The boy are looking at the present – Scrutinizing the longitudinal effects of input on English verbal morphology in an early foreign language learning context.

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2022-10-24

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en

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The Netherlands has been exploring the possible benefits and opportunities that integrating early foreign language (EFL) programmes in primary schools may offer. In particular, the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science is interested in the effects of two different EFL programmes that offer either 15% maximum or between 30 and 50% of their lesson time in English. This study examines how students enrolled in these different types of EFL programmes develop their English verbal morphology over time. The use of seven English verbal morphemes was analysed in oral narrative tasks that students performed in their fifth and eighth (final) year of Dutch primary school. It was revealed that input and time significantly affected the accurate use of English verbal morphology. Students enrolled in the high-input EFL programmes had a head start over students enrolled in the EFL programmes with a lower amount of input, although the latter group of students did eventually catch up.

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