The purpose of this research is to further investigate the ongoing debate between the Dual Mechanism Model and the Connectionist Model of language processing by investigating how knowledge of second language (L2) inflectional morphology is represented and processed by learners of English. Specifically, do second language learners of English use the same Dual Mechanism Model that Prasada and Pinker (1993) have argued is a universally applicable model, or does the Connectionist Model of language processing better explain L2 learning and language processing? / The participants in this study were students in a Montreal area CEGEP. The instrument used to gather data was the Prasada and Pinker pseudo-verb list, with modifications suggested by Lee (1994) to create a revised list. Participants were asked to create past tense forms of pseudo verbs. In addition to this task, four participants were asked to do a simultaneous verbal think aloud, orally explaining their responses to the stimulus presented in the study. / The results of the studies indicate that English second language learners used both a rule based mechanism and an associative mechanism in the formation of both regular and irregular English verbs. This result provides support for the claims of the Connectionist model of past tense formation of English verbs, but also supports some of the claims of the Dual Mechanism Model. There are possible implications for the teaching and learning of English as a Second Language (ESL). This study also raises further research questions involving rule vs. associative learning in the teaching and learning of language. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:QMM.32906 |
| Date | January 2001 |
| Creators | Dougherty, Timothy. |
| Contributors | Turner, Carolyn (advisor) |
| Publisher | McGill University |
| Source Sets | Library and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Coverage | Master of Arts (Department of Second Language Education.) |
| Rights | All items in eScholarship@McGill are protected by copyright with all rights reserved unless otherwise indicated. |
| Relation | alephsysno: 001846280, proquestno: MQ75223, Theses scanned by UMI/ProQuest. |
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