15.2540, Diss: Lang Acquisition: Urponen: 'Ultimate...'

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LINGUIST List:  Vol-15-2540. Mon Sep 13 2004. ISSN: 1068-4875.

Subject: 15.2540, Diss: Lang Acquisition: Urponen: 'Ultimate...'

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1)
Date:  Fri, 10 Sep 2004 23:57:01 -0400 (EDT)
From:  murponen at massed.net
Subject:  Ultimate Attainment in Postpuberty Second Language Acquisition

-------------------------------- Message 1 -------------------------------

Date:  Fri, 10 Sep 2004 23:57:01 -0400 (EDT)
From:  murponen at massed.net
Subject:  Ultimate Attainment in Postpuberty Second Language Acquisition

Institution: Boston University
Program: Literacy, Language, and Cultural Studies
Dissertation Status: Completed
Degree Date: 2004

Author: Marja Inkeri Urponen

Dissertation Title: Ultimate Attainment in Postpuberty Second Language
Acquisition

Linguistic Field: Language Acquisition

Subject Language: English (code: ENG), Finnish (code: FIN)

Dissertation Director 1: Marnie Reed
Dissertation Director 2: Paul Hagstrom
Dissertation Director 3: Shanley Allen

Dissertation Abstract:

The study examined ultimate attainment in postpuberty second language
acquisition and the Critical Period Hypothesis as an explanation for
non-nativeness. A grammaticality judgment task acted as an assessment
instrument; a subject was considered to be native-like if the
individual's subtest score was greater than or equal to the mean
ratings of 90% of the control group members. The native-like subtests
were totaled into a nativeness score. The study consisted of 6
research questions and followup interviews with the highest scoring
and lowest scoring subjects.

As a methodological innovation, the selection of Finnish-born spouses
of native English speakers (N=104) as subjects controlled background
variables (amount and quality of L2 exposure, amount of L2 and L1 use,
education and language learning); 80% had studied EFL. 55 subjects had
age on arrival of >_16 years and had lived in USA/Canada for 20-60
years.

88% of the control group (N=40) obtained the nativeness score 6 or
5. The grammaticality judgments of 38% of Finnish-born subjects were
indistinguishable from the judgments of the control group and
contradicted the Critical Period Hypothesis as an only explanation for
native-like ultimate attainment.

The findings also indicate that Age on Arrival and Age English as a
Foreign Language Began are separate age of exposure measures. The best
logistic regression model with 11 binary variables predicted
nativelikeness with 76.9% accuracy; the significant predictors were
Age English as a Foreign Language Began, US Education, and Length of
Exposure, but not Age on Arrival. However, the youngest age on arrival
group (12-15 years) outperformed all other subject groupings. Their
performance did not decline with aging; the nativeness scores of
other subjects declined as Age at Testing increased after the peak
performance age.

ANOVAs for Age English as a Foreign Language Began, Length of
Exposure, Total Years of Education, and Age at Testing were
significant for the 104 and 55 subject groupings.

The n-shaped relationship between the nativeness score and Length of
Exposure explains their low correlation. Age at Testing impacted on
ultimate attainment by confounding with education and other background
variables (prior foreign language study, second language proficiency
on arrival, multilingualism, etc.).

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