Abstracts
Abstract
Many studies on gender assignment in French have focused on the effect of the final morpheme of the noun on the identification of the gender of the noun and the subsequent agreement with any determiners. The present study considers the effect of a noun’s initial vowel on gender accuracy in conversations with 36 Dutch-speaking French foreign language learners. The analysis of 1540 indefinite article + noun sequences revealed that gender accuracy was significantly lower when the noun started with a vowel. This effect was significant for French L3 learners but weaker among more advanced French L2 learners. It thus seems that an initial vowel, and the resulting gender syncretism, delays the correct identification of a noun’s gender among French L2 learners.
Keywords:
- French,
- interlanguage,
- gender agreement,
- gender assignment,
- individual differences,
- L2 versus L3
Résumé
Beaucoup d’études sur l’assignation du genre en français ont considéré l’effet du morphème final du substantif dans l’identification du genre de celui-ci et de l’accord subséquent avec des déterminants. La présente étude se penche sur l’effet de la voyelle initiale du substantif sur l’exactitude du genre dans des conversations avec 36 néerlandophones apprenant le français comme langue étrangère. L’analyse de 1540 séquences d’article indéfini + substantif a révélé que l’exactitude du genre était significativement plus basse lorsque le substantif commençait par une voyelle. Cet effet était significatif pour les apprenants qui avaient le français comme L3 mais était plus faible parmi les apprenants plus avancés qui avaient le français comme L2. Il semble donc qu’une voyelle initiale, et le syncrétisme de genre qui en résulte, retarde l’identification correcte du genre parmi les apprenants du français langage étrangère.
Mots-clés :
- français,
- interlangue,
- accord du genre,
- assignation du genre,
- différences individuelles,
- L2 versus L3
Resumen
Muchos estudios sobre la asignación de géneros franceses han considerado el efecto del morfema final del substantivo en la identificación de su género y de su concordancia subsecuente con los determinantes. El presente estudio analiza el efecto de la vocal inicial del substantivo sobre la exactitud del género en conversaciones con 36 neerlandófonos que aprenden el francés como lengua extranjera. El análisis de 1540 secuencias de articulo indefinido + substantivo reveló que la exactitud del género era significativamente más baja cuando el substantivo empezaba con una vocal. Este efecto era significativo por los aprendices más avanzados que tenían el francés como L2. Parece, entonces, que la vocal inicial, y el sincretismo de género que resulta, ralentiza la identificación correcta del género entre los aprendices del francés como lengua extranjera.
Palabras clave:
- francés,
- interlengua,
- concordancia del género,
- asignación del género,
- diferencias individuales,
- L2 vs. L3
Appendices
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