Additive Linking in L2 French Discourse by German Learners

Syntactic Embedding and Intonation Patterns

Dados Bibliográficos

ID5901498
AutoresSandra Benazzo (0000-0003-0064-0561, Structures Formelles du Langage), Dimroth Christine (University of Münster), Fabián Santiago (0000-0002-9721-5686, Structures Formelles du Langage)
Ano2021
Volume6
Fascículo1
Páginas20
Data de publicação2021-01-28
Peer ReviewedSim
Open AccessSim
TipoARTICLE
PeriódicoLanguages (JOURNAL)
Identificadores do periódicoISSN: 2226-471X • E-ISSN: 2226-471X
EditoraMDPI AG (PUBLISHER • IT)
DOI10.3390/languages6010020
OpenAlexW3122426627
IdiomaEN
Citações recebidas2
Referências citadas17

This study deals with the expression of additive linking in L2 French by adult German learners with two proficiency levels (advanced vs. intermediate). We examine whether crosslinguistic influences are observed in three domains: the frequency and type of additive expressions in discourse, the syntactic integration of additive particles in the utterance and the prosodic contour associated with them. A total of 70 participants (20 French native speakers, 20 German native speakers and 30 German learners of L2 French) performed an oral narrative task elicited via a video clip presenting abundant additive contexts. Our results show that advanced German learners did not experience an L1 transfer in any of the domains analyzed, but instead they show a learner-specific tendency to overmark the contrastive status of the relevant entities in discourse. Yet traces of crosslinguistic influence are visible in intermediate learners' choice and frequency of additive means, as well as the preferred position of the particles. All learners seem to have quickly discarded the possibility to mark scope by prosody, in contrast to what they do in their L1. We discuss these findings in the light of the L2 acquisition of cohesive devices in discourse and their interactions with different linguistic levels

Contrast (vision · First language · German · Intonation (linguistics · Linguistics · Prosody · Utterance · Computer Science · Language, Discourse, Communication Strategies · Linguistics and Discourse Analysis · Psychology · Syntax, Semantics, Linguistic Variation · Artificial Intelligence