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Rote or rule? Exploring the role of formulaic language in classroom foreign language learning

Lookup NU author(s): Professor Florence Myles

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Abstract

This article investigates the role in learning of rote-learned formulas orchunks. We examined data from a longitudinal study of 16 child beginner classroom learners ofFrench for occurrences of three chunks, against which we first tried out definitional criteria. Wethen tracked these forms for 2 years to chart their breakdown and explore their contribution tothe development of a creative language capacity. Our data showed that most of the learners notonly gradually "unpacked" their early chunks, but also used parts of themproductively in the generation of new utterances. These findings demonstrated that rote-learningof formulas and the construction of rules are not independent processes, but interact and activelyfeed into one another.

Publication metadata

Author(s): Myles F, Hooper J, Mitchell R

Publication type: Article

Publication status: Published

Journal: Language Learning

Year: 1998

Volume: 48

Issue: 3

Pages: 323-363

ISSN (print): 0023-8333

ISSN (electronic): 1467-9922

Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell Publishing, Inc.

URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/0023-8333.00045

DOI: 10.1111/0023-8333.00045

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