LINGUIST List 19.1386: Applied Ling: Hellman: 'The Limits of Eventual Lexical Attain...'

LINGUIST List 19.1386

Thu Apr 24 2008

Diss: Applied Ling: Hellman: 'The Limits of Eventual Lexical Attain...'

Editor for this issue: Evelyn Richter <evelynlinguistlist.org>

1. Andrea Hellman, The Limits of Eventual Lexical Attainment in Adult-Onset Second Language Acquisition

Message 1: The Limits of Eventual Lexical Attainment in Adult-Onset Second Language Acquisition
Date: 23-Apr-2008
From: Andrea Hellman <andreabhellmangmail.com>
Subject: The Limits of Eventual Lexical Attainment in Adult-Onset Second Language Acquisition
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Institution: Boston University Program: Literacy, Language, and Cultural Studies Dissertation Status: Completed Degree Date: 2008

Author: Andrea Hellman

Dissertation Title: The Limits of Eventual Lexical Attainment in Adult-Onset Second Language Acquisition

Linguistic Field(s): Applied Linguistics
Subject Language(s): English (eng)
Dissertation Director:
Mary Catherine O'Connor John Read Shanley Allen Marnie Reed
Dissertation Abstract:

This study examined the ultimate attainment of adult-onset second language(L2) learners in the lexical domain. A substantial body of research hasdocumented age of acquisition effects on the ultimate attainment of L2learners in the domains of phonology and morphosyntax; however, onlylimited data exist regarding the ultimate achievement of adult-onset L2learners in the area of the lexicon, particularly vocabulary size and depthof word knowledge. This study probed the upper limit of eventual L2 lexicalachievement by comparing a group of highly proficient adult-onset L2learners with 10-52 years of significant exposure to the English (N = 33)to two groups of comparably educated native speakers of English, amonolingual group (N = 30) and a bilingual group (N = 30). Measuresincluded two vocabulary size tests (aural and written), and a depth of wordknowledge test. The results indicated that the L2 learner group wassignificantly different from both native speaker groups due to lower meanachievement on the aural vocabulary size measure. However, the rate ofnative level achievement among the adult-onset L2 learners was 76%. Five(15%) obtained scores above the native speaker mean on all three lexicaltasks; their characteristics were reported in case studies. Follow-upexploratory analyses suggested that for the adult-onset L2 learners, 46% ofthe variance on test scores was related to the linear combination of threepredictor variables: caregivers' education, verbal ability and literacy inthe native language, interest in new words and daily reading. For L2vocabulary size and depth of word knowledge, the data in this study did notsignal the existence of a critical period for acquisition. The data showedthat the upper limit of L2 lexical achievement was native level vocabularysize and depth of word knowledge even for those individuals who did notstart acquiring their second language until the third or fourth decade oflife. In addition, the study detected no effect for bilingual status on thelexical measures among the native speakers. The findings constituteevidence that the lexical domain may be the most successful area ofadult-onset L2 acquisition.