Does the Owl Fly out of the Tree or Does the Owl Exit the Tree Flying? How L2 Learners Overcome Their L1 Lexicalization Biases.
Learning a language is more than learning its vocabulary and grammar. For example, compared to English, Spanish uses many more path verbs such asascender('to move upward') andsalir('to go out'), and expresses manner of motion optionally. English, in contrast, has many manner verbs (e.g.,run,jog) and expresses path in prepositional phrases (e.g.,outof the barn). The way in which a language encodes an event is known as itslexicalization patternorbias. Using a written sentence elicitation task, we asked whether adult Spanish learners whose L1 was English adopted Spanish lexicalization biases, and what types of L2 exposure facilitated the learning of lexicalization biases. Results showed that advanced, but not intermediate, adult Spanish learners showed a path bias comparable to that found in native speakers of Spanish. Furthermore, study abroad experience is associated with better acquisition of L2 lexicalization biases when describing certain types of events.
Brooklyn College, City University of New York.
Lulu
L
Song
Delaware State University.
Rachel
R
Pulverman
Univeristy of Delaware.
Christina
C
Pepe
Univeristy of Delaware.
Roberta Michnick
RM
Golinkoff
Temple University.
Kathy
K
Hirsh-Pasek