Journal of Language Teaching and Research, Vol 3, No 2 (2012), 306-313, Mar 2012
doi:10.4304/jltr.3.2.306-313

Abductive Reasoning and Second Language Learning

Ana S. Jovanovic, Gorana G. Zecevic Krneta

Abstract


Although much work has been conducted on deductive and inductive approaches to second language learning, insufficient attention has been dedicated to abductive reasoning. This paper presents the results from an exploratory study on the processes that motivate initial hypothesis-making and their possible repercussions for L2 instruction. More specifically, the beginner foreign language learners’ ability to infer word meaning based on their overall linguistic knowledge (e.g., knowledge of the first language, knowledge of other foreign languages) was tested in order to draw conclusions about abductive reasoning in L2 learning.


Keywords


abductive reasoning; language acquisition; vocabulary acquisition; cross-linguistic influence

References


Burch, R. (2009). Charles Sanders Peirce. In Stanford encyclopedia of philosophy. http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/peirce/ (accessed 1/10/2011).

Carroll, S. E. (1992). On cognates. Second Language Research 8.2, 93-119.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/026765839200800201

Cenoz, J. (2001). The effect of linguistic distance, L2 status and age on cross-linguistic influence in third language acquisition. In J. Cenoz, B. Hufeisen & U. Jessner (eds.), Cross-linguistic influence in third language acquisition. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters, 8–20.

Cenoz, J., B. Hufeisen & U. Jessner (eds.) (2001). Cross-linguistic influence in third language acquisition. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters.

Eduteka. (2005). Listado de palabras utilizadas con mayor frecuencia en castellano. Documento elaborado por EDUTEKA con información proveniente del Anexo 3 de R. Almela, P. Cantos, A. Sánchez, R. Sarmiento & M. Almela, Frecuencias del español. Diccionario y estudios léxicos y morfológicos (http://www.um.es/lacell/proyectos/dfe/). Editorial Universitas, S.A. http://www.eduteka.org/curriculo2/TecladoPalabrasFrecuentes.pdf (accessed 1/10/2011).

Ellis, R. (1996). The study of second language acquisition. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Fisiak, J. (ed.) (1990). Further insights in contrastive linguistics. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.

Kirsner, K., E. Lalor & K. Hird. (1993). The bilingual lexicon: Exercise, meaning and morphology. In R. Schreuder & B. Weltens (eds.), The bilingual lexicon. Amsterdam: John Benjamins, 215-246.

Lalor, E. & K. Kirsner. (2001). The representation of “false cognates” in the bilingual lexicon. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review 8.3, 552-559.
http://dx.doi.org/10.3758/BF03196191

Laufer, B. (1990). Words you know: How they affect the words you learn. In J. Fisiak (ed.), Further insights in contrastive linguistics. Amsterdam: John Benjamins, 573-593.

Levi, I. (1983). The enterprise of knowledge. An essay on knowledge, credal probability, and chance. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

Pierce, C. S. (1992, 1998). The essential Peirce (2 vols.). Edited by N. Houser, C. Kloesel & the Peirce Edition Project. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press.

Rigbom, H. (2007). Cross-linguistic similarity in foreign language learning. Clevedon-Buffalo-Toronto: Multilingual Matters.

Schreuder, R. & B. Weltens (eds.) (1993). The bilingual lexicon. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.

Zimmermann, R. (1987). Form-oriented and content-oriented lexical errors in L2 learners. International Review of Applied Linguistics 25, 55–67.


Full Text: PDF


Journal of Language Teaching and Research (JLTR, ISSN 1798-4769)

Copyright @ 2006-2012 by ACADEMY PUBLISHER – All rights reserved.