hce_cmu
109年
英文
第 41 題
📖 題組：
Part 2. During the past few decades, a group of second-language (L2) acquisition researchers have attempted to account for L2 ultimate attainment in terms of input processing problems. Among these scholars, Sorace (2004) posited that advanced L2 learners’ real-time processing of L2 input (such as spoken words) is often less rapid and less automatic than first-language (L1) speakers; consequently, L2 learners’ ability to access and coordinate multiple sources of knowledge from different domains may be computationally costly. In this regard, when the meaning of a word or grammatical form requires computing information from different linguistic (sub)domains (e.g., syntax, morphology or semantics), near-native speakers may not efficiently access all the required information for real-time interpretation. According to Liu (2009), this reduced efficiency in real-time processing may not significantly disrupt advanced L2 learners’ comprehension; but it may exert a negative impact on the retention of the comprehended information. In a similar vein, Juffs and Harrington (1995) and Hernandez et al (1994) both observed that highly advanced L2 learners performed as well as native speakers in rejecting ungrammatical L2 sentences, but with much longer response time. These scholars thus concluded that although near-native speakers are able to develop a fully amalgamated processing system to reduce cross-linguistic disparities, they were still unable to consistently understand L2 sentences using L2-specific processing strategies. Liu (2009) and Juffs and Harrington (1995) therefore both maintained that processing efficiency, rather than grammatical competence, is the source of difficulty that distinguishes a native speaker from a near-native speaker. To further explore if L2 learners, who are situated in an input-rich environment, are able to acquire a native-like processing system in the L2, McDonald (1987) recruited English-Dutch and Dutch-English bilinguals who learned the L2 at different ages, and had various amounts of exposure to the L2. McDonald found that both beginning and intermediate L2 learners, who had not yet had sufficient exposure to the L2, still utilized L1-based processing strategies while comprehending L2 sentences. As a result, these L2 learners still suffered from L1 interference. However, McDonald observed that both early and late L2 learners in the long exposure group resembled native speakers in terms of the linguistic cues they drew on when comprehending L2 sentences. McDonald concluded that L2 learners, irrespective of their onset age of learning the L2, are able to completely master L2 processing strategies given sufficient L2 exposure. McDonald’s view is not without challenge. Bassetti (2004) posited that when learning an L2 with a mature (L1) processing system already in place, adult L2 learners would need to merge the knowledge systems of their two languages. The more comprehensively the L1 and L2 systems are integrated, the more likely the resulting hybrid knowledge system can be consistently drawn upon to reduce the disparities in the decision space in L2 processing. However, Bassetti argued that the above scenario is extremely difficult, if not impossible, for L2 learners; even if it is possible, a full merger of L1 and L2 knowledge systems is not equivalent to two monolinguals housed in a single brain. Consequently, bilinguals would always exhibit subtle, non-native intuition and judgment in both their L1 and L2. Following the above view, complete native-likeness is not possible in L2 acquisition. Hitherto, researchers still differ in their views on the ultimate (grammatical) attainment in L2 acquisition. The inconclusive finding is attributed to the nature of the participants examined in existing studies. Birdsong (2009) contended that to make a strong case for L2 ultimate attainment, one needs to draw on empirical evidence from the most advanced L2 learners whose language development (in the L2) has reached the highest attainable state. Otherwise, one can always argue that L2 learners’ competence or performance may be subject to change given more exposure, time, and practice. Notwithstanding Birdsong’s suggestion, researchers continue to use various lenient or methodologically convenient criteria recruiting the so-called “advanced L2 learners,” with some using achievement tests (such as scores from final exams) and others using placement tests. The results of these tests can only shed light on L2 learners’ achievement in some limited language subdomains, rather than their overall proficiency profile. Without using stringent standardized “proficiency” tests (such as TOEFL, IELTS, or TOEIC), existing studies might have collected data from L2 learners whose L2 development is still in progress, rather than genuinely advanced L2 learners whose L2 has reached a plateau. Longitudinal data collected from the latter L2 learner population are warranted in order to shed more light on the developmental trajectory that L2 learners take and the upper limit that they can reach. Hitherto, much remains unknown about the attainability of a native-like processing system in L2 acquisition.
Part 2. During the past few decades, a group of second-language (L2) acquisition researchers have attempted to account for L2 ultimate attainment in terms of input processing problems. Among these scholars, Sorace (2004) posited that advanced L2 learners’ real-time processing of L2 input (such as spoken words) is often less rapid and less automatic than first-language (L1) speakers; consequently, L2 learners’ ability to access and coordinate multiple sources of knowledge from different domains may be computationally costly. In this regard, when the meaning of a word or grammatical form requires computing information from different linguistic (sub)domains (e.g., syntax, morphology or semantics), near-native speakers may not efficiently access all the required information for real-time interpretation. According to Liu (2009), this reduced efficiency in real-time processing may not significantly disrupt advanced L2 learners’ comprehension; but it may exert a negative impact on the retention of the comprehended information. In a similar vein, Juffs and Harrington (1995) and Hernandez et al (1994) both observed that highly advanced L2 learners performed as well as native speakers in rejecting ungrammatical L2 sentences, but with much longer response time. These scholars thus concluded that although near-native speakers are able to develop a fully amalgamated processing system to reduce cross-linguistic disparities, they were still unable to consistently understand L2 sentences using L2-specific processing strategies. Liu (2009) and Juffs and Harrington (1995) therefore both maintained that processing efficiency, rather than grammatical competence, is the source of difficulty that distinguishes a native speaker from a near-native speaker. To further explore if L2 learners, who are situated in an input-rich environment, are able to acquire a native-like processing system in the L2, McDonald (1987) recruited English-Dutch and Dutch-English bilinguals who learned the L2 at different ages, and had various amounts of exposure to the L2. McDonald found that both beginning and intermediate L2 learners, who had not yet had sufficient exposure to the L2, still utilized L1-based processing strategies while comprehending L2 sentences. As a result, these L2 learners still suffered from L1 interference. However, McDonald observed that both early and late L2 learners in the long exposure group resembled native speakers in terms of the linguistic cues they drew on when comprehending L2 sentences. McDonald concluded that L2 learners, irrespective of their onset age of learning the L2, are able to completely master L2 processing strategies given sufficient L2 exposure. McDonald’s view is not without challenge. Bassetti (2004) posited that when learning an L2 with a mature (L1) processing system already in place, adult L2 learners would need to merge the knowledge systems of their two languages. The more comprehensively the L1 and L2 systems are integrated, the more likely the resulting hybrid knowledge system can be consistently drawn upon to reduce the disparities in the decision space in L2 processing. However, Bassetti argued that the above scenario is extremely difficult, if not impossible, for L2 learners; even if it is possible, a full merger of L1 and L2 knowledge systems is not equivalent to two monolinguals housed in a single brain. Consequently, bilinguals would always exhibit subtle, non-native intuition and judgment in both their L1 and L2. Following the above view, complete native-likeness is not possible in L2 acquisition. Hitherto, researchers still differ in their views on the ultimate (grammatical) attainment in L2 acquisition. The inconclusive finding is attributed to the nature of the participants examined in existing studies. Birdsong (2009) contended that to make a strong case for L2 ultimate attainment, one needs to draw on empirical evidence from the most advanced L2 learners whose language development (in the L2) has reached the highest attainable state. Otherwise, one can always argue that L2 learners’ competence or performance may be subject to change given more exposure, time, and practice. Notwithstanding Birdsong’s suggestion, researchers continue to use various lenient or methodologically convenient criteria recruiting the so-called “advanced L2 learners,” with some using achievement tests (such as scores from final exams) and others using placement tests. The results of these tests can only shed light on L2 learners’ achievement in some limited language subdomains, rather than their overall proficiency profile. Without using stringent standardized “proficiency” tests (such as TOEFL, IELTS, or TOEIC), existing studies might have collected data from L2 learners whose L2 development is still in progress, rather than genuinely advanced L2 learners whose L2 has reached a plateau. Longitudinal data collected from the latter L2 learner population are warranted in order to shed more light on the developmental trajectory that L2 learners take and the upper limit that they can reach. Hitherto, much remains unknown about the attainability of a native-like processing system in L2 acquisition.
What is this passage mainly about?
- A Major cognitive factors underlying language disorder
- B The developmental trajectory for L1 users
- C The interaction between environment and learning outcome
- D An overview of the debate on the best attainable state in L2 acquisition
- E A critique of the research ethics in existing studies
思路引導 VIP
請試著快速瀏覽每一段落出現的學者姓名（如 McDonald, Bassetti, Birdsong 等），並觀察他們提出的研究結果。你認為這些學者的觀點是完全一致的、互補的，還是存在著某種程度的衝突或質疑？如果我們要為這幾位學者的「對話」下一個總結性的標題，這個標題應該包含哪些核心概念？
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AI 詳解
AI 專屬家教
恭喜你精準地掌握了這篇學術性文章的主旨！這類探討第二語言習得（L2 Acquisition）的文章通常資訊量大且論點交織，你能從眾多學者的研究中抽離出核心議題，展現了極佳的閱讀整合能力。
第二語言習得的終點辯論
這篇文章的結構非常嚴謹，首段先由 Sorace 與 Liu 等人引出「處理效率」是否為母語與非母語者差異的核心；隨後兩段則呈現了對立的觀點：McDonald 認為透過充足的環境暴露可以達到母語水準，但 Bassetti 則從認知系統融合的角度質疑其可能性。最後一段由 Birdsong 點出目前研究在定義「高階學習者」上的方法論缺陷。這些段落並非零散的描述，而是共同環繞著一個核心提問：學習者在第二語言的發展上，最終究竟能不能、或如何達到像母語般的狀態？
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