Chapter 11. Compounds and productivity in advanced L2 German writing
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Amir Zeldes
Abstract
The frequent formation of complex, hierarchically structured compounds is a striking property of German grammar to non-natives, to the point that German has been referred to as ‘compounding happy’ (Schlücker, 2012). This chapter asks how compounding works in second language (L2) German grammar, by exploring data from the error-annotated Falko corpus of native and advanced non-native German writing. Beyond differences in overall frequency and productivity of L2 compounding, I use a constructional approach based on compound paraphrases and partially filled prototypes to analyze differences between first language (L1) and L2 usage, as well as to identify frequent error types. Although errors are overall not very frequent (about 11% in total), the data show significant differences in compounding frequency based on learner native language, and some possible phonetic explanations are offered for morphological errors at the boundary between compound heads and modifiers. The results also reveal that productivity as evidenced by rare items in L2 output is a key factor in the native-like acquisition of compounding, and that proficiency as assessed by a C-Test correlates better with more complex productivity measures than with raw vocabulary size. Semantic errors are overall very rare but in many cases attributable to transfer effects, even from constructions that are not compounds in the underlying L1, or indeed from languages low in compounds. This suggests that both abstract and partially lexicalized compounding constructions are learned, and errors can affect either of these at the lexical level.
Abstract
The frequent formation of complex, hierarchically structured compounds is a striking property of German grammar to non-natives, to the point that German has been referred to as ‘compounding happy’ (Schlücker, 2012). This chapter asks how compounding works in second language (L2) German grammar, by exploring data from the error-annotated Falko corpus of native and advanced non-native German writing. Beyond differences in overall frequency and productivity of L2 compounding, I use a constructional approach based on compound paraphrases and partially filled prototypes to analyze differences between first language (L1) and L2 usage, as well as to identify frequent error types. Although errors are overall not very frequent (about 11% in total), the data show significant differences in compounding frequency based on learner native language, and some possible phonetic explanations are offered for morphological errors at the boundary between compound heads and modifiers. The results also reveal that productivity as evidenced by rare items in L2 output is a key factor in the native-like acquisition of compounding, and that proficiency as assessed by a C-Test correlates better with more complex productivity measures than with raw vocabulary size. Semantic errors are overall very rare but in many cases attributable to transfer effects, even from constructions that are not compounds in the underlying L1, or indeed from languages low in compounds. This suggests that both abstract and partially lexicalized compounding constructions are learned, and errors can affect either of these at the lexical level.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents vii
- List of contributors xi
- Acknowledgements xvii
-
Introduction
- Chapter 1. Usage-inspired L2 instruction 3
-
Part I. Usage-inspired L2 instruction through three lenses
- Chapter 2. L2 developmental education and systemic theoretical instruction 29
- Chapter 3. Foreign language instruction from a dynamic usage-based (DUB) perspective 55
- Chapter 4. On the relationship between interaction and language learning 75
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Part II. How effective is usage-inspired L2 instruction?
- Chapter 5. Conceptual frameworks and L2 pedagogy 95
- Chapter 6. Student perception and different performance in a combined usage-based and sociocultural theory approach to learning Japanese polysemous particles 117
- Chapter 7. The impact of prior knowledge on second language grammar practice 143
- Chapter 8. Using metacognitive strategies to induce phase shifts 165
- Chapter 9. The role of ‘roles’ in task-design 187
- Chapter 10. Do findings from artificial language learning generalize to second language classrooms? 211
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Part III. A central role for corpus linguistics in usage-inspired L2 instruction
- Chapter 11. Compounds and productivity in advanced L2 German writing 237
- Chapter 12. A systemic functional linguistic approach to usage-based research and instruction 267
- Chapter 13. Examining multifaceted sources of input 291
-
Conclusion
- Chapter 14. Usage-inspired L2 instruction 315
- Index 323
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents vii
- List of contributors xi
- Acknowledgements xvii
-
Introduction
- Chapter 1. Usage-inspired L2 instruction 3
-
Part I. Usage-inspired L2 instruction through three lenses
- Chapter 2. L2 developmental education and systemic theoretical instruction 29
- Chapter 3. Foreign language instruction from a dynamic usage-based (DUB) perspective 55
- Chapter 4. On the relationship between interaction and language learning 75
-
Part II. How effective is usage-inspired L2 instruction?
- Chapter 5. Conceptual frameworks and L2 pedagogy 95
- Chapter 6. Student perception and different performance in a combined usage-based and sociocultural theory approach to learning Japanese polysemous particles 117
- Chapter 7. The impact of prior knowledge on second language grammar practice 143
- Chapter 8. Using metacognitive strategies to induce phase shifts 165
- Chapter 9. The role of ‘roles’ in task-design 187
- Chapter 10. Do findings from artificial language learning generalize to second language classrooms? 211
-
Part III. A central role for corpus linguistics in usage-inspired L2 instruction
- Chapter 11. Compounds and productivity in advanced L2 German writing 237
- Chapter 12. A systemic functional linguistic approach to usage-based research and instruction 267
- Chapter 13. Examining multifaceted sources of input 291
-
Conclusion
- Chapter 14. Usage-inspired L2 instruction 315
- Index 323
