The acquisition of the English temporal system: A developmental perspective

Abstract

This study evaluates the relationship between the inherent tense and aspect systems among Moroccan EFL learners. The study was conducted through a mixed-methods approach focusing mainly on statistically significant findings. Data was collected using a self-governed grammaticality judgment test, translation, and writing tasks. Two hundred and twenty subjects were arbitrarily selected to participate in the study, mainly from the Rabat-Salé region given the high diversity of the latter. The statistical analysis highlighted second language learning in the case of Moroccan EFL learners. The study deduced that there is an impact on the learning process related to the student’s academic level. The results revealed that the higher the level of education attained, the more learning is exhibited, highlighting the crucial role of the academic level in the acquisitional process. The paper also highlights the role of the developmental path among Moroccan EFL learners. The findings reiterated the gradual learning claims in temporal system research, indicating that tense and aspect are learned simultaneously.