and developed over time into the
  copula.
• ai werk everdei, isa woter da trii
• As for the work I do everyday, it
  involves watering the plants
•  
• Similar patterns for the article da
  and pronominal reference

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What is the role of social and cultural context
in SLA theory?

• What is the domain of SLA theory or, in other
  words, what determines L2 proficiency?
• Abstract linguistic knowledge?
• (linguistically or cognitively based)
• Social and cultural context?

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End of Week 8 lecture slides.