Second Language Acquisition, Rod Ellis Flashcards
learner language
the language used by learners when they are called on to use L2 in speech or writing
naturalistic learner
someone who learns to use the language at the same time as learning to communicate in it (i.e. immersion setting)
formulas
fixed expressions such as How’s it going?
overuse
when a learner uses a form in the wrong functional context
item learning
when learners learn chunks, unanalysed, such as Can I have…?
system learning
when learners learn a rule of use, analysed, such as can+verbs for possibility, permission etc…
mentalist view
that learners acquire structures in a certain order because they are pre-programmed to do so.
error
these reflect gaps in the student’s knowledge
mistake
these reflect temporary lapses in performance
omission
leaving out an item that is required for an utterance to be considered grammatical
misinformation
using one grammatical form in place of another grammatical form
misordering
putting words in an utterance in the wrong order
overgeneralisation
for example, using eated, rather than ate
transfer
when learners try to formulate L2 rules using L1 knowledge
global errors
those errors which make the entire utterance nonsensical
local errors
those errors which affect only one constituent of an utterance, and do not take away from the meaning of the whole
propositional simplification
a feature of both L1 and L2 learning in children – the omission of the more sophisticated parts of utterances, leaving those like me no blue for I don’t have a blue one
acquisition order
the theory that learners pick up certain grammatical features in a pre-determined, universal order
sequence of acquisition
the question of whether learners pick up new forms in a single step or in a gradual process
accuracy order
the ranking of speech samples based on the correct forms used by the speaker
transitional constructions
the process by which a feature is acquired, often featuring accuracy, overgeneralisation, and hybrid forms
restructuring
part of the transitional process, when a learner may actually seem to regress in accuracy, partly due to overgeneralisation
psycholinguistic context
the situation of whether or not learners have had time to prepare their utterances
form-function mapping
when learners associate one particular form (e.g. no + verb) to a particular function (e.g. negative statements) – these may be quite different from normal target language form-function patterns
free variation
when learners don’t systematically use form-function mapping
fossilization
when a learner never reaches the target-language competence stage, and continues to make errors of form/function – this is uniquely a feature of SLA, and does not happen in FLA
mentalist (aka nativist) theory
by contrast with behaviourist theory, this idea accounts for the workings of the mind in relation to SLA
Language Acquisition Device
a theory related to FLA that states there is a function in the brain directly working to process/trigger language
interlanguage
the ‘mental grammar’ that a learner forms as they progress in their language skill – often a permeable combination of input and L1 concepts, creating a interlanguage continuum