Underlying principles of organizational competence
Issued Date: 14 Sep 2015
Abstract
We argue that a cognitive perspective provides an understanding of the principles underlying the communication of L2 learners. Specifically we propose that learners’ knowledge of organizational competence, the ordering of information in sentences to construct texts, is principled and underlain by language and communicative universals. We assume that knowledge of language is modular; there are two basic principles that all learners have access to. There is a universal pragmatic principle based on Relevance Theory and universal principles of ordering based on the Basic Variety. We show how these assumptions provide insight into the non-target-like structures in texts composed by low-level L2 learners
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References
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Schaeffer (ed.) The Interpretation of Root Infinitives and Bare Nouns in Child Language
65–91. [MIT Occasional Working Papers 12.] Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
Bachman, L. (1990) Fundamental Considerations in Language Testing. New York: Oxford
University Press.
Biber, D., Johansson, S., Leech, G. Conrad, S. and Finegan, E. (1999) Longman Grammar of
Spoken and Written English. London: Longman.
Block, D. (2003) The Social Turn in Second Language Acquisition. Washington, DC:
Georgetown University Press.
Bley-Vroman, R. (1983) The comparative fallacy in interlanguage studies: The case of
systematicity. Language Learning 33 (1): 1–17. doi:10.1111/j.1467-1770.1983.tb00983.x
Carson, J. (2001) Second language writing and second language acquisition. In T. Silva
and P. Matsuda (eds) On Second Language Writing 191–199. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence
Erlbaum.
Chomsky, N. (1957) Syntactic Structures. The Hague: Mouton.
Chomsky, N. (1965) Aspects of a Theory of Syntax. Cambridge: MIT Press.
Chomsky, N. (2000) New Horizons in the Study of Language and Mind. New York: Cambridge
University Press.
Comrie, B. (1997) On the origin of the Basic Variety. Second Language Research 13 (4):
367–373. doi:10.1191/026765897668475347
Cumming, A. (1998) Theoretical perspectives on writing. Annual Review of Applied
Linguistics 18: 61–78.
Firth, A. and Wagner, J. (1997) On discourse, communication, and some fundamental concepts
in SLA research. Modern Language Journal 81 (5): 285–300. doi:10.2307/329302
Foster-Cohen, S. (2000) Review of Sperber, D. and Wilson, D. 1995: Relevance:
Communication and Cognition. 2nd Edition. Second Language Research 16: 77–92.
Foster-Cohen, S. (2004) Relevance Theory, Action Theory and second language communication
strategies. Second Language Research 20 (3): 289–302. doi:10.1191/
0267658304sr242oa
Givón, T. (1984) Universals of discourse structure and second language acquisition. In
R. Rutherford (ed.) Language Universals and Second Language Acquisition 109–136.
Philadelphia, PA: Benjamins.
Grabe, W. (2001) Notes toward a theory of second language writing. In T. Silva and
P. Matsuda (eds) On Second Language Writing 39–57. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
Grabe, W. and Kaplan, R. (1996) Theory and Practice of Writing. New York: Longman.
Grabe, W. and Kaplan, R. (1997) The writing course. In K. Bardovi-Harlig and B. Hartford
(eds) Beyond Methods: Components of Second Language Teacher Education 172–197. New
York: MacGraw-Hill.
Graddol, D. Cheshire, J. and Swann. J. (1994) Describing Language. 2nd Edn. Bristol: Open
University Press.
Haegeman, L. (1995) Root infinitives and truncated structures in Dutch. Language
Acquisition 4 (3): 205–255. doi:10.1207/s15327817la0403_2
Hendricks, H. (2000) The acquisition of topic marking in L1 Chinese and L1 and L2 French.
Studies in Second Language Acquisition 22: 369–397. doi:10.1017/S0272263100003041
Herschensohn, J. (2000) The Second Time Around: Minimalism and L2 Acquisition.
Philadelphia, PA: Benjamins.
Hopper, P. (1998) Emergent grammar. In M. Tomasello (ed.) The New Psychology of
Language 155–175. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
Huebner, T. (1983) A Longitudinal Analysis of Acquisition of English. Ann Arbor, MI:
Karoma Publishers.
Jackendoff, R. (2002) Foundations of Language. New York: Oxford University Press. doi:
10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198270126.001.0001
Kaplan, R. and Grabe, W. (2002) A modern history of written discourse analysis. Journal of
Second Language Writing 11 (3): 191–224. doi:10.1016/S1060-3743(02)00085-1
Klein, W. (1998) The contribution of second language acquisition research. Language Learning
48 (4): 527–550. doi:10.1111/0023-8333.00057
Klein, W. and Perdue, C. (1992) Utterance Structure: Developing Grammars Again. Amsterdam:
Benjamins. doi:10.1191/026765897666879396
Klein, W. and Perdue, C. (1997). The Basic Variety or: Couldn’t natural languages be much
simpler? Second Language Research 13 (4): 301–347.
Larsen-Freeman, D. (2003). Teaching Language: From Grammar to Grammaring. Boston,
MA: Thomson/Heinle.
Lantolf, J. and Thorne, S. (2006) Sociocultural Theory and the Genesis of Second Language
Development. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Lantolf, J. and Thorne. S. (2007). Sociocultural theory and second language learning. In
B. VanPatten and J. Williams (eds) Theories in Second Language Acquisition 201–224.
Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
Lasser, I. (1997) The interpretation of root infinitive constructions in adult and child
German. In J. C. Schaeffer (ed.) The Interpretation of Root Infinitives and Bare Nouns
in Child Language 26–64. [MIT Occasional Working Papers 12.] Cambridge, MA: MIT
Press.
McCarthy, M. and Carter, R. (2002) Ten criteria for a spoken grammar. In E. Hinkel and
S. Fotos (eds) New Perspectives on Grammar Teaching in Second Language Classrooms
51–76. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
Meisel, J. (1997) The L2 Basic Variety as an I-language. Second Language Research 13 (4):
374–385. doi:10.1191/026765897675365945
Muchisky, D. and Tangren, N. (1999) Immigrant student performance in an academic
intensive English program. In L. Harklau, K. Losey and M. Segel (eds) Generation 1.5
Meets College Composition 211–234. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
Mel’cuk, I. (2001) Communicative Organization in Natural Language. Amsterdam: Benjamins.
Newmeyer, F. (1994) A note on Chomsky on form and function. Journal of Linguistics 30
(1): 245–251. doi:10.1017/S0022226700016248
Perdue, C. and Klein W. (1992) Why does the production of some learners not
grammaticalize? Studies in Second Language Acquisition 14: 259–272. doi:10.1017/
S0272263100011116
Pennington, M. (2002) Grammar and communication: New directions in theory and
practice. In E. Hinkel and S. Fotos (eds) New Perspectives on Grammar Teaching in Second
Language Classrooms 77–98. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
Rutherford, W. (1987) Second Language Grammar: Learning and Teaching. New York:
Longman.
Sato, C. (1986) Conversation and interlanguage development: Rethinking the connection.
In R. Day (ed.) Talking to Learn 23–45. Cambridge: MA: Newbury.
Sato, C. (1988) Origins of complex syntax in interlanguage development. Studies in Second
Language Acquisition 10 (3): 371–393. doi:10.1017/S027226310000749X
Sato, C. (1990) The Syntax of Conversation in Interlanguage. Tübingen: Gunter Narr
Verlag.
Schwartz, B. (1997) On the basis of the Basic Variety. Second Language Research 13 (4):
386–402. doi:10.1191/026765897670070857
Selinker, L. (1972) Interlanguage. International Review of Applied Linguistics 10 (3): 209–
231.
Sperber, D. and Wilson, D. (1986) Relevance. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Taylor, D. (1988) The meaning and use of the term ‘competence’ in linguistics and applied
linguistics. Applied Linguistics 9 (2): 148–168. doi:10.1093/applin/9.2.148
Trévise, A. (1986) Is it transferable, topicalization? In E. Kellerman and M. Sharwood
Smith (eds.) Crosslinguistic Influence in Second Language Acquisition 186–206. New York:
Pergamon.
Zuengler, J. and Miller, E. (2006) Cognitive and sociocultural perspectives: Two parallel
SLA worlds? TESOL Quarterly 40 (1): 35–58.
Schaeffer (ed.) The Interpretation of Root Infinitives and Bare Nouns in Child Language
65–91. [MIT Occasional Working Papers 12.] Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
Bachman, L. (1990) Fundamental Considerations in Language Testing. New York: Oxford
University Press.
Biber, D., Johansson, S., Leech, G. Conrad, S. and Finegan, E. (1999) Longman Grammar of
Spoken and Written English. London: Longman.
Block, D. (2003) The Social Turn in Second Language Acquisition. Washington, DC:
Georgetown University Press.
Bley-Vroman, R. (1983) The comparative fallacy in interlanguage studies: The case of
systematicity. Language Learning 33 (1): 1–17. doi:10.1111/j.1467-1770.1983.tb00983.x
Carson, J. (2001) Second language writing and second language acquisition. In T. Silva
and P. Matsuda (eds) On Second Language Writing 191–199. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence
Erlbaum.
Chomsky, N. (1957) Syntactic Structures. The Hague: Mouton.
Chomsky, N. (1965) Aspects of a Theory of Syntax. Cambridge: MIT Press.
Chomsky, N. (2000) New Horizons in the Study of Language and Mind. New York: Cambridge
University Press.
Comrie, B. (1997) On the origin of the Basic Variety. Second Language Research 13 (4):
367–373. doi:10.1191/026765897668475347
Cumming, A. (1998) Theoretical perspectives on writing. Annual Review of Applied
Linguistics 18: 61–78.
Firth, A. and Wagner, J. (1997) On discourse, communication, and some fundamental concepts
in SLA research. Modern Language Journal 81 (5): 285–300. doi:10.2307/329302
Foster-Cohen, S. (2000) Review of Sperber, D. and Wilson, D. 1995: Relevance:
Communication and Cognition. 2nd Edition. Second Language Research 16: 77–92.
Foster-Cohen, S. (2004) Relevance Theory, Action Theory and second language communication
strategies. Second Language Research 20 (3): 289–302. doi:10.1191/
0267658304sr242oa
Givón, T. (1984) Universals of discourse structure and second language acquisition. In
R. Rutherford (ed.) Language Universals and Second Language Acquisition 109–136.
Philadelphia, PA: Benjamins.
Grabe, W. (2001) Notes toward a theory of second language writing. In T. Silva and
P. Matsuda (eds) On Second Language Writing 39–57. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
Grabe, W. and Kaplan, R. (1996) Theory and Practice of Writing. New York: Longman.
Grabe, W. and Kaplan, R. (1997) The writing course. In K. Bardovi-Harlig and B. Hartford
(eds) Beyond Methods: Components of Second Language Teacher Education 172–197. New
York: MacGraw-Hill.
Graddol, D. Cheshire, J. and Swann. J. (1994) Describing Language. 2nd Edn. Bristol: Open
University Press.
Haegeman, L. (1995) Root infinitives and truncated structures in Dutch. Language
Acquisition 4 (3): 205–255. doi:10.1207/s15327817la0403_2
Hendricks, H. (2000) The acquisition of topic marking in L1 Chinese and L1 and L2 French.
Studies in Second Language Acquisition 22: 369–397. doi:10.1017/S0272263100003041
Herschensohn, J. (2000) The Second Time Around: Minimalism and L2 Acquisition.
Philadelphia, PA: Benjamins.
Hopper, P. (1998) Emergent grammar. In M. Tomasello (ed.) The New Psychology of
Language 155–175. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
Huebner, T. (1983) A Longitudinal Analysis of Acquisition of English. Ann Arbor, MI:
Karoma Publishers.
Jackendoff, R. (2002) Foundations of Language. New York: Oxford University Press. doi:
10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198270126.001.0001
Kaplan, R. and Grabe, W. (2002) A modern history of written discourse analysis. Journal of
Second Language Writing 11 (3): 191–224. doi:10.1016/S1060-3743(02)00085-1
Klein, W. (1998) The contribution of second language acquisition research. Language Learning
48 (4): 527–550. doi:10.1111/0023-8333.00057
Klein, W. and Perdue, C. (1992) Utterance Structure: Developing Grammars Again. Amsterdam:
Benjamins. doi:10.1191/026765897666879396
Klein, W. and Perdue, C. (1997). The Basic Variety or: Couldn’t natural languages be much
simpler? Second Language Research 13 (4): 301–347.
Larsen-Freeman, D. (2003). Teaching Language: From Grammar to Grammaring. Boston,
MA: Thomson/Heinle.
Lantolf, J. and Thorne, S. (2006) Sociocultural Theory and the Genesis of Second Language
Development. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Lantolf, J. and Thorne. S. (2007). Sociocultural theory and second language learning. In
B. VanPatten and J. Williams (eds) Theories in Second Language Acquisition 201–224.
Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
Lasser, I. (1997) The interpretation of root infinitive constructions in adult and child
German. In J. C. Schaeffer (ed.) The Interpretation of Root Infinitives and Bare Nouns
in Child Language 26–64. [MIT Occasional Working Papers 12.] Cambridge, MA: MIT
Press.
McCarthy, M. and Carter, R. (2002) Ten criteria for a spoken grammar. In E. Hinkel and
S. Fotos (eds) New Perspectives on Grammar Teaching in Second Language Classrooms
51–76. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
Meisel, J. (1997) The L2 Basic Variety as an I-language. Second Language Research 13 (4):
374–385. doi:10.1191/026765897675365945
Muchisky, D. and Tangren, N. (1999) Immigrant student performance in an academic
intensive English program. In L. Harklau, K. Losey and M. Segel (eds) Generation 1.5
Meets College Composition 211–234. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
Mel’cuk, I. (2001) Communicative Organization in Natural Language. Amsterdam: Benjamins.
Newmeyer, F. (1994) A note on Chomsky on form and function. Journal of Linguistics 30
(1): 245–251. doi:10.1017/S0022226700016248
Perdue, C. and Klein W. (1992) Why does the production of some learners not
grammaticalize? Studies in Second Language Acquisition 14: 259–272. doi:10.1017/
S0272263100011116
Pennington, M. (2002) Grammar and communication: New directions in theory and
practice. In E. Hinkel and S. Fotos (eds) New Perspectives on Grammar Teaching in Second
Language Classrooms 77–98. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
Rutherford, W. (1987) Second Language Grammar: Learning and Teaching. New York:
Longman.
Sato, C. (1986) Conversation and interlanguage development: Rethinking the connection.
In R. Day (ed.) Talking to Learn 23–45. Cambridge: MA: Newbury.
Sato, C. (1988) Origins of complex syntax in interlanguage development. Studies in Second
Language Acquisition 10 (3): 371–393. doi:10.1017/S027226310000749X
Sato, C. (1990) The Syntax of Conversation in Interlanguage. Tübingen: Gunter Narr
Verlag.
Schwartz, B. (1997) On the basis of the Basic Variety. Second Language Research 13 (4):
386–402. doi:10.1191/026765897670070857
Selinker, L. (1972) Interlanguage. International Review of Applied Linguistics 10 (3): 209–
231.
Sperber, D. and Wilson, D. (1986) Relevance. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Taylor, D. (1988) The meaning and use of the term ‘competence’ in linguistics and applied
linguistics. Applied Linguistics 9 (2): 148–168. doi:10.1093/applin/9.2.148
Trévise, A. (1986) Is it transferable, topicalization? In E. Kellerman and M. Sharwood
Smith (eds.) Crosslinguistic Influence in Second Language Acquisition 186–206. New York:
Pergamon.
Zuengler, J. and Miller, E. (2006) Cognitive and sociocultural perspectives: Two parallel
SLA worlds? TESOL Quarterly 40 (1): 35–58.
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