The Use of Lexical and Grammatical Cues in Sentence Tense Recognition Based on Input Processing Theory: A Comparison of Beginner and Advanced Arab Learners of Persian

Considering the role and importance of tense recognition in language learning the aim of the current study is to investigate the types of cues used to recognize the grammatical tense by Arabic-speaking Persian learners at the beginner and advanced levels. The relationship between the understanding of the time of Persian sentences and gender, as well as the relationship between the understanding of time and the first language of Persian learners, has also been investigated. This research was conducted based on the lexical precedence principle of the input processing theory of VanPatten (2015). The participants of the research, who were selected as available random sampling, were 53 Arabic-speaking Persian learners who were divided into two groups, beginners and advanced based on their level. The instruments used in this research were two tests in two stages; In the first stage, using the sentence recognition test, the subjects marked the time of the sentences they heard in the answer sheet, and in the second stage, the same test was performed; with the difference that in this test, the sentences did not have time adverbs. the findings of this research show that beginner Arabic speakers use both lexical cues and current inflections in recognizing the tense of a sentence; But in most cases, their choice is only one of the cues; This is while advanced level subjects simultaneously use two lexical cues and current interpretation. Regarding gender, the results showed that there is no significant relationship between gender and the ability to understand sentence time.
Extended Abstract:
Introduction
Tense and its inflection are one of the most important indicators of linguistic ability in any language, and this issue has a decisive role for languages that have current inflection. In general, in languages where there is a present conjugation, the reference of time is expressed using lexical cues (adverbial expressions) and grammatical cues (verbal morphemes). According to some researchers who have worked in this field: (Bardvi-Harlig, 1992; Cameron, 2013; Lee et al, 1997; Musumeci, 1989) language learners, first from implicit cues as an example of the order of events use the text and then they use the lexical cues and finally they use the verbal morphems.
The present study aims to answer the question of how linguists understand the tense of sentences; In particular, its emphasis is on the students' understanding of sentence time. Because time plays a very important role in verbal communication.
Also, the current research aims to examine and analyze the role of lexical and grammatical cues in determining sentence time by using input processing theory, which is one of the relatively new theories in the field of teaching and learning a foreign/second language. And as it was said, time plays an important and decisive role in human verbal communication. Therefore, one of the things that should be addressed in language teaching is the discussion of time and ways to identify it.
Despite the importance of recognizing the time of the sentence, both in terms of meaning and communication, in the sentence and beyond that in the text, in different languages, very few researches have been done in this field and according to the survey conducted in Persian Language No research has been done; Therefore, the existence of such research in Persian language is very important. This research tries to answer four basic questions inspired by input processing theory. This theory was first proposed by VanPatten (1993), inspired by Krashan's input hypothesis. This theory refers to a field of research that shows how language learners establish a relationship between form and meaning and how they break it down into its constituent parts so that they can understand it (Hashemnezhad & Khalili, 2013).
Methodology
The statistical population of this research consisted of 53 Arabic-speaking Farsi learners (28 people at the general level and 25 people at the advanced level) from the Persian Language Center of Imam Khomeini International University, Qazvin, who were randomly available and invited. They cooperated. Their age range was between 18 to 25 years, and in terms of gender, 23 were women and 30 were men.
 The tests used in this research were:
1- level determination test
This test was used to determine the level of language learners; Based on this test, the subjects were placed in two levels, beginner and advanced
2- Personal information questionnaire
This questionnaire contained information such as nationality, gender, first language, age, last degree, and level of familiarity with a language other than Persian.
3- Sentence time detection test
This test itself is divided into two categories:
1- An audio file containing 30 Persian language sentences in which there were both lexical cues and current interpretation cues.
2- An audio file containing 30 Persian language sentences in which there were only cues to the current interpretation.
Results
This research aimed to answer four basic questions. In the first question, the difference between Arabic speakers in beginner and advanced levels was in the use of lexical cues grammatical cues in understanding Persian sentences. The results showed that the Persian learners of beginner Arabic speakers used the grammatical cues more often, In the case of advanced Arabic speakers, the results of data analysis show the simultaneous use of lexical and grammatical cues.
Regarding the second question, i.e., the effect of the first language on recognizing the time of the sentence, the studies showed that the first language has a significant effect on the recognition of the time of the sentence.
The results of data analysis regarding the third question, i.e. the relationship between language level of language learners and sentence recognition, indicate that the more the language level increases, the simultaneous use of lexical and grammatical cues increases significantly.
Conclusion
The findings of this research showed that beginner Arabic speakers use both lexical clues and present tenses to recognize the time of a sentence; But in most cases, their choice is only one of the clues. This is while the advanced-level subjects use two lexical clues and the current interpretation at the same time. Regarding gender, the results showed that there is no significant relationship between gender and the ability to understand sentence time.
Conflict of Interest
This research has been carried out at all stages, including design, collection, analysis and interpretation of data and publication, at personal expense, and the authors are not affiliated with any organization that affects any of the goals or actions of the research.
Acknowledgment
The authors would like to thank the Persian language teaching center of Imam Khomeini International University for providing the basis for collecting research data.