On Applying Simultaneous Introspection in Researching Language Acquisition

Abstract

Introspective reports have been long employed in psychology as a valid method of observing and researching human behaviour. However it was only at the time when cognitivism found its way to L2/FL teaching and learning that the employment of introspection was possible and that introspection was treated as a valid and reliable method of research, be it simultaneous, consecutive or delayed consecutive (retrospection). The first studies in SLA carried out by means of introspection in the early 1970s investigated the competence of native speakers and their intuitions about L1, whereas at the beginning of the 1980s introspection studies focused on L2 reception and production. This article quotes examples of a number of studies in SLA, as well as those in which thinking-aloud protocols (TAPs) were used in studying the language processing of multilinguals. However the main aim of this article is to offer a critical insight into the value of introspection for researching multilingualism, together with some guidelines for implementing introspective research methods when studying language learning processes.

Appendix: Sample Think-aloud—Protocols

1.1 Study 1: Multilingual Learner Profile (Gabryś-Barker 2011)

TAP 1	Task: Translation of the text from L2 (English) into L3 (Italian), L1- Polish
Sample data	- ah—I’ll read it first—przeczytam (czyta) When Albert… I’ve won the big prize—kurcze nie wiem—hm hm—czasy—(czyta) When Albert entered the office- (pisze)Quando Alberto—enter -entrare- entered—entre—o—r—a—entrato in—past definite—czyli simple past—czyli—passato prosimo—entered—(pisze) entrare—entrato in—l’oficio—l’uficio—nel’oficio—(pisze) nel’oficio—double f—(powtarza) officio–officio-officio…
Object of analysis	• attendance to input: holistic versus fragmentary
	• the use of metalanguage and consciously acquired rules
	• automatic recall of nominal phrases
	• importance of accuracy in grammar and spelling

TAP 2	Task: Translation of the text from L2 (English) into L3 (Italian)
Sample data	(reads) Nobody was working—to będzie czas ciągly—(powtarza) nobody was working- czas ciągly czyli imperfetto czyli a -work—lavoro- (pisze) nessun—tylko czy to będzie tak jak po angielsku—was working—working—liczba pojedyncza—nikt nie pracowal—(pisze) nessun—nie wiem czy to bedzie podwojna negation—bo jak w polskim—(pisze) nessun lavorava—napiszę- a tutti impiegati.
Object of analysis	• examples of transfer between L1, L2 and L3
	• focus on grammatical accuracy
	• verbalisation exclusively in L1

TAP 3	Task: Translation of the text from L2 (English) into L3 (Italian)
Sample data	(czyta)… were still talking about the lottery—and—znowu będzie imperfetto- to zreszta podają poniżej—parlare di—parlavano—(pisze) impiegati parlavano—vamo—di lottery—lotterija—to bedzie po hiszpańsku—no to ja muszę sprawdzić w slowniku—loteria—parlavano di lotteria—czyli będzie (pisze) della lotteria—della lotteria.
Object of analysis	• grammar focus (again)
	• use of grammatical rules
	• references to Spanish (L4): perceived language distance

TAP 4	Task: translation of the text from L2 (English) into L3 (Italian)
Sample data	(czyta) Jules—jak to się będzie wymawiało—po włosku—Jules—nie—(czyta) his best friend—I—il—migliore—miglior—(pisze) miglior amico—il suo miglior amico—a jeszcze zapomnialam—(czyta) impiegati parlavano—still still—to jest—nie—ancora—nie pamietam—musze sprawdzić—still ancora—nie wiem czemu mi sie skojarzyło z już—yet—still—impiegati ancora parlavano—nie wiem czy będzie przed parlavano…
Object of analysis	• focus on word order (L2/L3 language transfer)
	• need of assistance (dictionary) in lexical search

1.2 Study 2: The Role of the Language of Input in Multilingual Language Processing (Gabryś-Barker 2005)

Source text: New wine commission for Dão wine (L2 input)

Yesterday, at the inauguration of Jorge Teixeira as the new president of the Dão Region Vintners Commission (CVRD), in Viseu the Secretry of State for Agriculture and Food, Cardoso Leal, called attention to “the need to develop markets”. Jorge Teixeira, who is well-known in the PS, has promised to continue the work started by his predecessor Alvaro de Figueiredo with “aggressive marketing”. Jorge Teixeira, as President of CVRD, will now be one of the three representatives to the Government for the cooperatives and private sectors of Dão wine producers. The inauguration ceremony of the new president of the CVRD was punctuated by a speech given by Alvaro de Figueiredo. This ex-member of parliament for the PSD, who many will agree has affected Dão wines profoundly in the last few years, gave a necessarily positive summing up of his actions whilst in charge of the commission. “From the climate of stagnation, the official region has moved on to a situation of technological and commercial development adapted to these modern times”, said Alvaro de Figueiredo, who also congratulated himself on the existence of more than 20 producers-bottlers (who produce the already famous “wine from Dão”), six wine centres and the complete restructuring of seven of the ten co-operative cellars of the official Dão Region today.

Task: translation of the L2 (English) input text into L3 (German)

Think-aloud protocol (an sample of the transcription):

(reads) at the inauguration of Jorge Teixeira as the new president—hm—of the Dão region Vinters Commission—ok—Gestern wahrend—hm—não sei—die Inauguration—I don’t know—Inauguration—von Jorge Teixeira als—als- dativ- no accusativ—als(..) als(..) what—so, als neuen -não- eh- Prasident—hm—der komition—how should I know- der komition des Vitners Dão Gegend (laughter)—hm—CVRD—komma- in Viseu der- hm- der what- what’s he called—Stäats hm Sekretar für Landwirtschaft und Essen- essen—ok—und essen- Cardodo Leal (.x) so where was I—Landwirtschaft und Essen cardoso Leal—call attention (twice) must nach (laughter) hm- I don’t know- hm- called attention—Attention -nein—pass auf—nein- (.x)- pointed out- called attention (laughter) say it the other way—hm- hat gesagt das es war -ne es ist (.) sehr wichtig -hm-neu—como se escreve—how do you write neu—neu markets—I don’t know—neue—neue- kaufen Platz—Platze—Kaufen platze -zu bauen oder so was (.3) so (reads) Jorge Teixeira who is well known in—der—den—hm- I don’t know—der—well known—is important—hm- recognized—hm—den—berühm in PS ist (reads) has promised to continue the work (.) promised—God—promise—verspr spre—versprachen—ok—Jorge Teixeira hat versprechen—ne—hat—has promised to continue the work started by his prede- hat versporchen—das ein—die werk—main dein sein sein—predecessor whatever—I don’t know how to say that—die werk sein—hm—weiter fuhren—hm- hat versprochen—das die werk sein- etwas—wieter führen—wurde (.) werde wurde werden nein—dass es die werk sein predecessor wieterführen—werd wird—no it is past—has promised to continue—present perfect—to continue the work started by his predecessor—hm (writes) die werk sein predecessor weiter fuhren—let’s say wird—oh I forgot something here—hat versprichen—dass es die werk sein (.3) predecesor (.) Alvaro de Figueiredo weiter führen wird mit (laughter) aggressive marketing—right—I don’t know—it is probably marketing in German as well—mit aggressive—stark—mit stark marketing (twice)—it’s international—isn’t it—hom predecessor (laughter) Jorge Teixeira again—als Präsident—der den die—how should I know—Komition die probably—als Präsident (.1) CVRD (reads) will now be one of three representatives (.1) hm (.1) wird jetz ein der—ein oder—ein der (.10) where was I—I lost myself—where am I—will now be one of the three representatives—ein der drei—drei drei—representatives don’t know—für die regierung—regierung—I don’t think it is Regierung—whatever—God—für die regierung—für die cooperatives—und privat Sektoren (.1) hm producers—I don’t know Produktoren -so für die cooperatives and private (.4) oh—für die—hm—und privat Sektoren der—I don’t know—der Dão Wein Produktores -(reads) the inauguration ceremony—ceremony—ceremony—I don’t know—Zeremon (laughter)the inauguration hm (.1) ersten Tag—I don’t know (.1) really really really don’t know—let’s say inauguration ceremony of the new president of the CVRD (writes) the inauguration ceremony für den neuen Prasident der CVRD. (subject 3).