Second Language Acquisition as a Mode-Switching Process: An Empirical Analysis of Korean Learners of English

155 Pages·2018·1.83 MB·English

by  Sooho Song (auth.)

SECOND LANGUAGE
ACQUISITION AS A
MODE-SWITCHING
PROCESS
An Empirical Analysis
of Korean Learners
of English
Sooho Song
Second Language Acquisition
as a Mode-Switching Process
Sooho Song
Second Language
Acquisition
as a Mode-Switching
Process
An Empirical Analysis of Korean
Learners of English
Sooho Song
Foreign Languages and Literature
University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee
Milwaukee, WI, USA
ISBN 978-1-137-52435-5 ISBN 978-1-137-52436-2 (eBook)
DOI 10.1057/978-1-137-52436-2
Library of Congress Control Number: 2017948272
© The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s) 2018
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To my family Min Heo, Jieun Heo, and Uk Heo
P
reface
Globalization has brought about many changes in our lives. Thanks to
the advancement in communication technology, international and inter-
cultural communication is common nowadays. Developed transportation
mechanism allows people to travel or migrate much more easily than ever
before. In addition, with the increased trade amount and foreign direct
investment, economic transactions have significantly expanded, requiring
many people to obtain foreign language communication ability. Learning
a second language is necessary today.
Students in linguistics have studied second language acquisition for
decades. Earlier studies focused on errors that second language learn-
ers make in the learning process. By investigating why second language
learners make errors, scholars attempted to learn about second language
acquisition process. Scholars also paid attention to native language influ-
ence. Since the dominant language rules of second language learners is
the grammar of their native language, native language influence has been
extensively studied for years.
Yet, learning a foreign language has more meanings than simply get-
ting more familiar with the rules of another language. Second language
learning allows the learner to obtain a means of communicating with
people in another country that has a different culture. Accordingly, com-
municating with someone in a foreign language requires more than the
knowledge of the rules and the sound system of the language because
language usage by nature contains cultural values. Without the knowl-
edge of the native culture, the shared meanings and values contained in
vii
viii PrEFACE
the language may not be delivered in the ways native speakers do. Thus,
learning a foreign language includes studying the native speaker’s culture
to gain a better understanding of the society in addition to the grammar
and rules of the language.
Every society has its own cultural, ethnocentric, linguistic norms that
describe the implicit agreement of the society that certain types of lan-
guage should be used in certain situations. Within the given ethnic/
cultural community, efficient use of language is based on cultural pre-
suppositions about the appropriate language behavior for particu-
lar situations. Language users in a given society also need to satisfy the
expectations people have in regards to effective structuring of informa-
tion in their oral or written discourses. Accordingly, in the cross-cultural
communication, it is necessary to understand the cultural expecta-
tions on appropriate pragmatic norms along with rhetorical patterns of
linguistic behaviors.
To this end, I explored second language learning from a mode-switch-
ing perspective. Instead of focusing on one aspect of second language
acquisition, I attempted to provide a big picture of the second language
acquisition process in this book. Language connects people, develops social
relationships, and allows them to participate in a variety of activities in eve-
ryday life. Language is not simply a tool of social conduct; it is an effec-
tive means by which human beings formulate models of conduct. Thus, we
need to understand the whole aspect of second language learning.
Milwaukee, USA Sooho Song
c
ontents
1 Introduction 1
2 Second Language Acquisition Theories 9
3 Functional Approaches in Second Language Learning
and Linguistic Cognition 37
4 Sociolinguistic Patterns 53
5 Second Language Learning as Mode-Switching 75
6 Comparision of English Language Mode and Korean
Language Mode 101
7 Empirical Analysis 111
8 Conclusion 131
References 139
Index 149
ix
L f & t
ist of igures abLes
Fig. 5.1 revised hierarchical model 93
Table 5.1 Pragmatic mode and syntactic mode of expression 78
Table 6.1 Formulaic and strategic speech mode 108
Table 7.1 Syntactic modes of head act compliment on appearance 115
Table 7.2 Syntactic modes of head act compliment on cooking 116
Table 7.3 Syntactic mode of head act compliment on
accomplishment 117
Table 7.4 Usage of adjectives in head act compliments 120
Table 7.5 Supportive moves semantic modes 122
Table 7.6 Supportive moves per power difference 125
xi
CHAPTEr 1
Introduction
Abstract Song describes the issues involved in second language acquisition
and set the stage for understanding second language learning in terms of
socio-cognitive contexts. In learning a language, people adopt a particu-
lar framework for communication. In second language acquisition, change
of framework is required to reflect the target language’s culture and social
values, which is called mode switching. Song introduces a new approach,
second language acquisition as a mode-switching process.
Keywords Language learning · Second language acquisition · Mode
switching
In the era of globalization, learning another foreign language in addi-
tion to their native language is necessary for many people because of
increased intercultural interactions. As a result, bilingualism or plurilin-
gualism is more predominant than monolingualism (Grosjean 2008).
Second language or foreign acquisition is a complex learning process
affected by many linguistic, social, psycholinguistic, and intercultural fac-
tors. It involves obtaining the knowledge of speaking norms and cultural
values in addition to the target language’s grammar and rules because
effective cross-cultural communication requires a pragmatic and socio-
contextual understanding of the language as well as linguistic knowledge.
In other words, second language acquisition means learning how to
manage multidimensional aspects of a new language.
© The Author(s) 2018 1
S. Song, Second Language Acquisition as a Mode-Switching Process,
DOI 10.1057/978-1-137-52436-2_1