Skip to main content

Lund University Publications

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

How much English do children know before they are exposed to instruction? : Applying Processability Theory to receptive grammar

Håkansson, Gisela LU (2019) In Processability Approaches to Language Acquisition Research & Teaching 6. p.27-49
Abstract
This study investigates how much English Swedish-speaking children are able to extract from media prior to the instruction of English that takes place in school. The participants are 41 Swedish-speaking, 7 to 8-year-old children in grades 1 and 2. Their receptive knowledge of English grammar and vocabulary is tested using two picture-pointing tasks. For grammar, the ELIAS Grammar test is used (Kersten et al. 2010). Three morphological structures (plural -s, possessive -s and 3rd person singular -s) are targeted and analysed through the lens of Processability Theory (PT; Pienemann 1998, 2015). For vocabulary, the BVPS is used (Dunn et al. 1997). The results on grammar confirm the processability hierarchy predicted in PT, with a few... (More)
This study investigates how much English Swedish-speaking children are able to extract from media prior to the instruction of English that takes place in school. The participants are 41 Swedish-speaking, 7 to 8-year-old children in grades 1 and 2. Their receptive knowledge of English grammar and vocabulary is tested using two picture-pointing tasks. For grammar, the ELIAS Grammar test is used (Kersten et al. 2010). Three morphological structures (plural -s, possessive -s and 3rd person singular -s) are targeted and analysed through the lens of Processability Theory (PT; Pienemann 1998, 2015). For vocabulary, the BVPS is used (Dunn et al. 1997). The results on grammar confirm the processability hierarchy predicted in PT, with a few exceptions. The remarks from the children reveal that they are able to discuss the linguistic forms and also give declarative rules. No signs of transfer from the L1 are found in the comprehension of morphology. However, the results on vocabulary indicate that the children use transfer. They rely on cognates and also on L1 phonology when trying to guess the meaning of the L2 words. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
organization
publishing date
type
Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding
publication status
published
subject
host publication
Teachability and Learnability across Languages
series title
Processability Approaches to Language Acquisition Research & Teaching
editor
Arntzen, Ragnar ; Håkansson, Gisela ; Hjelde, Arnstein and Kessler, Jörg-U.
volume
6
pages
27 - 49
publisher
John Benjamins Publishing Company
ISSN
2210-6480
ISBN
9789027262592
9789027203120
DOI
10.1075/palart.6.02hak
language
Swedish
LU publication?
yes
id
dea62b42-e5f4-4aae-9923-11c3b42a46fd
date added to LUP
2019-05-27 18:21:53
date last changed
2019-07-01 14:17:16
@inbook{dea62b42-e5f4-4aae-9923-11c3b42a46fd,
  abstract     = {{This study investigates how much English Swedish-speaking children are able to extract from media prior to the instruction of English that takes place in school. The participants are 41 Swedish-speaking, 7 to 8-year-old children in grades 1 and 2. Their receptive knowledge of English grammar and vocabulary is tested using two picture-pointing tasks. For grammar, the ELIAS Grammar test is used (Kersten et al. 2010). Three morphological structures (plural -s, possessive -s and 3rd person singular -s) are targeted and analysed through the lens of Processability Theory (PT; Pienemann 1998, 2015). For vocabulary, the BVPS is used (Dunn et al. 1997). The results on grammar confirm the processability hierarchy predicted in PT, with a few exceptions. The remarks from the children reveal that they are able to discuss the linguistic forms and also give declarative rules. No signs of transfer from the L1 are found in the comprehension of morphology. However, the results on vocabulary indicate that the children use transfer. They rely on cognates and also on L1 phonology when trying to guess the meaning of the L2 words.}},
  author       = {{Håkansson, Gisela}},
  booktitle    = {{Teachability and Learnability across Languages}},
  editor       = {{Arntzen, Ragnar and Håkansson, Gisela and Hjelde, Arnstein and Kessler, Jörg-U.}},
  isbn         = {{9789027262592}},
  issn         = {{2210-6480}},
  language     = {{swe}},
  pages        = {{27--49}},
  publisher    = {{John Benjamins Publishing Company}},
  series       = {{Processability Approaches to Language Acquisition Research & Teaching}},
  title        = {{How much English do children know before they are exposed to instruction? : Applying Processability Theory to receptive grammar}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1075/palart.6.02hak}},
  doi          = {{10.1075/palart.6.02hak}},
  volume       = {{6}},
  year         = {{2019}},
}