Partial word form learning in the written mode in L2 German and Spanish

Previous research on second language (L2) vocabulary learning has examined the relationship between word properties and learnability (e.g. Ellis and Beaton 1993). Few studies, however, have examined patterns in partial word form learning as a method of assessing learnability and improving our understanding of allocation of processing resources during word-level input processing. Expanding on the research of Barcroft (2000b, 2008), the present study examined partial word form learning in L2 German and Spanish while testing for effects of number of syllables in target words. Production data from an L1-to-L2 translation task (administered after a learning phase) were analyzed to determine percentage of partial versus fully produced words; amount of word produced in partial words; fragment length in partial words; and word-internal location of target letters. Results indicated production of approximately 49 percent more partial words than whole words, a high percentage of one-letter fragments, and privileging for word-initial position for both languages.