Production and Comprehension in Processability Theory

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine whether processability theory (PT; Pienemann, 1998, 2005) accounts for the emergence of grammatical forms and structures in comprehension. Sixty-one learners of English participated in oral interviews that elicited a variety of structures relevant to PT. Learners were divided into two groups: those who produced these structures productively in speech (high level) and those who did not (low level). These groups then read grammatical and ungrammatical sentences with PT structures in a self-paced reading task. Based on Pienemann (1998), PT predicts that the high-level group should perform similarly to native speakers. However, only the native speaker control group demonstrated sensitivity to ungrammaticalities. There was evidence that learners might have acquired lower-stage structures in an implicational order in comprehension, but it was quite mixed. These results have implications for PT and for models of the L2 linguistic system that include both production and comprehension.

Acquisition of Agreement Structures by Ghanaian Arabic Learners

“…3 out of 10) in group one and two. Yamaguchi & Kawaguchi (2016) in their study of the development of relative clauses in English L2 also found that some relative clauses emerged at the earlier stages of their informant. In fact, they indicated that relative clause constructions can be acquired at the S-procedure stage (p. 91).…”

“…An acquisition criterion provides an intelligible framework in L2 research on whether an interlanguage structure has been acquired by the leaner or not. However, acquisition has been operationalised in different ways using varied methodologies (Spinner & Jung, 2018).…”

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“…Among the few studies dedicated to investigating receptive grammar acquisition using the PT framework are Keatinge and Kessler (2009), Spinner (2013), and Spinner and Jung (2018).…”

Interacción entre demanda, proceso y competencia: un análisis cognitivo del constructo del test de comprensión lectora de ELE para sinohablantes

“…Sin embargo, algunos evaluadores destacan la falta de atención al proceso en el que se formula la información textual. Según ellos, la comprensión lectora se entiende por un proceso de extraer la información desde un texto e integrar toda la información formando un significado coherente (Spinner y Jung, 2018;Khalifa y Weir, 2009;Grabe, 2009;Anderson, 2009;Dekeyser, 2007;Pressley, 2006;Breznitz, 2006;Perfetti, Landi y Oakhill, 2005;Koda, 2005;Urquhart y Weir, 1998;Gernsbacher, 1990;.…”