The split IP parameter in second language learning / by Adela Simoiu.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Simoiu, Adela.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Second language acquisition.

Physical Description:

xxii, 233 pages ; 22 cm

Place of Publication:

Newcastle upon Tyne : Cambridge Scholars Pub., 2014.

Summary:

The book addresses some important issues in second language acquisition research, such as access to Universal Grammar, the factors that account for success or failure in L2 learning, as well as parameter (re)setting, within the generative framework. The empirical data against which the research hypothesis is tested come from two main studies: a longitudinal one, involving beginner learners, and an experimental one, with elementary and advanced learners; all subjects are adults learning English in a formal instruction setting, with Romanian as L1. Starting from Chomsky's (2005) account of first language acquisition in terms of three factors, namely genetic endowment, experience and non-linguistic principles, the first chapter of the bock explores the question of whether the same three factors may be operating in second language learning. The rest of the book focuses on more specific research issues related to access to Universal Grammar and parameter (re)setting Since LI acquisition is defined mainly as the process of parameter setting on the basis of the input, parameter setting is expected to be at the core of L2 learning as well However, in the literature, it has often been argued that one of the most important differences between LI and L2 acquisition is related precisely to this process. Book jacket.

Contents:

Chapter 1 How Many Factors in (Instructed) Second Language Design? 1

1.1 Introduction 1

1.2 Three factors in Language Design 2

1.2.1 Genetic endowment 4

1.2.2 Experience 6

1.2.3 The role of principles not specific to the language faculty 8

1.3 From LI to L2 12

1.3.1 Genetic endowment in L2 13

1.3.2 Experience 18

1.3.3 Factors not specific to the language faculty in L2 22

1.3.3.1 Principles of data analysis in L2 22

1.3.3.2 Principles of structural architecture and developmental constraints in L2 23

1.4 The role of UG in Second Language Acquisition 26

1.4.1 No Access Hypotheses 26

1.4.1.1 Clahsen and Muysken (1986) 26

1.4.1.2 The Fundamental Difference Hypothesis (Bley-Vroman 1990) 30

1.4.2 The Full Access Hypothesis 33

1.4.3 UG access via L1 35

1.4.3.1 The Full Transfer/Full Access Hypothesis 35

1.4.3.2 A variant of UG access via L1 36

1.4.4 L2 and minimalism 38

1.5 Conclusion 41

Chapter 2 Parameter (Re)Setting in L2 42

2.1 Introduction 42

2.2 Principles and Parameters 42

2.3 Parameters and L2 44

2.4 Parameter Resetting in L2 46

2.4.1 Parameter Resetting is possible 46

2.4.2 Parameter resetting is partially possible 49

2.4.3 Parameter Resetting is not possible 52

2.4.4 Minimalism and parameters in L2 59

2.4.4.1 The Failed Functional Feature Hypothesis 61

2.4.4.2 The Interpretability Hypothesis 65

2.5 Conclusions 69

Chapter 3 On the Split IP Hypothesis in English and Romanian 71

3.1 The Inflectional Phrase: A short history 71

3.1.1 From Aux to Inflection 71

3.1.2 The Split IP Hypothesis 74

3.1.3 The split IP Hypothesis: A revised version 76

3.1.4 A hybrid approach 78

3.1.5 The split IP parameter 81

3.2 Characteristics of the Split IP parameter (SIP) 83

3.2.1 The parameter in a nutshell 83

3.2.2 The split IP parameter: Verbal morphology 84

3.2.3 The split IP parameter: Verb movement 86

3.2.4 The split IP parameter: Specifier positions 89

3.2.4.1 Two subject positions 89

3.2.4.2 Two object positions 91

3.2.5 Conclusions 95

3.3 Triggers of verb movement: Tense or Agreement? 96

3.4 The split IP parameter in English 98

3.5 The split IP parameter in Romanian 100

3.5.1 Verb morphology in Romanian 100

3.5.2 On verb movement 101

3.5.3 Specifier positions: Subject positions 109

3.5.4 More on specifier positions: Object positions and transitive expletive constructions 115

3.5.4.1 Transitive expletive constructions 115

3.5.4.2 Object shift 116

3.6 Conclusions 122

Chapter 4 The Split IP Parameter in L2: Predictions for Second Language Learning 123

4.1 The Split IP parameter in a nutshell 124

4.2 The Split IP parameter and language acquisition 128

4.3 Previous studies: Conradie (2005) 130

4.3.1 Moving from a negative value to a positive one 130

4.3.2 Afrikaans as a (+SIP) language 130

4.3.3 The Split IP parameter in L2 133

4.4 Conclusions so far 141

4.5 Moving from positive (+) to negative (-) 142

4.5.1 The Subset Principle in LI acquisition and L2 learning 142

4.5.2 Romanian L1: A superset to English L2? 144

4.6 Parameter clustering in L2? 149

4.7 The split IP parameter in L2: The case of Romanian learners of English 150

4.7.1 Hypotheses 150

4.7.2 The question 151

4.8 Predictions for SIP in second language learning 152

4.8.1 Predictions - initial stage - full transfer? 152

4.8.2 Predictions - final state - parameter resetting? 154

4.9 Conclusions 156

Chapter 5 Two Studies Investigating L2 Initial and Final States 158

5.1 The longitudinal study 158

5.1.1 Aim 158

5.1.2 Corpus 159

5.1.3 Method 159

5.1.4 Predictions 362

5.1.5 Results and analysis 163

5.1.5.1 Sentence-medial adverbs 163

5.1.5.2 Questions 165

5.1.5.3 Early L2 subjects 167

5.1.5.4 TECs and OSCs 169

5.1.5.5 English L1 acquisition-like errors 169

5.1.6 Conclusions so far 171

5.2 More data on verb movement: Elicited production with elementary and intermediate L2 learners 172

5.2.1 Experiment 1: Sentence-medial adverbs 172

5.2.1.1 Aim 172

5.2.1.2 Subjects 172

5.2.1.3 Method 173

5.2.1.4 Results 174

5.2.1.5 The case of 'sometimes' 181

5.2.2 More data on verb movement: Post-verbal subjects 183

5.2.2.1 Subjects and method 183

5.2.2.2 Results and analysis 183

5.3 Conclusions so far 185

5.4 The experimental study 187

5.4.1 Subjects 187

5.4.2 Method 188

5.4.2.1 The grammatically judgment task 188

5.4.2.2 The sentence manipulation task 192

5.4.3 Results 194

5.4.3.1 Elementary - full transfer? 194

5.4.3.2 Advanced learners (Ls) - parameter resetting? 202

5.4.3.2.1 Grammaticality judgments 202

5.4.3.2.2 Error analysis: Grammaticality judgement task 205

5.4.3.2.3 Results from the sentence-manipulation task 206

5.4.4 Conclusions so far 207

5.4.5 Results: advanced learners (NLs) - parameter resetting? 207

5.4.5.1 Grammaticality judgments 207

5.4.5.2 Error analysis 209

5.5 Conclusions 212

5.6 Questions for further research 216.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

1443856584

OCLC:

879769293

Publisher Number:

99960401131