The Use or Acquisition of English Word Order by Arab Learners of English

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

LITERATURE REVIEW1

2.1 Word Order as a Syntactic Feature1

2.1.1 Importance of Word Order1

2.1.3 The Function of Word Order2

2.1.4 Types of Word Order3

2.1.5 Difficulty of Word Order Acquisition by Learners of English5

2.1.6 Ways for Examining the Word Order Errors6

Empirical Studies of Arabic-Speaking Learners of English10

REFERENCES13

LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 Word Order as a Syntactic Feature

Word order can be defined as The syntactic arrangement of words in a sentence, clause, or phrase.Language learning, like any other kind of human learning, involves making errors. In the process of learning a second language, learners utilize a system that has some properties which are common to both the native language and the target language (Hsu, 2002). The focus of research in second language acquisition in recent years has shifted from a teaching perspective to an emphasis on learning. The processes through which a foreign/second language is learned as well as the learner's linguistic outcome have been under close scrutiny (Howarth, 2008). Errors that learners of a second language make have been mainly attributed to language transfer. In what follows, the changing perception of language transfer in the last twenty years will be sketched (Gitsaki, 2009).

2.1.1 Importance of Word Order

The focus of research in second language acquisition in recent years has shifted from a teaching perspective to an emphasis on learning. The processes through which a second language is learned as well as the learner's production of the target language have been under close scrutiny (Sung, 2003). The learner is viewed as an active participant, engaged in a creative construction process, formulating and testing rules and hypotheses, and employing various rules and strategies in understanding and producing utterances in the target language (Gitsaki, 2006). In the process of learning a language, learners make errors many of which are predictable and the presence of these errors is to be expected. The errors learners make are no longer considered deviant forms to be eradicated (Fontenelle, 2004). Rather, these errors which seem to be systematic and reflecting a transitional competence provide useful insights in understanding the complex process of second language acquisition(Schmitt, 2000).

2.1.3 The Function of Word Order

Second language acquisition is a complex process. For an adequate characterization of learners' linguistic performance (their inter language), a consideration of several interacting factors is necessary (Robins, 2007). In their effort to cope with language learning problems, learners may utilize native language rules, target language rules, and various strategies(Farghal, 2005). Inter language performance does not have a single source, but rather several sources. Depending on their type, errors may be due to (1) interference from the native language; (2) the syntactic complexity of the structure(s) involved, or (3) the utilization of certain perceptual and production strategies and others. The results of research in second language acquisition can shape realistic expectations in teachers (Elkhatib, 2004). They can create a positive and informed attitude toward learner errors and enable us to set more reasonable learning objectives and principles for error ...