Department Research Seminar: Rankin

Tom Rankin
“Knowledge about Language: Learning and Teaching L2 Grammar”

| ABSTRACT |
In this talk I will discuss the acquisition of properties of the existential quantifier any in L2 English. The aim is to explore pre-service teachers’ implicit and explicit knowledge of grammar rules, some of which are typically taught in EFL instruction and some of which are not addressed in pedagogical grammar. Data were collected from 67 EFL pre-service teachers using paced acceptability judgement tasks and rule elicitation tasks. Results are discussed in light of how explicit knowledge interacts with L2 performance, and in how far both types of knowledge can be considered instrumental for the development of pedagogical grammar knowledge for pre-service teachers.

| BIO |
My research is on Second Language Acquisition with a focus on syntax. In addition, I explore applied questions of learning and teaching from the perspective of theoretical insights from Linguistics and SLA. I have worked as Lecturer, Assistant Professor and Professor at universities in Vienna, Salzburg, Innsbruck and Linz before joining the English Department at MUNI.