ERIC Number: EJ1447946
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2024-Sep
Pages: 23
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0015-718X
EISSN: EISSN-1944-9720
Beyond Accuracy: The Development of Syntactic Complexity in Middle School Spanish Immersion
Foreign Language Annals, v57 n3 p844-866 2024
Language immersion programs seek to develop multilingual, multiliterate individuals able to engage with academic content. Studies of immersion students' language development provide details regarding language proficiency and accuracy, yet they generally do not address how features of written, academic language, for example, syntactic and lexical complexity, develop. To this end, this study seeks to understand if and how the syntactic complexity of written texts produced by middle school Spanish immersion students differs across grades. It examines discipline-related, persuasive texts written by 186 Grade 6-8 Spanish immersion students from five programs, analyzing syntactic complexity at the phrasal, clausal, and supraclausal levels and considering both length-based and subordination measures. Findings suggest that syntactic complexity does not change significantly in middle school for immersion students unlike findings with nonimmersion students. Explanations for and implications of the findings are explored.
Descriptors: Spanish, Immersion Programs, Second Language Instruction, Second Language Learning, Multilingualism, Multiple Literacies, Language Proficiency, Syntax, Middle School Students, Academic Language, Accuracy, Writing Skills, Writing Evaluation, Phrase Structure
Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2191/en-us
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Junior High Schools; Middle Schools; Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A