Comprehension-oriented input training and syntactic representation entrenchment of late L2 learners: Evidence from a longitudinal experimental study

Objectives/research questions: This study aimed to identify whether input-related factors such as comprehension-oriented input training plus immediate feedback could contribute to understanding syntactic representation entrenchment in late second-language (L2) acquisition. Methodology: A pre-test-training-post-test experimental design was adopted to offset the shortcoming of the non-experimental effect of previous research of L2 field. During the training session, the experimental group (EG) learned subject-verb structures through a comprehension-oriented method, and the control group (CG) read other syntactic structures. After reading, a comprehension-related question was provided for participants to answer, and immediate feedback was given. Data and analysis: Analysis of variance was run on reaction time of key regions and comprehension accuracy. The key regions of the sentence were the verb and the words right after the verb in the experimental sentences. Findings/conclusions: After two sessions of continuously intensive training of subject-verb agreement, structures were presented in a comprehension-oriented method, and significantly longer reading times in the post key regions of the sentences with syntactic violation sentences were evident in EG in the post-test, compared with the corresponding parts of the correct versions. There were no such differences in CG from pre-test to post-test. The results indicated that comprehension-oriented training method plus feedback played an important role in consolidating L2 syntactic representation of late L2 learners in the syntactic aspect not even evident in their L1. Originality: In the field of adult second-language syntax research, current study empirically and directly explored the role of comprehension-oriented training method plus feedback in entrenching L2 syntactic representation. Significance/implications: The study suggests that late L2 adults can entrench their relatively shallow representation through comprehension-oriented training plus feedback. Results of the current study provide evidence in favor of the usage-based theory and dynamic system theory.