Formulaic language and conceptual socialization: the route to becoming nativelike in L2
Author
Ortaçtepe, D.
Date
2013-10Source Title
System
Print ISSN
0346-251X
Publisher
Elsevier
Volume
41
Issue
3
Pages
852 - 865
Language
English
Type
ArticleItem Usage Stats
167
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182
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Abstract
The present study addressed the question whether formulaic expressions indicate nativelike selection in the target language by
examining seven Turkish students’ use of formulaic expressions during their first year in the United States. Fourteen external raters
who spoke English as their first language rated the Turkish (focal group) and American students’ (control group) DCT responses in
terms of nativelike language use. The results indicated that the American students not only received higher nativelikeness ratings
but also produced more formulaic expressions than the Turkish students. This finding confirms that freely generated utterances
based on grammatical units and lexis forecast non-membership to the speech community (Skehan, 1998) while the use of formulaic
expressions is an indicator of nativelike selection. The results also revealed that gaining competency over formulaic expressions for
second language learners is not a linear process but open to creativity.