Verb Lexis in the Written Compositions of Young L2 Learners

Abstract

The L2 lexical proficiency of 69 grade 6 French immersion students is compared with that of 22 native French-speaking peers, based on verb use in five written compositions. Measures of lexical error, variety, specificity, and sophistication show clear differences between the two groups. The learners' patterns of use of verb vocabulary are considered in relation to frequency and utility in French, the degree of congruence between L2 and L1, and the morpho-syntactic complexity of some specific types of French verbs. Results are further discussed in relation to observational data from grade 6 immersion classrooms.