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Advancedness in Second Language Spanish: Definitions, challenges, and possibilities
Edited by Mandy R. Menke and Paul A. Malovrh
[Issues in Hispanic and Lusophone Linguistics 31] 2021
► pp. 115–142

Chapter 6
Allowable temporal distances for future-time forms

The case of advanced L2 Spanish learners

ORCID logo | University of Pittsburgh

Learners may show sensitivity to linguistic factors in more controlled tasks before doing so in production, although advanced learners often demonstrate greater inter-task consistency. Future-time expression in Spanish serves as a good test case for such variability due to the multiple forms speakers use. Although recent research has considered production and contextualized selection of future-time forms, it has not required learners to react to forms they may not otherwise implement. We manipulate four future forms and five lexical types, asking learners to indicate when an action could occur for each item. Learners showed more nuanced temporal restrictions according to these factors as proficiency increased, with advanced learners most approximating native speakers, in addition to overshooting some targets and revealing lexical effects.

Keywords: future, advanced learners, Spanish, temporality, acceptability
Article outline
  • Advanced learners: Rates and predictors of use, task-related differences, and lexical effects
  • Future expression in native and L2 Spanish
  • Summary: Temporal distance, advanced learners, and remaining gaps
  • Current study
    • Participants
    • Procedure
    • Allowable temporal distances task
    • Grammar test
    • Language background questionnaire
  • Results
    • Overall rates of temporal distance selection
    • Mixed-effects regression models
  • Cross-tabulating verb form and lexical type
  • Discussion
    • Answers to research questions
    • Advanced learners overshooting NS targets
    • Differences with prior task types: Lessened for advanced learners
    • Greater sensitivity to lexical properties by advanced leaners
  • Conclusions and limitations
  • Notes
  • References
Published online: 8 February 2021
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/ihll.31.06kan
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