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Knowledge and acquisition of grammatical constructions in English as a Foreign Language

Research Project

Project/Area Number 21K00661
Research Category

Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)

Allocation TypeMulti-year Fund
Section一般
Review Section Basic Section 02100:Foreign language education-related
Research InstitutionNippon Medical School

Principal Investigator

KIRK STEVEN  日本医科大学, 医学部, 准教授 (10794753)

Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) 西川 純恵  日本医科大学, 医学部, 講師 (60373015)
Project Period (FY) 2021-04-01 – 2024-03-31
Project Status Granted (Fiscal Year 2021)
Budget Amount *help
¥2,080,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,600,000、Indirect Cost: ¥480,000)
Fiscal Year 2023: ¥650,000 (Direct Cost: ¥500,000、Indirect Cost: ¥150,000)
Fiscal Year 2022: ¥390,000 (Direct Cost: ¥300,000、Indirect Cost: ¥90,000)
Fiscal Year 2021: ¥1,040,000 (Direct Cost: ¥800,000、Indirect Cost: ¥240,000)
Keywordsconstruction grammar / second language / repetition / constructions / fluency
Outline of Research at the Start

The present study aims to investigate the acquisition of grammatical constructions through repetition-based pedagogical methods. In this study, participants will be tested for knowledge of two grammatical constructions (the ditransitive and caused-motion constructions) using a syntactic priming test, before and after repetition-based instruction. The syntactic priming test shows implicit knowledge of these constructions and therefore the teaching methodology can be tested in terms of the implicit knowledge that learners gain or fail to gain.

Outline of Annual Research Achievements

This study examines the acquisition of grammatical constructions in English as a second language, through repetition-based pedagogical activities, as measured with a grammatical priming task, administered before and after the pedagogical intervention. A pilot study of this task was conducted approximately 10 years ago. In the first year of the current project, the tasks and data from this pilot study were examined and evaluated to create the grammatical priming task to be used in the current project. Furthermore, we investigated corpus linguistic data on verbs in relevant grammatical constructions, in order to select appropriate verbs for the grammatical priming task. We also investigated a range of language teaching materials to work out the methodology of the pedagogical intervention. Lastly, we examined several software packages for delivering cognitive psychology experiments, to select one for the grammatical priming task.

Current Status of Research Progress
Current Status of Research Progress

3: Progress in research has been slightly delayed.

Reason

The methodology of the project has been worked out, with the intention to test it with a second pilot study. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, recruiting participants for in-person participation proved to be difficult, so the actual pilot study was postponed.

Strategy for Future Research Activity

For the first part of the second year of this project, we intend to conduct a limited pilot study of the grammatical priming task and the pedagogical intervention. Afterwards, we will make any necessary adjustments to the methodology and recruit participants for the main study.

Report

(1 results)
  • 2021 Research-status Report

URL: 

Published: 2021-04-28   Modified: 2022-12-28  

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