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Learning Second Language Grammar Rules

An Experiment With a Miniature Linguistic System

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 November 2008

Robert M. DeKeyser
Robert M. DeKeyser
Affiliation:
University of Pittsburgh
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Abstract

This is a report on a computerized experiment with a miniature linguistic system, consisting of five morphological rules and a lexicon of 98 words. Two hypotheses derived from the literature in cognitive psychology and psycholinguistics were tested: that explicit-deductive learning would be better than implicit-inductive learning for straightforward (“categorical”) rules, and that implicit-inductive learning would be better than explicit-deductive learning for fuzzy rules (“prototypicality patterns”). Implicit-inductive learning was implemented by pairing sentences with color pictures; explicit-deductive learning was implemented by means of traditional grammar rule presentation, followed by picture-sentence pairing. The findings were in the expected direction for both hypotheses, but only the first one could be confirmed through statistically significant results.

Type
Articles
Information
Studies in Second Language Acquisition , Volume 17 , Issue 3 , September 1995 , pp. 379 - 410
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1995

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