Exploring Explicit Analogical Reasoning in Second Language Acquisition: Insights for L2 Scaffolding

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  In Roundtable Session: Language Pedagogies Across the Content Areas

Abstract

When people acquire a second language (L2), do they benefit from analogical reasoning? Past research showed that analogical reasoning is likely to help, yet it is unclear whether learners explicitly use analogical reasoning. In Study 1, English-speaking participants (N = 100) learned an artificial language with grammatical markers either morphologically congruent or incongruent with English grammar and reported their usage of analogical reasoning. Acquisition was improved when the artificial language was congruent with English and when participants reported explicit analogical reasoning. Study 2 replicated this analogical reasoning benefit using congruency beyond morphology. These findings provide evidence that L2 learners spontaneously leverage analogies with their existing languages, which indicates the potential for scaffolding analogical reasoning for L2 learning.

Authors

• Liantao Shan, University of California - Merced

• Zenaida Aguirre-Munoz, University of California - Merced

• Tyler Marghetis, University of California - Merced