Word-based determinants of learnability
Studies on word-based determinants of learnability have isolated specific properties of L2words that make them more or less difficult to learn. Ellis and Beaton (1995), for example,found the learnability of L2 words to be affected by word-based factors such as word length and degree of phonological similarity between L1 and L2 words. Longer words and L2 words that were less phonologically similar to L1 words were more difficult. In another study, Laufer(1997) demonstrated that ‘deceptive transparency’ can make it more difficult to learn L2words. Deceptive transparency refers to when a learner incorrectly thinks s/he knows the meaning of an expression because they know words with in it, such as if a learner of L2English were to understand the expression ‘break the ice’ in its literal sense instead of in its idiomatic sense.