Investigating the interplay of grammar, semantics, and word learning in the acquisition of classifier- noun combination in a second language

When starting to learn the classifier-noun combination in a second language (L2), how do we acquire the grammar, semantics, and words? Some scholars have argued that beginning L2 learners rely on semantics more than grammar, while others have stated that there is no significantly stronger reliance on one rule than another. Meanwhile, some scholars have claimed that L2 learning is ultimately related to the acquisition of individual words rather than grammatical and semantic rules. Since the debate is unsettled, the current study investigated this issue under a classifier-noun compound learning experiment. Specifically, the current design generated two learning conditions, one with the existence of both grammar and semantics and the other with the existence of only semantics. Three post-tests were constructed to test the interplay of grammar, semantics, and word learning in the acquisition of L2 classifier-noun combinations. The sortal classifiers carried the grammatical information which was not available in the generic classifier. The nouns carried the semantic information. Subjects studied the noun phrases either with sortal classifiers and nouns or with generic classifiers and nouns. Their learning outcomes were assessed through three post-tests, including choosing the correct noun phrases with the interferences from different types of distractors and identifying the correct sortal classifiers for different types of noun phrases. The results suggested that the beginning L2 learners did not clearly prefer processing grammar or semantics in word learning. However, when some preference was detected, the beginning L2 learners did not excessively rely on semantics. Moreover, they cannot process the L2 knowledge they have obtained in the same manner as the native speakers. To conclude, this study generally conveys that grammar and semantics, especially grammar, may not be as essential as people assumed in L2 acquisition. It also suggests potential directions for future language learning research in teaching and developing theories