Morphological Competence in English: Comparing Advanced L2 and L3 English Learners

This thesis compares morphological competence in advanced Mandarin-speaking second-language (L2) learners (n=63) and Uyghur-speaking third-language (L3) learners (n=40) of English, focusing on derivational word parts knowledge, morphological awareness, and processing ability. Existing research on L2 English derivational morphology, often with a goal to test cross-linguistic influence in L2 learning and processing, tends to focus on learners from typologically close first-language (L1) backgrounds (e.g., European languages, which are also rich in derivation, such as German); few studies, however, have examined English learners from typologically distinct L1s such as Mandarin (unlike English and limited in derivation), let alone the comparison between L2 and L3 learners, especially those with an agglutinative L1 rich in derivation such as Uyghur. The present research aims to address this gap by examining how L1 linguistic background may shape English derivational competence; more specifically, whether L3 Uyghur-speaking learners, as opposed to their L2 Mandarin-speaking counterparts, may benefit from L1 cross-linguistic transfer. It also aims to test how affix neutrally (i.e. whether adding a suffix may result in phonological and orthographic change to the base word) may interplay with L1 background in influencing English morphological competence. Participants were advanced English learners/users who, after completing their undergraduate studies in China, had lived and studied or worked in English-speaking countries (e.g., the UK, the US), while maintaining active use of their respective L1. A battery of computer- and paper-based tasks was administered to measure the participants’ English morphological competence with a focus on derivation. This thesis is organised around three studies, each focused on a distinct aspect of morphological competence. Study 1 assessed the participants' word parts knowledge through the paper-based Word Parts Level Test. Study 2 assessed participants’ morphological awareness using two computer-based tasks: one focused on morphological segmentation and the other on meaning inference. Study 3 focused on their morphological processing through a masked priming experiment on derived words. For the purpose of Study 3, in addition to the L2 and L3 learners, 30 native English speakers were also included. Each study was analysed separately to compare the English morphological competence of L2 and L3 learners. Study 1 used independent t-tests to compare word parts knowledge. No significant difference was found between the L2 and L3 groups in word parts knowledge (p = .766), likely because both groups consisted of advanced learners with extensive exposure to English. Study 2 employed 2x2 mixed ANOVAs to examine differences in morphological awareness. L3 learners significantly outperformed L2 learners in both segmentation (p = .039) and meaning inference (p <.001) tasks. Participants’ performance on non-neutral words (affixation alters spelling and sound) overall surpassed that on neutral words (affixation preserves spelling and sound) in meaning inference (p =.017). L2 learners excelled on non-neutral words (p <.001), while L3 learners performed equally well on both word types. Study 3 used a 2x3x3 mixed factorial ANOVA with post-hoc pairwise comparisons to analyse the effects of word type, stimuli, and participant group on reaction times. Neutral words demonstrated faster processing for both L2 and L3 groups than did non-neutral words (p<.001). Native English speakers, however, were unaffected by the neutrality (p = .283). Furthermore, L3 learners demonstrated marginally faster responses than did L2 learners (p = .056), although their responses were still slower than those of native English speakers. These findings, taken together, highlight the joint impact of L1 background and word/morphological properties on English L2/L3 morphological competence. Pedagogically, they emphasise the importance of targeted approaches to teaching derivation, including explicit English affix training, for English learners with structurally distinct native languages.<p></p>

Author dc:creator

• Ayimila Abulimiti (21040619)

• Morphological competence
• Derivational morphology
• L2 English learners
• L3 English learners
• Cross-linguistic influence
• Morphological awareness
• Morphological processing
• Mandarin-speaking learners
• Uyghur-speaking learners

Statement dc:rights

• All rights reserved
• Open Access after 2027-08-02

Identifier

10779/exe.31240477.v1

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:figshare.com:article/31240477