Processing Connectives with a Complex Form-Function Mapping in L2: The Case of French "En Effet"

Area of Science:

• Linguistics
• Second Language Acquisition
• Psycholinguistics

Background:

• Discourse connectives pose challenges for second language (L2) learners.
• The precise reasons for these difficulties, especially with complex form-function mappings, remain unclear.
• French connective "en effet" lacks a direct L1-German equivalent, making it a complex target.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate German-speaking learners' ability to process and understand the French discourse connective "en effet".
• To assess advanced L2 learners' sensitivity to the necessity of explicitly marking coherence relations.
• To explore the role of form-function mapping complexity in L2 connective acquisition.

Main Methods:

• Employed an on-line processing experiment to measure real-time comprehension.
• Utilized an off-line judgment task to evaluate explicit understanding.
• Focused on German-speaking learners of French as a second language.

Main Results:

• Advanced learners demonstrated difficulty distinguishing between coherence relations requiring explicit connective marking and those that do not.
• Learners failed to acquire the complex form-function mapping of "en effet".
• Results suggest learners did not perceive the differential need for explicit marking of coherence relations.

Conclusions:

• Difficulties with "en effet" are not solely due to negative transfer from L1-German.
• The findings point towards general limitations in L2 proficiency affecting connective acquisition.
• Advanced learners may not fully grasp the pragmatic nuances of discourse connectives.