Variability and systematicity in interlanguage development: an analysis of mode and its effect on L2 Spanish morphology
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Paul A. Malovrh [1]
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[1] University of South Carolina
University of South Carolina
Estados Unidos
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- Localización: Studies in Hispanic and Lusophone linguistics, ISSN-e 2199-3386, ISSN 1939-0238, Vol. 7, Nº. 1, 2014, págs. 43-78
- Idioma: inglés
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Resumen
The present study investigates the effect of mode on number and gender agreement in third-person direct object clitics produced by three different levels of native-English L2 learners of Spanish (N = 76). Previous research supports a performance-deficit account of variability, showing that proficiency level and working memory affect L2 morphological agreement (Sagarra 2007 and Sagarra & Herschensohn 2010), and that L2 processing patterns are similar to those of the L1 (Hopp 2010), suggesting that gender inflection is attainable. The present study extends such research. Using film retell tasks, data deriving from oral and written production under identical task conditions were correlated with less and more access to working memory, respectively. Analyses revealed main effects for both variables; patterns of agreement in oral production were also evident in written production, but at earlier stages of development. Results support a performance-based account of variability, showing that mode affects gender agreement, but not number.
