Investigating the Declarative-Procedural Gap for the Indirect Speech Construction in L2 Learners

Area of Science:

• Second Language Acquisition
• Applied Linguistics
• Psycholinguistics

Background:

• Classroom language learners often exhibit a discrepancy between declarative (knowing rules) and procedural (using rules) knowledge.
• This gap is particularly evident in complex grammatical constructions like indirect speech.
• Understanding factors influencing the transition from declarative to procedural knowledge is crucial for effective language pedagogy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between declarative and procedural knowledge in foreign language learning.
• To analyze the strategies employed by learners with varying oral proficiency levels when producing complex grammatical structures.
• To identify factors contributing to improved accuracy, complexity, and speaking rate in foreign language production.

Main Methods:

• Chinese learners of English with strong declarative knowledge of indirect speech were selected.
• Participants were assessed on oral proficiency and tasked with repeating, correcting, and producing indirect speech.
• Linguistic strategies, including idiomatic expressions, chunking, and negative language transfer, were analyzed.

Main Results:

• High-proficiency learners demonstrated increased speech rate and reduced errors compared to low-proficiency learners.
• The use of 'chunks' (pre-fabricated language units) was a key strategy for improving accuracy, complexity, and speaking rate for both groups.
• Low-proficiency learners exhibited a speed-accuracy trade-off, prioritizing either speed or accuracy, unlike high-proficiency learners.

Conclusions:

• Chunking is a vital strategy for enhancing foreign language production, bridging the gap between knowing and using language.
• Learners' preferences for speed versus accuracy can inform pedagogical approaches to encourage skill development.
• Targeted interventions focusing on chunk acquisition may facilitate the development of procedural language knowledge.