Under the surface - A survey of principles of language use in advanced L2 speakers
What is it about?
Do you know someone who speaks your native language (L1) as a second language (L2)? Have you noticed that this person – although knowing the grammar of your language (almost) perfectly and having no difficulties in finding and articulating the right words most of the time – sometimes expresses things differently than you or other native speakers of your language would do? Non-native-like language use in highly advanced L2 speakers is the phenomenon that this article is about. More specifically, it summarizes several studies that have looked at how L2 speakers produce narratives compared to native speakers, and how L2 speakers spontaneously describe short videos clips of simple everyday situations. The approach in these studies is empirical. Language production data were elicited from native speakers of a language A, from native speakers of a language B, and from L2 speakers of language B who are native speakers of language A, all under controlled conditions. The production data were then compared. Across studies it was found that even very advanced L2 speakers often fall back into patterns of language use that they have acquired through experience with their L1. In other words, L2 speakers often express “L1 thoughts” using L2 words and an L2 grammar. The article concludes that this type of verbal behavior reflects deeply-entrenched principles of information selection and information organization.
Why is it important?
The research covered by this overview article illustrates how growing up with a specific language and using it within a specific language community has an effect on what information is ranked as more important over other information and in what way information is expressed. However, what is presented as a conclusion by the authors is not the same as what is known as Linguistic Determinism (“Sapir-Whorf-Hypothesis”), which states that one’s native language determines how one perceives the world. The conclusion is more subtle: Speakers are confronted with pragmatic conventions when learning how to use their L1, and with time, adhering to these patterns becomes more and more automatized. Since different languages have developed different principles of information selection and organization, learning a new language ultimately requires to uncover the principles in the L2. The difficulty lies in the fact that these principles are not visible at the surface of the language, meaning the grammar and the vocabulary – they lie “under the surface”. One further implication of the survey is that L2 teaching should go beyond teaching grammar and vocabulary, it should also place focus on the pragmatic principles underlying language use.