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Processability Theory Journal of Language Horizons, Alzahra University — 165 Volume 3, Issue 2, Autumn – Winter 2019 (Biannual – Serial No. 6) oulton, S ., & Kosslyn, S M. 2009). Imann redtons enta magery as menta emuaton. Phioohica Transaco o the oya oiey : iooical ciences 364(1521), -1280. Noels, K. A. (2003). Learning Spanish as a second language: Learners’ orientatons and perceptions of their teachers’ communication style. In Z. Dörnyei (Ed.), ues oientaons, and oao i languge arning (pp. 7-136). ackwell. Pap M. 2010). he L2 motatonal self system, L2 anety and motated ehavor strutural euaton modeln approach. ys 8(3), -479. Papi, M., & Teimouri, Y. (2012). Dynamics of selves and motivation: A cross‐sectional study n the EL ontext of Iran Internaona Jouna o Applied inuistics 22(3), -309. Shauer A. 2009). Inter-languge ragmatic eveoment: suy brod context Contnuum Processability Theory: Tauch N. 2006). nalyss of approrateness n a speech at of reuest n L2 Engls. Pragmatics 16(4), -533. Tauch T., ad, , & ap M. 2009). The L2 motatonal self system amon apa Stage-like Development of nese, hnese and Iranan learners of Ens A omparative study In Z. Dornye E. shioda Eds.), Movao languge dentiy nd e L2 elf (pp. 6-97). ul- “3 sg-s” and “cancel aux- tnual atters. Trosor ., 2010). Pragmatics cros nuages nd uues. alter de ruyter second” in Iranian EFL Learn- Tuua, D. E, avidson, M. L. 2017). nalyss of teachaty of ramats n ommu- native Ens skills textooks used n dama sene and echnoloy nersi- ers’ Writing Performance ty Internaona ouna o Research i oia ciences 7(5), -456. Uek M., & akeuch O. 2012). Valdatn the L2 motatonal self system n a apanese EL ontext The nterlay of L2 motaton L2 anety self-effay and the Mahin Sadat Tabatabaee1 ereived amount of nformaton Languge duao & chooy 49 -22. 2 Uek M., Takeuch O. 2013a). Formn a earer mae of the deal L2 self The L2 Keyvan Mahmoodi* motatonal self system and earner autonomy n a apanese EL ontext. Inno Abbas Bayat3 vao i Languge earning nd aching 7(3), -252. Uek M., akeuchi, O. 2013b). Eplorn the onept of the deal L2 self n an Asan EL ontext The ase of apanese unersty students. Jouna o Asia TEFL Received: 2019-09-27 | Revised: 2019-12-23 | Accepted: 2020-01-17 10(1), 5-45. Ushoda, E 2001). Lanuae earnn at unersty Eplorn the roe of motatonal thnkng. In örnyei & Scmdt Eds.) Movao and eco nguge ac- uisio (pp. 1-124). nersty of awaii ress. Valentne, ., uos . L., ooper . 2004). The relaton etween self-elefs and Abstract aadem acheement meta-analyt review Eduaona sychooist 39(2), Processability Theory (PT) is a second language acquisition (SLA) theory 111-133. developed to explain developmental sequences in SLA as well as some ener E (1998). Couties o ractice: Learning ning and identiy. Camrde other phenomena (Pienemann, 1998a). Processability has been a main Unersty ress. concern in SLA research since 1990s. Following the agenda of Processa- bility Theory and through analyzing the written performance of Iranian EFL learners’ writing performances, the present research studied the acquisition of “3 sg-s” and “cancel aux-second or cancel inversion” across five proficiency levels, from elementary to advanced, and compared it 1 PhD Candidate of TEFL, English Language Department, Islamic Azad University, Malayer Branch, Hamedan, Iran; [email protected] 2 Assistant Professor, English Language Department, Islamic Azad University, Malayer Branch, Ha- medan, Iran, (Corresponding author); [email protected] 3 Assistant Professor, English Language Department, Islamic Azad University, Malayer Branch, Ha- medan, Iran; [email protected] DOI: 10.22051/lghor.2020.28478.1194 166 — Processability Theory: Stage-like Development of “3 sg-s” and “cancel aux-second” in Iranian EFL ... wit te stage-lie development model of morpho-sntactic structures proposed Pienemann (1998a). Te study followed a descriptive meth- od of research, and the data was collected from 350 participants in five different proficienc levels from elementar, pre-intermediate, interme- diate upper-intermediate and advanced The participants were asked to provide samples of their written performance on different tasks including an introduction task, a haitual action task, a stor retelling task, a pic ture description task, and a composition and communication task. he data in this researc was analed ot qualitativel in order to recog nie and classif the tpe and order of the morpho-sntactic structures and quantitativel calculating means The results of ruskal-allis test revealed that both “3 sg-s” and “cancel aux-second,” as two morpho- syntactic features, emerge very early in the language learners’ perfor- mance. er similarl the competence of the learner grows stronger in concern with these variales throug the iger proficienc levels. These findings impl that PT is valid to a considerale extent for Iranian EFL learners as well Keords: Cancel ux-second, rocessailit Theor, econd Language Learning tage-lie evelopment hird erson ingular-s 3sg-s. Introducion rocessabilit eor (PT) is a second language acquisition LA) teor de veloped to clarif sequences of development in LA as well as some oter pe nomena ienemann a) e purpose of LA researc as een to clarif ow te learners acquire a language based on te input te receive and to de scrie different patterns in order to indicate sstematicit in L2 learning and use (Ellis . Regardless of its eing a first or second language one can find a lot of evidence in support of te notion tat speakers of an language learn it sstematicall (ougt 3 einsc Larsen-Freeman Long ienemann a). As oman (2012) points out researches conducted in various fields suc as LA and speec processing contriute to te view tat language learning is sstematic t is strongl believed by researchers (eg inker len 1988; wain arone ) tat language is learned in sequences altoug some amount of variation occurred in language learning ula and urt (3 1974) and ailey et al (1974) inspired b te researc done Brown (3 initiall proposed te eistence of L acquisition order Most of tese studies are considered descriptive since te suggest sstematicit and regularit of L2 owever tey cannot answer w tis penomenon appens ne of te teories tat aims to follow an eplanatory-adequac line in tis area is ro cessabilit Teor (PT presented b ienemann 1998a) PT addresses te prolem of LA from a processing viewpoint t claims tat some processing operations are used to envisage te order of developmental of second language grammar acquisition regardless of te language being studied aims to offer a pscolinguisticall applicable and cross-linguisticall plausile clarification for te sequences and stages te learners follow in learning to produce te tar Language Horizons, Alzahra University — 167 Journal of wit te stage-lie development model of morpho-sntactic structures get morphosyntactic structures he logical reasoning for Processability proposed Pienemann (1998a). Te study followed a descriptive meth- Theory is that the learner can produce and comprehend, at any developmental od of research, and the data was collected from 350 participants in five stage, only those linguistic forms that can be handled by the current state of different proficienc levels from elementar, pre-intermediate, interme- the language processor Hence, the notion of the human language processor diate upper-intermediate and advanced The participants were asked to provide samples of their written performance on different tasks including architecture is crucial in the theory Acquisition of language is constrained by an introduction task, a haitual action task, a stor retelling task, a pic the human language processing architecture so that learners are able to acquire ture description task, and a composition and communication task. he only the linguistic forms and functions that they afford to process (ienemann, data in this researc was analed ot qualitativel in order to recog 2011) nie and classif the tpe and order of the morpho-sntactic structures p to the present time, a number of different studies concerning second lan and quantitativel calculating means The results of ruskal-allis test revealed that both “3 sg-s” and “cancel aux-second,” as two morpho- guage acquisition have examined the validity of Processability Theory in a syntactic features, emerge very early in the language learners’ perfor- number of languages hey include Swedish (Glahn et al, 2001), candinavian mance. er similarl the competence of the learner grows stronger in (Hakansson, 2001, 2013), rabic (Husseinali, , ansouri, 2000 2005), concern with these variales throug the iger proficienc levels. These talian Bettoni et al, 2009), French Ågren, 2009), Chinese Zhang, 2004, findings impl that PT is valid to a considerale extent for Iranian EFL 2005), and apanese (i Biase aaguchi, 2002) Moreover, there are some learners as well studies done in this field in FL and SL contexts (eg hansir Zaab, 5 Mohammadhani et al, 2011; aki amehian, 6) he results of these Keords: Cancel ux-second, rocessailit Theor, econd Language Learning tage-lie evelopment hird erson ingular-s 3sg-s. studies shoed that morpho-syntactic structures ere acquired folloing the fixed sequence predicted by PT Hoever, it seems that the study of this typical order in the development of second language is in need of more investigation at Introducion least in EFL contexts herefore, the present study mainly aimed to cross-sectionally validate the rocessabilit eor (PT) is a second language acquisition LA) teor de Processability Theory and it studied the acquisition of “3ed sg-s” and “cancel veloped to clarif sequences of development in LA as well as some oter pe aux-second” across five proficiency levels, from elementary to advanced and nomena ienemann a) e purpose of LA researc as een to clarif compared it ith the stage-lie development model of morpho-syntactic struc ow te learners acquire a language based on te input te receive and to de tures proposed by ienemann (1998a).
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