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THE BENEFICIAL ROLE OF L1 SPOKEN LANGUAGE SKILLS ON INITIAL L2 SIGN LANGUAGE LEARNING

Cognitive and Linguistic Predictors of M2L2 Acquisition

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 September 2016

Joshua T. Williams Open the ORCID record for Joshua T. Williams [Opens in a new window] ,
Isabelle Darcy  and
Sharlene D. Newman
Joshua T. Williams*
Affiliation:
Indiana University
Isabelle Darcy
Affiliation:
Indiana University
Sharlene D. Newman
Affiliation:
Indiana University
*
*Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Joshua T. Williams, Cognitive Neuroimaging Laboratory, Indiana University, 1101 E. 10th Street, Bloomington, IN, 47405. E-mail: [email protected]
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Abstract

Understanding how language modality (i.e., signed vs. spoken) affects second language outcomes in hearing adults is important both theoretically and pedagogically, as it can determine the specificity of second language (L2) theory and inform how best to teach a language that uses a new modality. The present study investigated which cognitive-linguistic skills predict successful L2 sign language acquisition. A group (n = 25) of adult hearing L2 learners of American Sign Language underwent a cognitive-linguistic test battery before and after one semester of sign language instruction. A number of cognitive-linguistic measures of verbal memory, phonetic categorization skills, and vocabulary knowledge were examined to determine whether they predicted proficiency in a multiple linear regression analysis. Results indicated that English vocabulary knowledge and phonetic categorization skills predicted both vocabulary growth and self-rated proficiency at the end of one semester of instruction. Memory skills did not significantly predict either proficiency measures. These results highlight how linguistic skills in the first language (L1) directly predict L2 learning outcomes regardless of differences in L1 and L2 language modalities.

Type
Research Reports
Information
Studies in Second Language Acquisition , Volume 39 , Issue 4 , December 2017 , pp. 833 - 850
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Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2016 

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Footnotes

We would like to acknowledge the funding agencies that helped make this study possible, including the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship #1342962 (Williams) and Indiana University Imaging Research Facility Brain Scan Credit Program (Williams, Darcy, and Newman). We would like to thank two anonymous reviewers and the editorial board for constructive feedback on previous versions.

References

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