Acquiring procedural skills in L2 : Processability theory and skill acquisition

This paper aims to trace the acquisitional path from emergence to native-like use of a structure within the framework of Processability Theory. We focus on the oral production of passive constructions in learners of Japanese second language. A time-constrained task administered to an intact advanced class shows interesting differences. Among learners who do produce passive constructions with a self-paced task, one subset produce it consistently also with the time-constrained task, while another subset fail to do so. The remainder fluctuate between production, overproduction and non-production. Differences may reflect a training effect, with a possibly measurable gradient between the emergence of a structure and its automatization.