L1/L2 Differences in the Acquisition of Form-Meaning Pairings in a Second Language

This paper examines the impact of L1/L2 form-meaning differences in the domain of aspect to investigate whether L2 learners are able to acquire properties of the L2 that are different from the L1. Oral data were collected from English- and German-speaking university learners of French L2 (n = 75) at two different levels of proficiency. The results show that appropriate use of aspect morphology at the advanced stages of learning is significantly influenced by differences in L1 background, with significant differences also revealed between French native speakers and L2 learners. The results suggest that an important role must be attributed to L1/L2 form-meaning mapping differences.