The effect of L1 on the production of L2 formulaic expressions
Date
2016Source Title
The Journal of Language Teaching and Learning
Print ISSN
2146-1732
Publisher
Turkish Association of Applied Linguistics
Volume
6
Issue
1
Pages
35 - 48
Language
English
Type
ArticleItem Usage Stats
119
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views
36
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Abstract
This study explores whether formulaic expressions congruent to the ones in an
individual's native language (L1) have an effect on the production those expressions
and their respective contexts in that individual's second language (L2). Fifteen EFL
students were given a pre- and post-Discourse Completion Test and a Writing
Prompt to assess their improvement in producing English idioms and their contexts
after a workshop that focused on idioms of varying similarity to the participants' L1:
Category I, word-for-word translations of the idiom used in L1; Category II,
conceptually similar versions of the idiom used in L1; and Category III, idioms
specific to the L2. The results of the study suggest that explicit instruction and
comparison of any category of idioms can promote its production, but also that EFL
learners are more comfortable working with Category II idioms.