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Article published In:
Language, Interaction and Acquisition
Vol. 13:1 (2022) ► pp.1–28

Under the surface

A survey of principles of language use in advanced L2 speakers

| University of Paris 8 & CNRS, UMR 7023
| Heidelberg University
| Heidelberg University
| Heidelberg University
Through a survey of crosslinguistic empirical studies on narratives and in the domain of motion events, we argue that the principles of language use pose a hurdle for second language acquisition, an issue that has not been given adequate attention in earlier research. These principles are part of our pragmatic knowledge which encompasses language-specific information organization at the discourse level as well as event schemata at the level of construing reportable units. The findings show how highly competent L2 speakers activate L1-based knowledge that reflects deeply entrenched principles and seems resistant to change.
Keywords: advanced L2 learners, pragmatic knowledge, organizational principles, event schemata
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Theoretical framework
    • 2.1Language production and information structure
    • 2.2Studies on typological differences
    • 2.3The role of frequency
  • 3.Patterns of discourse organization in narrative texts
    • 3.1Introduction
    • 3.2Overview of options for information selection and organization
      • 3.2.1Information selection
      • 3.2.2Event linking and interconnecting
    • 3.3Limits in suppressing the L1 event schema in L2
      • 3.3.1Uses and implications of the progressive form
      • 3.3.2Selection of entities and status assignment
    • 3.4Discussion
  • 4.Event framing in L1 and L2: The case of motion events
    • 4.1Introduction
    • 4.2Background studies
    • 4.3Crosslinguistic L1 analyses: Event unit formation by French and German speakers
    • 4.4Crosslinguistic L1 analyses: Studies on motion events
    • 4.5L2 studies
  • 5.Conclusion
  • Notes
  • References
Published online: 24 August 2022
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/lia.21014.lam
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