Subject-verb agreement marking by Ghanaian learners of French
Date
2023
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Southern African Linguistics and Applied Language Studies
Abstract
In learning French as a foreign language, mastery of agreement marking is indicative of
learner progression. In this article, I focus on how subject-verb agreement markers are acquired by
Ghanaian learners of French. Based on written data collected from examination scripts, I attempt
to present a coherent explanation for the trends noted. The results show that allomorphy
characterises the verb stem and influences the production of agreement markers. While verbs with a
single stems are strongly associated with first-person singular marking; verbs without an identifiable
stem are more strongly associated with third-person singular marking. Interpreting this within the
In the item-learning/rule-learning dichotomy, it is argued that both strategies are simultaneously deployed.
Consequently, it is suggested that the dichotomy between rule-based versus item-based learning
can be impacted by the modality of language.
Description
Research Article
Keywords
Ghanaian learners, French, Subject-verb agreement