Input-output relation in second language acquisition Textbook and learner writing for adult English-speaking beginners of Korean
Abstract
Studies on the role of input in L-2 acquisition often estimate L-2 input properties through L1 corpora and focus on L-2-English. This study probes the initial stage of L-2-Korean learning for adult English-speaking beginners of Korean to investigate input-output relations in the acquisition of L-2 that is typologically different from English in a more direct manner.
We specifically ask how L-2 beginner input affects L-2 beginner production with respect to Korean postpositions. For this purpose, we investigate how the beginners receive input regarding Korean postpositions from a textbook and to what extent the input characteristics are manifested in learner writing.
We found that, whereas the presentation of certain postpositions in the textbook was generally reflected in learner writing, individual postpositions showed disparity in their use between the textbook and the writing. Implications of the findings are discussed in light of L-1-L-2 differences and how the textbook presents form-function pairings of these postpositions.