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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. 417–440

Chapter 18
The role of individual characteristics in the acquisition of Spanish copula choice

The case of Korean learners

ORCID logo | San José State University

The present study examined individual patterns of use of variable Spanish copula choice by advanced-level Korean learners. Participants were nine native speakers of Korean enrolled in fourth-year Spanish courses at a South Korean university. To examine variable copula use, learners participated in a sociolinguistic interview and picture book description task from which all pre-adjectival contexts were identified and the distribution (i.e., range and frequency) of copula forms was examined. To examine individual patterns of use, learners completed a background questionnaire and Spanish grammar task. Results revealed that advanced-level Korean learners produced primarily ser, estar, and developmental omission in pre-adjectival contexts, and there was a positive relationship between higher rates of estar and four of the five individual characteristics examined.

Keywords: Spanish copula, L2 Spanish, variationist approach, individual differences
Article outline
  • Research context
    • Variation in second languages
    • SLA of Spanish copula choice
    • The role of individual characteristics in second languages
  • The present study
    • Participants
    • Data elicitation
    • Data coding and analysis
  • Results
    • Group trends
    • Individual trends
    • Role of individual characteristics
  • Discussion and conclusion
  • Notes
  • References
Published online: 8 February 2021
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/ihll.31.18lon
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