Grammar learning in a second language through ...

Grammar learning in a second language through dialogue An experimental study

Eva Koch [email protected]

Arts and Philosophy PhD Day 28/05/2018 PhD Supervisors: Alex Housen Aline Godfroid

Main research questions •

Can native speakers of Dutch learn German verb conjugation during a conversation with a native speaker of German? • intuition: yes! • let’s bring this to the lab • (challenge: natural learning vs. experimental control)

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What is the role of awareness? Who learns best?

A. Participants who know that they should try to learn conjugation B. Participants who don’t know that they are supposed to learn and what they are supposed to learn

The target structure to be learned ”Weak verbs” (regular) Dutch: jagen ik jaag jij jaagt hij/zij jaagt wij jagen jullie jagen zij jagen “Strong verbs” (irregular) Dutch: vangen ik vang jij vangt hij/zij vangt wij vangen jullie vangen zij vangen

German: jagen ich jage du jagst er/sie/es jagt wir jagen ihr jagt sie jagen

English: to hunt I hunt you hunt he/she/it hunts we hunt you hunt they hunt

Vowel changes in German German: strong verbs English: fangen ich fange du fängst er/sie/es fängt wir fangen ihr fangt sie fangen

to catch I catch you catch he/she/it catches we catch you catch they catch

The target structure to be learned ”Weak verbs” (regular) Dutch: jagen ik jaag jij jaagt hij/zij jaagt wij jagen jullie jagen zij jagen “Strong verbs” (irregular) Dutch: vangen ik vang jij vangt hij/zij vangt wij vangen jullie vangen zij vangen

German: jagen ich jage du jagst er/sie/es jagt wir jagen ihr jagt sie jagen

I only look at 3rd person singular German: (he/she/it) fangen ich fange du fängst er/sie/es fängt wir fangen ihr fangt sie fangen

English: to hunt I hunt you hunt he/she/it hunts we hunt you hunt they hunt

English: to catch I catch you catch he/she/it catches we catch you catch they catch

The target structure to be learned •

Vowel changes in German strong verbs à a becomes ä à e becomes i

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A problem for learners! • Especially for native speakers of Dutch • Even advanced learners keep making persistent errors

THE EXPERIMENT

(In linguistic research, experiments don’t look like this...)

(In this case, it rather looked like this...)

Cover story: put focus on meaning, not grammar

“We are investigating how the language one speaks influences one’s way of thinking”

Global procedure Participants come to the lab, having the cover story in mind.

Background questionnaire

Conversational learning task (+/- 1 hour)

Awareness interview “er geht ... er *fahrt ... ... er schwimmt ... er isst ... ... ... er liest ... er *ratet ... ... er lacht ... er *jägt ... “

Brief conjugation task (=delayed post-test)

The conversational learning task •

A “pseudo-dialogue” between participant and experimenter

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We had to produce sentences in turns, based on pictures Speaker instruction: “Form the sentence that makes most sense” à Possible answer: “Der Schlüssel liegt auf dem Tisch neben dem Glas.” (“The key lies on the table next to the glass.”) Listener instruction: “Judge whether this would also have been your solution” (Yes/No)

The conversational learning task • •

How did we measure learning? fangen (to catch) à example of input condition “Der Mann *fangt den Ball ...” ... ... “Die Frau fängt den Ball ...” ... ... “Der Mann fängt den Ball ...” ... ... “Der Junge fängt den Ball ...”

IMPROVEMENT AFTER INPUT? = learning

= pre-test

= first input

= second input

= post-test

The conversational learning task •

How did we measure learning?

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tragen (to carry) à example of no-input condition “Der Mann *tragt das Baby ...” = pre-test ... ... ... ... NO INPUT! ... ... ... ... “Der Junge *tragt den Ball ...” = post-test

The experimental conditions 48 participants (pp) - native speakers of Dutch - intermediate-advanced learners of German

EXPLICIT CONDITION

IMPLICIT CONDITION

Attention guided towards target “This is actually about strong verbs!” “Try to learn the vowel change from the experimenter!”

Attention guided away from target “This is about meaning, not grammar!”

21 explicit learners

21 incidental learners

6 unaware participants

RESULTS

Explicit learners

Incidental learners

Explicit learners

Explicit > incidental

Incidental learners

Unaware participants

Unaware participants

No learning!

Conclusions •

Summary of the results: • Both groups learn equally well • The explicit learners have higher results overall

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Conclusions: • Talking to native speakers can lead to grammar learning! [Attention: what we see here are micro-steps of learning that may or may not lead to the development of sustainable knowledge] • Awareness of the target structure is necessary for learning to take place • Vowel changes are definitely a learning difficulty • Method: successful combination of experimental control & a natural learning situation

Next steps... •

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Analyze (mixed-effects modelling)

Thank you for your attention! Acknowledgments: Special thanks to Alex Housen and Aline Godfroid, and to Kristin Lemhöfer and Johanna de Vos for their precious contributions to this study.

[contact: [email protected]] NWO-funded Vidi project on second language acquisition in natural communicative situations (Dr. Kristin Lemhöfer)

Unaware participants