Productive word-formation (adjectives) in foreign language teaching: Linguistic analysis and pedagogical aspects

Table of Contents

1. INTRODUCTION

2. LINGUISTIC ANALYSIS OF SELECTED ADJECTIVE SUFFIXES

2.1. Description of German L1 suffixes

2.1.1. The suffix -ig

2.1.1.1 Semantic scope

2.1.1.2 Morphological and syntactic constraints

2.1.1.3 Phonological changes

2.1.2. The suffix -isch

2.1.2.1 Semantic scope

2.1.2.2 Morphological and syntactic constraints

2.1.2.3 Phonological changes

2.1.3. The suffix -lich

2.1.3.1 Semantic scope

2.1.3.2 Morphological and syntactic constraints

2.1.3.3 Phonological changes

2.2. Description of English L2 suffixes

2.2.1. The suffix -ed

2.2.1.1 Semantic scope

2.2.1.2 Morphological and syntactic constraints

2.2.1.3 Phonological changes

2.2.2. The suffix -ic

2.2.2.1 Semantic scope

2.2.2.2 Morphological and syntactic constraints

2.2.2.3 Phonological changes

2.2.3. The suffix -ish

2.2.3.1 Semantic scope

2.2.3.2 Morphological and syntactic constraints

2.2.3.3 Phonological changes

2.2.4. The suffix -ly

2.2.4.1 Semantic scope

2.2.4.2 Morphological and syntactic constraints

2.2.4.3 Phonological changes

2.3. Contrastive analysis of German and English suffixes

2.3.1. Comparison of -ig and -ed

2.3.2. Comparison of -isch, -ish and -ic

2.3.3. Comparison of -lich, -ly and -ish

3. PEDAGOGICAL ASPECTS OF TEACHING WORD-FORMATION IN SCHOOL

3.1. Goals and advantages of teaching word-formation

3.2. Word-formation: a means to teach receptive and productive skills?

3.3. Which word-formation patterns are to be taught and how?

4. THE SURVEY AND ITS EVALUATION

4.1. Completion task

4.2. Comprehensive task

4.3. Translation task

5. CONCLUSION

Objectives and Topics

This paper examines how secondary school students acquire and comprehend English word-formation rules, specifically regarding adjectival suffixation. The central research objective is to challenge the predominantly receptive approach in language teaching by defending and demonstrating the feasibility of integrating productive word-formation exercises into the English curriculum, supported by a contrastive analysis of German and English suffixes.

• Productivity of English and German adjectival suffixes
• Contrastive linguistic analysis of L1 (German) and L2 (English) morphology
• Pedagogical strategies for teaching word-formation in grammar schools
• Empirical evaluation of students' receptive and productive word-formation skills
• Comparison of learner errors with contrastive linguistic predictions

Excerpt from the Book

Summary of Chapters

1. INTRODUCTION: This chapter outlines the paper's three sections—analytical, didactic, and empirical—and defines the goal of promoting a productive approach to teaching word-formation.

2. LINGUISTIC ANALYSIS OF SELECTED ADJECTIVE SUFFIXES: This section provides a detailed linguistic breakdown of specific German and English suffixes, examining their semantic, morphological, and phonological characteristics to form the basis for a contrastive analysis.

3. PEDAGOGICAL ASPECTS OF TEACHING WORD-FORMATION IN SCHOOL: The chapter explores the didactic role of word-formation in foreign language teaching, arguing for a balanced approach that supports both receptive and productive language skills.

4. THE SURVEY AND ITS EVALUATION: This section details an empirical study involving students, evaluating their performance in completion, comprehensive, and translation tasks to test the predictions of contrastive analysis.

5. CONCLUSION: The author summarizes the findings, confirming that while contrastive analysis is highly useful, productive word-formation errors are rarely catastrophic, thus supporting the implementation of productive teaching methods.

Keywords

Word-formation, Suffixation, Contrastive Analysis, Language Pedagogy, Productivity, Morphology, Receptive Skills, Productive Skills, Second Language Acquisition, Linguistic Constraints, Suffix Analysis, Learner Errors, Potential Vocabulary, English Grammar, German L1

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the primary focus of this research paper?

The paper focuses on the productive use of adjectival suffixes in English as a foreign language, analyzing both the linguistic structure of these suffixes and how they can be effectively taught to German-speaking students.

What are the main thematic areas covered?

The main themes include a detailed linguistic analysis of selected German and English suffixes, a pedagogical discussion on the importance of word-formation in schools, and an empirical survey evaluating how students apply these rules in practice.

What is the central research question or goal?

The central goal is to challenge the traditional preference for exclusively receptive language teaching by demonstrating that students are capable of productive word-formation and that such an approach is pedagogically valuable.

Which scientific methods are utilized in the study?

The study combines a linguistic analysis of suffixes based on dictionary and corpus data with a contrastive analysis approach. This is followed by an empirical section involving a student survey with completion, comprehension, and translation tasks.

What topics are discussed in the main body of the work?

The main body covers the theoretical definition of productivity, a comparative study of German and English adjective formation, a literature review on teaching methodology, and the analysis of student performance data from questionnaires.

What are the key terms that define this research?

Key terms include productivity, morphology, contrastive analysis, L1 and L2 suffixes, receptive/productive competence, and potential vocabulary.

How do German students perform when translating 'langbeinig' into English?

The survey indicates that the majority of students successfully translate 'langbeinig' to the corresponding English '-ed' construction 'long-legged', confirming that learners handle situations best when a clear linguistic correspondence exists.

Does the author consider 'scholared' a correct word-formation?

No, the author notes that 'scholared' is unacceptable, illustrating a common student transfer error where learners incorrectly attach an English suffix to a base that does not support it.

What conclusion does the author draw regarding productive errors?

The author concludes that productive errors—where students form possible but non-existent words—are isolated and less problematic than feared, suggesting that the primary argument against productive-oriented teaching is weakened by these findings.