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Chapter 7. The impact of prior knowledge on second language grammar practice

  • Irene Alonso-Aparicio
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Usage-inspired L2 Instruction
Ein Kapitel aus dem Buch Usage-inspired L2 Instruction

Abstract

Both the skill building paradigm of language learning known as skills acquisition theory (DeKeyser, 2007) and the family of usage-based theories (N. Ellis, 2015; Tyler, 2012) hold that second language (L2) practice, broadly defined as repeated language usage, is pivotal to the learning of constructions. Intuition would thus suggest that L2 grammar pedagogy must rely on practice activities in the classroom. However, the praxis of practice is less clear. One variable that might moderate the effectiveness of practice is prior knowledge (PK), as it is reasonable to expect that the more learners can rely on PK that is relevant to a new target form, the less intensive or prolonged practice might need to be (Llopis-García, 2010). This chapter investigated the impact of prior knowledge (PK) of a given construction on practice of a new, related construction. It did so by comparing a group of students who, prior to the experiment, could already conjugate the present subjunctive and were familiar with the mood selection in some limited constructional contexts to another group of students who did not have any previous knowledge related to the mood selection in Spanish, and both to a control group. The goal was to ascertain whether PK modulates the benefits that can be obtained from activities that supported extensive practice of Spanish L2 mood selection over 6 weeks totaling 9 hours. Following a pretest/posttest design, results showed that, contrary to expectations, the group with no PK outperformed the group with PK. Results are discussed within the dynamic systems theory paradigm (Verspoor, de Bot, & Lowie, 2011). It is argued that mastery of Spanish L2 mood selection may be subject to processes of cognitive restructuring leading to a variable pathway as evidenced by a U-shaped learning curve.

Abstract

Both the skill building paradigm of language learning known as skills acquisition theory (DeKeyser, 2007) and the family of usage-based theories (N. Ellis, 2015; Tyler, 2012) hold that second language (L2) practice, broadly defined as repeated language usage, is pivotal to the learning of constructions. Intuition would thus suggest that L2 grammar pedagogy must rely on practice activities in the classroom. However, the praxis of practice is less clear. One variable that might moderate the effectiveness of practice is prior knowledge (PK), as it is reasonable to expect that the more learners can rely on PK that is relevant to a new target form, the less intensive or prolonged practice might need to be (Llopis-García, 2010). This chapter investigated the impact of prior knowledge (PK) of a given construction on practice of a new, related construction. It did so by comparing a group of students who, prior to the experiment, could already conjugate the present subjunctive and were familiar with the mood selection in some limited constructional contexts to another group of students who did not have any previous knowledge related to the mood selection in Spanish, and both to a control group. The goal was to ascertain whether PK modulates the benefits that can be obtained from activities that supported extensive practice of Spanish L2 mood selection over 6 weeks totaling 9 hours. Following a pretest/posttest design, results showed that, contrary to expectations, the group with no PK outperformed the group with PK. Results are discussed within the dynamic systems theory paradigm (Verspoor, de Bot, & Lowie, 2011). It is argued that mastery of Spanish L2 mood selection may be subject to processes of cognitive restructuring leading to a variable pathway as evidenced by a U-shaped learning curve.

Kapitel in diesem Buch

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents vii
  3. List of contributors xi
  4. Acknowledgements xvii
  5. Introduction
  6. Chapter 1. Usage-inspired L2 instruction 3
  7. Part I. Usage-inspired L2 instruction through three lenses
  8. Chapter 2. L2 developmental education and systemic theoretical instruction 29
  9. Chapter 3. Foreign language instruction from a dynamic usage-based (DUB) perspective 55
  10. Chapter 4. On the relationship between interaction and language learning 75
  11. Part II. How effective is usage-inspired L2 instruction?
  12. Chapter 5. Conceptual frameworks and L2 pedagogy 95
  13. Chapter 6. Student perception and different performance in a combined usage-based and sociocultural theory approach to learning Japanese polysemous particles 117
  14. Chapter 7. The impact of prior knowledge on second language grammar practice 143
  15. Chapter 8. Using metacognitive strategies to induce phase shifts 165
  16. Chapter 9. The role of ‘roles’ in task-design 187
  17. Chapter 10. Do findings from artificial language learning generalize to second language classrooms? 211
  18. Part III. A central role for corpus linguistics in usage-inspired L2 instruction
  19. Chapter 11. Compounds and productivity in advanced L2 German writing 237
  20. Chapter 12. A systemic functional linguistic approach to usage-based research and instruction 267
  21. Chapter 13. Examining multifaceted sources of input 291
  22. Conclusion
  23. Chapter 14. Usage-inspired L2 instruction 315
  24. Index 323
https://doi.org/10.1075/lllt.49.07alo

Kapitel in diesem Buch

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents vii
  3. List of contributors xi
  4. Acknowledgements xvii
  5. Introduction
  6. Chapter 1. Usage-inspired L2 instruction 3
  7. Part I. Usage-inspired L2 instruction through three lenses
  8. Chapter 2. L2 developmental education and systemic theoretical instruction 29
  9. Chapter 3. Foreign language instruction from a dynamic usage-based (DUB) perspective 55
  10. Chapter 4. On the relationship between interaction and language learning 75
  11. Part II. How effective is usage-inspired L2 instruction?
  12. Chapter 5. Conceptual frameworks and L2 pedagogy 95
  13. Chapter 6. Student perception and different performance in a combined usage-based and sociocultural theory approach to learning Japanese polysemous particles 117
  14. Chapter 7. The impact of prior knowledge on second language grammar practice 143
  15. Chapter 8. Using metacognitive strategies to induce phase shifts 165
  16. Chapter 9. The role of ‘roles’ in task-design 187
  17. Chapter 10. Do findings from artificial language learning generalize to second language classrooms? 211
  18. Part III. A central role for corpus linguistics in usage-inspired L2 instruction
  19. Chapter 11. Compounds and productivity in advanced L2 German writing 237
  20. Chapter 12. A systemic functional linguistic approach to usage-based research and instruction 267
  21. Chapter 13. Examining multifaceted sources of input 291
  22. Conclusion
  23. Chapter 14. Usage-inspired L2 instruction 315
  24. Index 323
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Heruntergeladen am 28.9.2025 von https://www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi/10.1075/lllt.49.07alo/html
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