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Chapter 11. Testing the validity of Processability Theory through a corpus-based analysis

The acquisition of plural marking in English speaking and writing by Japanese native speakers
  • Yumiko Yamaguchi and Hiroko Usami
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Processability and Language Acquisition in the Asia-Pacific Region
This chapter is in the book Processability and Language Acquisition in the Asia-Pacific Region

Abstract

This chapter presents part of the results of a learner corpus study to test the validity of Processability Theory (PT; Pienemann, 1998, 2005). It also addresses the issues of whether second language (L2) learners are at the same PT stages for speaking and writing. The results of the analysis of spoken and written narratives by 281 Japanese learners, focusing on the acquisition of the English plural marker ‑s on nouns, have demonstrated support for the hypothesised developmental sequence for English morphology in PT. In addition, a positive relationship has been found between the learners’ spoken and written production, suggesting that PT can legitimately be used to examine L2 writing as well as speaking.

Abstract

This chapter presents part of the results of a learner corpus study to test the validity of Processability Theory (PT; Pienemann, 1998, 2005). It also addresses the issues of whether second language (L2) learners are at the same PT stages for speaking and writing. The results of the analysis of spoken and written narratives by 281 Japanese learners, focusing on the acquisition of the English plural marker ‑s on nouns, have demonstrated support for the hypothesised developmental sequence for English morphology in PT. In addition, a positive relationship has been found between the learners’ spoken and written production, suggesting that PT can legitimately be used to examine L2 writing as well as speaking.

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Acknowledgements vii
  4. Chapter 1. Processability Theory, second language learning and teaching in the Asia-Pacific region 1
  5. Part 1. Asian languages as second languages
  6. Chapter 2. Studies of Japanese as a second language and their contribution to Processability Theory 27
  7. Chapter 3. The development of lexical mapping in Chinese L2 63
  8. Chapter 4. Extending PT to split ergative marking and differential object marking 91
  9. Chapter 5. Acquiring content questions in Japanese child second language 115
  10. Chapter 6. Japanese L2 corpora and SLA research 144
  11. Part 2. Bilingual first language acquisition and PT
  12. Chapter 7. The bilingual development of plural marking in a Malay-English child 165
  13. Chapter 8. Development of Japanese and English polar questions in bilingual first language acquisition 192
  14. Part 3. English as Foreign Language (EFL) in Asia
  15. Chapter 9. Developmentally moderated focus on form in an Indonesian kindergarten EFL programme 231
  16. Chapter 10. The acquisition of polar questions in Chinese learners of English as a foreign language 258
  17. Chapter 11. Testing the validity of Processability Theory through a corpus-based analysis 280
  18. About the authors 301
  19. Index 305
https://doi.org/10.1075/palart.9.11yam

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Acknowledgements vii
  4. Chapter 1. Processability Theory, second language learning and teaching in the Asia-Pacific region 1
  5. Part 1. Asian languages as second languages
  6. Chapter 2. Studies of Japanese as a second language and their contribution to Processability Theory 27
  7. Chapter 3. The development of lexical mapping in Chinese L2 63
  8. Chapter 4. Extending PT to split ergative marking and differential object marking 91
  9. Chapter 5. Acquiring content questions in Japanese child second language 115
  10. Chapter 6. Japanese L2 corpora and SLA research 144
  11. Part 2. Bilingual first language acquisition and PT
  12. Chapter 7. The bilingual development of plural marking in a Malay-English child 165
  13. Chapter 8. Development of Japanese and English polar questions in bilingual first language acquisition 192
  14. Part 3. English as Foreign Language (EFL) in Asia
  15. Chapter 9. Developmentally moderated focus on form in an Indonesian kindergarten EFL programme 231
  16. Chapter 10. The acquisition of polar questions in Chinese learners of English as a foreign language 258
  17. Chapter 11. Testing the validity of Processability Theory through a corpus-based analysis 280
  18. About the authors 301
  19. Index 305
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