The development of conjunction use in advanced L2 speech
Loading...
Date
2011-12
Authors
Advisor
Editor
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Zakład Filologii Angielskiej: Wydział Pedagogiczno-Artystyczny Uniwersytetu im. Adama Mickiewicza w Kaliszu
Title alternative
Abstract
The article discusses the results of a longitudinal study of how the use of conjunctions,
as an aspect of spoken discourse competence of 13 selected advanced
students of English, developed throughout their 3-year English as a foreign
language (EFL) tertiary education. The analysis was carried out in relation to
a number of variables, including 2 reference levels, one representing English native
discourse and the other observed in teacher talk in actual EFL classes, language
type exposure, as registered by the participants of the study on a weekly
basis, and teaching procedures. The study investigated possible factors determining
the development of 3 aspects of conjunction use: (a) formal conjunctions,
(b) specific conjunctions, that is, those conjunctions that are both characteristic
of natural English discourse and are underrepresented in L2 discourse,
and (c) conjunction diversity. The results point to a restricting effect of teacher
talk on the development of specific conjunction use and conjunction diversity.
These 2 aspects of conjunction use enjoyed only a slight rise, approaching the
teacher reference level. On the other hand, formal conjunctions use did increase
radically throughout the study, exceeding the native reference level. In this case
teacher talk played a reinforcing role at most. As indicated in a correlational
analysis, although there was a clear tendency of the participants’ development
of conjunction use towards the native reference level, exposure to authentic
English may not have been facilitative of the development of this discourse aspect.
An interesting observation was made with reference to the effect of formal
instruction on the development of conjunction use: Although the subjects
did receive intensive training in conjunction use in the 1st semester of their EFL
course, it was not until the 2nd year that their levels of formal conjunction use in spoken output increased. This suggests that formal instruction may have no
immediate effect on the development of spoken discourse competence.
Description
Sponsor
Keywords
Discourse competence, Conjunction, L2 learning
Citation
Studies in Second Language Learning and Teaching, 2011, vol. 1, no. 4, pp. 533-553.
Seria
ISBN
ISSN
2083-5205