Age of Onset, English-medium Instruction, and Gains in Second Language Grammar Knowledge

Muhammad Asif Qureshi, Zayed University

Document Type

Article

Source of Publication

Research on Integrating Language and Content in Diverse Contexts

Publication Date

1-1-2022

Abstract

The current study examined differences in grammatical knowledge of second language learners whose age of onset (AO) for exposure to English-medium instruction (EMI) was at the elementary, secondary, and tertiary educational levels. One hundred and thirty-five students enrolled in two universities in Pakistan participated in the study. Data collection involved a background questionnaire, a grammaticality judgment task, and an editing task. Based on the background questionnaire, the participants were divided into early, middle, and late learners—those individuals exposed to EMI at first grade, secondary, and tertiary levels, respectively. The results revealed a significant multivariate main effect for the AO on grammar knowledge. The post hoc analysis confirmed a significant effect on the editing task. No significant effects were observed for the grammaticality judgment task. Underlying causes are discussed, including possible age-related cognitive factors in the students or instructional features in the schools.

ISBN

9781000575224,9781032021027

Publisher

Routledge

First Page

195

Last Page

211

Disciplines

Education

Scopus ID

85143454914

Indexed in Scopus

yes

Open Access

no

Link to Full Text

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