Caso de Mari

8/3/2019 Caso de Mari

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2010

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Universidad autnoma Benito Jurez de

Oaxaca

01/01/2010

Maris case


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INDEX


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Introduction

The purpose of this document is to analyze the case of an EFL student who

through some years has been in contact with the target language, research about herproficiency demonstrated that her English level was still insufficient to manage it

considerably well in a real context.

For doing so, we will resort to different branches of Linguistics such as

Sociolinguistics and Psycholinguistics in order to draw hypotheses that could explain

the reasons of the mentioned case.

This case comes from the article A new look as methodologies in the study of

article acquisition from learners of ESL by Betsy Parrish, from this situations we willtry to find the causes that originate such phenomenon and at the same time we will

try to propone possible solutions that could help teachers face this problem.


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CASE

The subject

The subject for this study is a 19 year old Japanese woman, Mari, who arrived

in the U.S. three weeks prior to the time of data collection. She had received six

years of English instruction in Japan; however, she indicated that her training had

been primarily in grammar, reading and writing, and that she had had little practice in

speaking or listening comprehension. She enrolled in the Summer Intensive English

and Orientation Program at the University of Minnesota upon her arrival in the U.S.

On the basis of her Michigan Test score, she was placed in the beginning level of

instruction.

The Method

Data were collected during 20-to-30 minute sessions every ten days for a

period of four months. Mari was asked to tell two stories, one about the U.S. and one

about Japan, and to describe a place: her city, the campus. It was hoped that by

recycling the same topics week to week, she was given equal opportunities to

produce the various environments for articles. Her responses were recorded on a

Pioneer SK-200 and transcribed shortly afterwards, usually the same day.

The analysis

All noun phrases from the data were classified according to the rules for

English articles use: definite the, indefinite a/an, zero article. The number of correct

and incorrect noun phrases was counted and percentages were calculated.


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Results

Proportions of use of articles by this speaker in spoken data collected over a 4

month period. *=represents the cases which would not be possible for NativeSpeakers.

Example of produced noun phrase The A Zero article Total

Target: The book is on the table 68% *0% *32% 100%

Mari:

The book is on the table.

The book is on table.

Target: I've bought a book *9% 27% *64% 100%

Mari:

I've bought the book.

I've bought book.

Target: I want to buy a book *0% 36% *64% 100%

Mari:

I want to buy a book

I want to buy book


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NATURE OF THE PROBLEM

After a long discussion and a deep investigation the team agreed the following

hypotheses:

Japanese idiosyncrasy hinders the approaching to the resources of the

target language.

The approach and teaching process did not succeed in the subject

(Basic Structures).

Language Interference (Japanese Language Structure).

There are obvious explanations for the origin of definite article problems that

derive from the structure of the Japanese language, but other factors also play a role

in here. The rules for the use of the article in English are so complex that standard

usage will best be acquired by prolonged exposure to native speakers. This is

unfortunately impossible for most Japanese because they take so few holidays to go

abroad. When they do travel, it is generally in groups of other Japanese, so they

rarely hear or speak English. This denies them the chance to take a year or so to

travel in the manner of many European, North American.

Another problem is the reluctance of Japanese learners to involve themselves

in learning language with the same lack of inhibition that learners from other cultures

manage to achieve.

Theorical Framework

Idiosyncrasy is defined as an individualizing quality or characteristic of a

person or group, and is often used to express eccentricity or peculiarity. By the same

principle, linguists (such as Ferdinand de Saussure) state that words are not only

arbitrary, but also largely idiosyncratic signs.

A target language is a language that is the focus or end result of certain

processes.


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In applied linguistics and second-language pedagogy, the term "target language"

refers to any language that learners are trying to learn in addition to their native

language. The same concept is often expressed as "second language" or "L2."

In translation, the term "target language" is applied to the language that a source

text is being translated into.

In computer science, a "target language" is the computer language that

a compiler translates source code into.

Language Skills. Language educators have long used the concepts of four

basic language skills:

Listening

Speaking

Reading

Writing

The four basic skills are related to each other by two parameters:

The mode of communication: oral or written

The direction of communication: receiving or producing the message

We may represent the relationships among the skills in the following chart

Oral Written

Receptive Listening Reading

Productive Speaking Writing

Language acquisition is the process by which humans acquire the capacity to

perceive, produce and use words to understand and communicate. This capacity

involves the picking up of diverse capacities including syntax, phonetics, and an

extensive vocabulary. This language might be vocal as with speech or manual as

in sign. Language acquisition usually refers to first language acquisition, which

studies infants' acquisition of their native language, rather than second language


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acquisition that deals with acquisition (in both children and adults) of additional

languages.

The capacity to acquire and use language is a key aspect that distinguishes humans

from other organisms. While many forms of animal communication exist, they have a

limited range of no syntactically structured vocabulary tokens that lack cross cultural

variation between groups.

A major concern in understanding language acquisition is how these capacities are

picked up by infants from what appears to be very little input. A range of theories of

language acquisition has been created in order to explain this apparent problem

including innatism in which a child is born prepared in some manner with these

capacities, as opposed to the other theories in which language is simply learned.

In linguistics, grammaris the set of structural rules that govern the

composition of sentences, phrases, and words in any given natural language. The

term refers also to the study of such rules, and this field includes morphology, syntax,

and phonology, often complemented by phonetics, semantics, and pragmatics.

Linguists do not normally use the term to refer to orthographical rules, although

usage books and style guides that call themselves grammars may also refer to

spelling and punctuation.

An interlanguage is an emerging linguistic system that has been developed

by a learner of a second language (or L2) who has not become fully proficient yet but

is approximating the target language: preserving some features of their first

language (or L1), or overgeneralizing target language rules in speaking or writing the

target language and creating innovations. An Interlanguage is idiosyncratically based

on the learners' experiences with the L2. It can fossilize, or cease developing, in any

of its developmental stages. The Interlanguage rules are claimed to be shaped by

several factors, including: L1 transfer, transfer of training, strategies of L2 learning

(e.g. simplification), strategies of L2 communication (or communication strategies like

circumlocution), and overgeneralization of the target language patterns.

Interlanguage is based on the theory that there is a "psychological structure

latent in the brain" which is activated when one attempts to learn a second language.

Larry Selinker proposed the theory of Interlanguage (1972), noting that in a given

situation the utterances produced by the learner are different from those speakers


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would produce had they attempted to convey the same meaning. This comparison

reveals a separate linguistic system. This system can be observed when studying the

utterances of the learner who attempts to produce meaning in using the target

language; it is not seen when that same learner does form-focused tasks, such as

oral drills in a classroom. Interlanguage can be observed to be variable across

different contexts; for example, it may be more accurate, complex and fluent in one

discourse domain than in another (Tarone, 1979; Selinker & Douglas, 1985).


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First theory

Japanese idiosyncrasy hinders the approaching to the sources of the

target language.

Japanese culture is still in many ways a closed one which blocks most of the

learners from accepting the language of a foreign culture. This declines in part from a

fear of taking risks before others, which is an essential part of extending linguistic

level.

So, in rejecting part of the foreign culture, many students lack the

interaction and interest in the development of their level in the language, we can says

so taking into account the English expression Practice makes perfect, the lesser

the students have contact with any resource of the target foreign language, the

harder they develop their level. Students need to be in frequent contact with the

language and because that cannot be reached in the classroom, it becomes

complicated for them to develop skills in the language.

Additionally, we can say that the absence of an integral instruction hinders the

progress for the students, from that we infer that Mari, our subject, did not have the

enough exposure to the target language, situation that made her development

limited.

Then, we have interviewed some Japanese subjects in the same range of age

and conditions, that supported the theory mentioned, and from whom we took some

information to get to such conclusion.

Such interviews are recorded in the following pages.


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INTERVIEW

(Caracteristicas del sujeto)

(preguntas sobresalintes)


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Second theory

The approach and teaching process did not succeed in the subject

(Basic Structures).

Although they way of teaching and the constant in-put that the subject

receives have a meaningful impact on the student, it also depends on students effort

to succeed in the process of language learning.

We want to emphasize that it does not mean that the approach was wrong; we

think that Mari did not learn the basic structures well, so when she wanted to get

enrolled in the next level she encountered herself with the stoppers that did not allow

her to continue progressing, that is why she may have been stumbling when reaching

harder or more advanced structures.

So, that is probably why Mari could handle a few of the structures that were

more complicated, but she was still using inadequately the basic structures, so she

must have learned firstly the uses of the articles which would have been posted

somehow in this manner:

Use of the Article, Grammar Use

Indefinite articles - A and An

A and an are the indefinite articles. They refer to something not specifically

known to the person you are communicating with.

A and an are used before nouns that introduce something or someone you

have not mentioned before: -"I saw an elephant this morning."

A and an are also used when talking about your profession:-"I am a builder."

Note! You use a when the noun you are referring to begins with a consonant

for example, "a city", "a factory", and "a hotel".

You use an when the noun you are referring to begins with a vowel.

Pronunciation changes this rule. It's the sound that matters, not the

spelling.


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If the next word begins with a consonant sound when we say it, for example,

"university" then we use a. If the next word begins with a vowel sound when we say

it, for example "hour" then we use an.

So, "a university" IS correct.

We say "hour" with a silent h as though it were spelt "our".

So, "an hour" IS correct.

Definite Article - The

You use the when you know that the listener knows or can work out what

particular person/thing you are talking about. "Did you lock the car?"

You should also use the when you have already mentioned the thing you are

talking about: -The girl's eight and the boy's fourteen."

We use the to talk about geographical points on the globe.

For example:

The North Pole, the Pacific, the English channel.

We also use the before certain nouns when we know there is only one of a

particular thing.

For example:

The rain, the sun, the wind, the world, the earth, the White House etc..

The is also used to say that a particular person or thing being mentioned is the

best, most famous, etc. In this use: "Harry's Bar is the place to go." "You don't mean

you met the Tony Blair, do you?"

Note! - The doesn't mean all:-

For example:

"The books are expensive." = (Not all books are expensive, just the ones I'm

talking about.)

"Books are expensive." = (All books are expensive.)


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Zero Article

We usually use no article to talk about things in general:- Inflation is rising.

People are worried about rising crime

(Note!People generally, so no article)

You do not use an article before uncountable nouns when talking about them

generally.

For example:

Information is important to any organization. Coffee is bad for you.

You do not use an article before the names of countries except where they

indicate multiple areas or contain the words (state(s), kingdom, republic, union).

Kingdom, state, republic and union are nouns, so they need an article.

For example:

No article - Italy, Mexico, Bolivia, England

Use the - the UK (United Kingdom), the USA (United States of America), the

Irish Republic, Multiple areas The Netherlands, the Philippines, the British Isles.


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Third theory

Language Interference (Japanese Language Structure)

In linguistic terms the most obvious explanation for the problems with its use in

English is the absence of the article in Japanese. There is the additional problem of

the concept of countability for Japanese speakers, whose language does not

distinguish between singular and plural noun forms except in a few specific cases. As

a result of these differences the teacher not only has to introduce learners to:

(i) A totally new type of word - the article;

(ii) The concepts of definite/indefinite, count/non-count,

specific/generic and,

(iii) The triple choice made in every usage - definite, indefinite or

omission.

A hypothetical explanation has been suggested by the team and is that omission

rather than addition is the main cause of error because of the lack of articles in

Japanese. There may also be confusion about the concept of plurality, but we must

also look at the contrast of "specific/generic" around which differentiation turns. It

appears that this is a distinction that is clear to the explainer, but not always so to the

learner.

If we take the phrase Hes putting wood on the fire we have a direct case of:

Wood= generic reference, non-count = zero article;

Fire = specific reference, countable = definite article.

Now let us assume that a student has written Hes putting the wood on fire. The

teacher tries to explain that wood in this case should not have the article because it

has not been reference to it before, and that fire should be the fire because it is "part

of the cultural situation" in other words that fire is know by everybody and we refer to

it as the fire.


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So, since the main problem is the misuse or the absence of the article in their

structures, there must be then an insistence to show:

SPECIFICITY

He looked at THE clock on THE wall

My wife is in THE house

THEtallest boy in THEclass.

And then we can manipulate these examples; for instance in the sentence:

He looked at A clock on THEwallwould mean the same as the original example in

most contexts, and if we turn the clock into a plural, answering the question: Where is

John?

He is looking at THE clocks in THEantique

shop.

So, when the teacher explains to the student the concept of specific and

generic, of countable and uncountable, definite and indefinite and the student

reviews such explanations often, this subject gradually will achieve a proficient

management of the use articles.

In the meanwhile of this research about Maris case we found many other

documents where the same phenomenon has been analyzed about languages as

Japanese, Russian, Polish, Korean and Spanish and we were able to establish that

this misuse and overuse of the English articles is caused by the lack of an article

system in the L1 in the most of the languages mentioned before, but in Spanish the

problem change from a misuse to an overuse of the article and all over to the misuse

of the zero article.

Some of the similar cases are shown as follows:

1.-The first one is one case researched by Ionian, Ko and Wexler (2003) who

tested the linguistic theory of L2-acquisition as it relates to article use. They said that

Korean and Russian English language learners will overuse the article the in specific


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and non-specific definite and indefinite contexts. They found that their hypothesis

was right.

2.-In a 2004 study, Ekiert examined the acquisition and misuse of the English

article system by speakers of Polish who were studying English in ESL and EFL

settings.

3.-Neal Snape, 2004, examined article use by Japanese and Spanish English

language learners and proposed that meanwhile to L2 acquisition processes, all

English language learners would make systematic transfer errors regarding the

English articles.

Results show that intermediate and advanced learners generally overused the

in specific indefinite contexts. Results also showed that the use of the was higher

with definite than with specific indefinites and was also higher with specific than non-

specific indefinites. Researchers also noted that article omission was higher with

plural DPs.

4. - In a similar study conducted by Monica Ekiert in 2004, the acquisition of

the English article system by speakers of Polish was studied in ESL and EFL

settings.

Ekiert found that the EFL learners outperformed ESL students grades in tests.

This provides evidence that the acquisition of the English article system does not rely

solely on exposure. One reason of this difference is that EFL students educational

background varies meanwhile ESL students` took some semesters of English

instruction.

So, under these similar cases we inferred that this lack of an article system in

the L1 can demonstrate language transfer errors within the English article system

when learning to speak English (Bisagni Jaime, 2008).


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QUESTIONS THAT ARISE IN MARISCASE

While studying Maris case, we found that the information we had was not

enough to determine the exact causes that influenced Maris learning process. That

is why we decided to throw some questions that could have given us a deeper

understanding to have a better analysis of the case.

Questions

1. How is the system of EFL education in Japan?

2. How many hours at week did she spend learning English in Japan?

3. Mari was sufficiently exposed to the EFL?

4. What level did she get when she finished the school?

5. What kind of education she got, academic or out of school?

6. How is the Japanese perception of a foreign language?

7. What were Maris motives to learn English?

8. Is there any social, cultural, personal or emotional barrier that avoided Maris

learning?

9. How is her in-put in USA?

10. Is there any record that shows an improvement in her skills after her staying

in the U.S.A.?

We thought that if we knew the answer to those questions, it

would have been easier to get clearer conclusions or accurate theories

for this study.


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PLAN OF ACTION/INTERVENTION

What possible solutions can be thought of?

The first step in finding a solution to this problem is to make the learners, as

Mari, aware of it. The Japanese learner will probably have been taught in a public

secondary school and high school by another native speaker of Japanese. That

teachers English will contain a certain number of these errors, which pass on to the

students.

There is also the tendency of the learner who simply hears what s/he expects

to hear. If the mother tongue does not contain articles it is very easy not to register

their use in another language, especially when the rules are as complex as we have

found them to be in English. Those who have taught Japanese students will have

noted their fear of making imperfect statements. So the teacher, before explaining

the article use, could give a wide explanation of the meaning of the concepts

necessary to understand this new knowledge (definite/indefinite, count/non-count,specific/generic)

The second step is to point out that, when in doubt, as we saw in Maris

results and those of several Japanese learners, it is probably going to be better to

include the article rather than omit it.

Thirdly, once the existence of the problem has been faced, there comes an

active phase in which the learner is helped to become self-sufficient. We may

subdivide this process into two parts: learning from oneself and learning from

elsewhere.

The self-sufficient learning

The learning from elsewhere consists partly of a subconscious process of

developing monitoring skills from the large amount of reading and listening to native

speaker lecturers. In courses where such long-term exposure to native speakers is

unavailable, students will benefit from English-language videotapes for individual

viewing and comprehension exercises, followed by in-class discussion.


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CONCLUSION


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BIBLIOGRAPHY

Documents

Caso de Mari