Advanced students’ L1 (Swedish) and L2 (English) mastery of suffixation

Authors

  • Monica Karlsson Halmstad University, Sweden
DOI: https://doi.org/10.6018/ijes/2015/1/196731
Keywords: second language acquisition, derivation, suffixation, quantitative and qualitative knowledge

Abstract

Developing the skill to form derivatives is a slow incremental process even for native speakers of English, starting in elementary school and continuing through high school. In fact, it appears to be a universally challenging area of the lexicon. Nevertheless, studies have shown that it is one of the most important skills to possess for a learner aiming to enlarge his/her L2 vocabulary and that it therefore may be worth the while for learners spending time on gaining mastery of derivative forms. In the present investigation, 15 Swedish first- term university students were asked to take two gap-filling context-based tests on suffixation, one in their L1 (Swedish) and one in their L2 (English), both of which were frequency-based (both stem and suffix considered). The students were also asked to evaluate their L1 and L2 knowledge of suffixation. The present study thus addresses the following research questions: Considering 1) the combined frequency of the stem and suffix, 2) the complexity of the suffix (in terms of frequency, predictability, productivity and regularity) and 3) what word classes the suffixes are able to form, what 1) quantitative and 2) qualitative knowledge of suffixation do Swedish university students have in English as their L2 as compared to their L1?

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Author Biography

Monica Karlsson, Halmstad University, Sweden

Dr Monica Karlsson received her PhD from Lund University, Sweden. Currently, she is an Assistant Professor of English with linguistic specialization at the School of Teacher Education, Halmstad University, Sweden, where she teaches proficiency courses as well as more theoretical courses. Dr Karlsson has published and presented several papers in her area of expertise. She is also part of a research society, formed at Halmstad University, which focuses on classroom-based research.

Published
01-06-2015
How to Cite
Karlsson, M. (2015). Advanced students’ L1 (Swedish) and L2 (English) mastery of suffixation. International Journal of English Studies, 15(1), 23–49. https://doi.org/10.6018/ijes/2015/1/196731
Issue
Vol. 15 No. 1 (2015): Open Issue
Section
Articles

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