Download or read book Universal Grammar and Parameter Resetting in Second Language Acquisition written by Martin Kaltenbacher and published by Peter Lang Publishing. This book was released on 2001 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Diese Arbeit wurde mit dem Forderpreis der Landeshauptstadt Salzburg zur Forderung von Kunst, Wissenschaft und Literatur ausgezeichnet. The book addresses the issue of Universal Grammar (UG) and parameter resetting in Second Language (L2) acquisition. The central questions are: what is the initial state of a learner's L2-grammar and does UG play a role in L2-acquisition? Several hypotheses are evaluated and set in relation to four parameters that are suggested to play a central role in UG and language acquisition. Particular focus is put on parametric differences between English and German. For this purpose Austrian learners have been tested on null subjects and adverbial and verb placement. It is shown that the learners transfer the L1-parameter settings into their early English interlanguage grammars. They are then involved in a disrupted process of parameter resetting, which is not guided by UG but proceeds via cognitive processes and learning strategies. Contents: Universal grammar in language acquisition - The pro-drop parameter - Parameterisation of adverbial and adverb placement - The head parameter - A case study with Austrian learners of L2-English.
Download or read book Universal Grammar and Second Language Acquisition written by Lydia White and published by John Benjamins Publishing. This book was released on 1989-01-01 with total page 211 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This authoritative textbook provides an overview and analysis of current second language acquisition research conducted within the generative linguistic framework. Lydia White argues that second language acquisition is constrained by principles and parameters of universal grammar.
Download or read book Second Language Acquisition and Universal Grammar written by Lydia White and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2003-03-06 with total page 338 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Table of contents
Download or read book Universal Grammar in Child Second Language Acquisition written by Usha Lakshmanan and published by John Benjamins Publishing. This book was released on 1994-01-01 with total page 175 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book examines child second language acquisition within the Principles and Parameters theory of Universal Grammar (UG). Specifically, the book focuses on null-subjects in the developing grammars of children acquiring English as a second language. The book provides evidence from the longitudinal speech data of four child second language (L2) learners in order to test the predictions of a recent theory of null-subjects, namely, the Morphological Uniformity Principle (MUP). Lakshmanan argues that the child L2 acquisition data offer little or no evidence in support of the MUP s predictions regarding a developmental relation between verb inflections and null-subjects. The evidence from these child L2 data indicates that regardless of the status of null subjects in their first language, child L2 learners of English hypothesize correctly from the very beginning that English requires subjects of tensed clauses to be obligatorily overt. The failure on the part of these learners to obey this knowledge in certain structural contexts is the result of perceptual factors that are unrelated to parameter setting. The book demonstrates the value of child second language acquisition data in evaluating specific proposals within linguistic theory for a Universal principle.
Download or read book Parameter Setting in Language Acquisition written by Dalila Ayoun and published by A&C Black. This book was released on 2005-02-28 with total page 226 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book provides a broad overview of parameter-setting theory in first and second language acquisition and refines the theory by revisiting and challenging the traditional assumptions that underlie it, based on cross-linguistic language data that cover a range of syntactic and phonological phenomena. From an historical perspective on parameter-setting theory to an introduction to its role in computational linguistics, neurolinguistics, and language change, the reader will find a critique of the most commonly made arguments, as well as an index of all the syntactic, phonological, lexical, and morphological parameters presented in the literature to date. A closer look at the theory itself addresses the following questions: What does a parameter-setting approach to language acquisition entail? What are the underpinnings of the theory? What issues and problems remain to be solved? The empirical studies carried out to test the null subject parameter and verb movement parameter are reviewed to re-examine long-standing theoretical assumptions as well as the learnability implications for first and second language acquisition.
Download or read book The Role of Universal Grammar in Second Language Acquisition SLA written by Daniel Schupmann and published by GRIN Verlag. This book was released on 2008 with total page 29 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Seminar paper from the year 2004 in the subject English Language and Literature Studies - Linguistics, grade: 2 (B), University of Marburg (Institute for Anglistics/American Studies), course: Syntax, 9 entries in the bibliography, language: English, abstract: This piece of work intends to present the most cogitable positions concerning the functioning of universal principles in Second Language Acquisition (SLA) as they are commonly considered to work within First Language Acquisition (FLA). It will transpire that various aspects of SLA compared to FLA do not allow for a lucid and irrevocable answer to be given for this question. In order to give the reader an idea of what Universal Grammar (UG) deals with, the first part of the paper sets up a conception of FLA to work on the basis of innate knowledge. Special emphasis is put on the content of Input as well as the realization of UG in terms of principles and parameters. Following SLA is scrutinized more closely with respect to the acquisition process and differences concerning the preconditions of both FLA and SLA before turning to the discussion of the major positions in linguistic research.
Download or read book The Second Time Around Minimalism and L2 Acquisition written by Julia Herschensohn and published by John Benjamins Publishing. This book was released on 2000-02-15 with total page 305 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Linking recent advances in theoretical syntax and empirical research in language development, the book claims that second language acquisition is not totally distinct from first language acquisition, but rather is a replay, a relearning of language. It argues that Universal Grammar is a template guiding acquisition of L1 while constraining acquisition of L2. Assuming that a syntactic distinction crucial for language and its acquisition is the division between lexical and functional categories, it argues that the key to L2 as well as L1 acquisition of syntax is the mastery of morphological features and their linking to functional categories. It thus supports the availability of UG to the second language learner and the minimalist claim that cross-linguistic variation is morpholexical. Constructionism, the hypothesis of L2A proposed in this account, argues for a period of feature underspecification after loss of the L1 value, followed by a progressive building of the L2 value through specific constructions.
Download or read book Parameter Setting in Language Acquisition written by Dalila Ayoun and published by A&C Black. This book was released on 2005-02-28 with total page 225 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book provides a broad overview of parameter-setting theory in first and second language acquisition and refines the theory by revisiting and challenging the traditional assumptions that underlie it, based on cross-linguistic language data that cover a range of syntactic and phonological phenomena. From an historical perspective on parameter-setting theory to an introduction to its role in computational linguistics, neurolinguistics, and language change, the reader will find a critique of the most commonly made arguments, as well as an index of all the syntactic, phonological, lexical, and morphological parameters presented in the literature to date. A closer look at the theory itself addresses the following questions: What does a parameter-setting approach to language acquisition entail? What are the underpinnings of the theory? What issues and problems remain to be solved? The empirical studies carried out to test the null subject parameter and verb movement parameter are reviewed to re-examine long-standing theoretical assumptions as well as the learnability implications for first and second language acquisition.
Download or read book The Development of Second Language Grammars written by Elaine C. Klein and published by John Benjamins Publishing. This book was released on 1999 with total page 442 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A collection of papers reflecting the shift away from characterizing second language acquisition as either having, or not having, access to principles and parameters of Universal Grammar, and towards theories of putative L1 influence on the L2 learner.
Download or read book Approaches to Second Language Acquisition written by Richard Towell and published by Multilingual Matters. This book was released on 1994 with total page 296 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Examines five central issues of second-language acquisition: transfer, staged development, cross-learner systematicity, incompleteness and variability.
Download or read book Universal Grammar in Second Language Acquisition written by Margaret Thomas and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2004-07-31 with total page 271 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book discusses how scholars in the west have conceived that human languages share important properties, and how westerners have understood the nature of second or foreign language learning.
Download or read book Second Language Acquisition of Articles written by María del Pilar García Mayo and published by John Benjamins Publishing. This book was released on 2009-07-29 with total page 286 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The studies in this collection address a topic that has recently become the focus of considerable interest in second language acquisition (SLA) research: the acquisition of articles. Languages appear to vary in whether they have articles (English, German, Norwegian do, but Chinese, Japanese, Russian do not). Languages that have articles also appear to divide into those that realise definiteness (e.g. English) and those that realise specificity (e.g. Samoan). When speakers of one type of language learn an L2 of a different type, issues of central concern to SLA research arise: the nature of L1 influence, the time course of development, ultimate attainment, the relationship between performance and competence, and the role of Universal Grammar. These issues are considered in nine studies, written by researchers whose work is at the forefront of enquiry, that offer new data, new perspectives and new insights into the way L2 speakers acquire articles.
Download or read book The Generative Study of Second Language Acquisition written by Suzanne Flynn and published by Psychology Press. This book was released on 2014-01-14 with total page 399 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The vast majority of work in theoretical linguistics from a generative perspective is based on first language acquisition and performance. The vast majority of work on second language acquisition is carried out by scholars and educators working within approaches other than that of generative linguistics. In this volume, this gap is bridged as leading generative linguists apply their intellectual and disciplinary skills to issues in second language acquisition. The results will be of interest to all those who study second language acquisition, regardless of their theoretical perspective, and all generative linguists, regardless of the topics on which they work.
Download or read book Investigating Second Language Acquisition written by Peter Jordens and published by Walter de Gruyter. This book was released on 2010-12-14 with total page 485 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The book concerns theoretical, interdisciplinary and methodological issues in L2 acquisition research. It gives an accurate and up-to-date overview of high quality work currently in progress in research methodology, processing, principles and parameters theory, phonology, the bilingual lexicon, input and instruction. The volume will have the purpose of a handbook for teachers, students and researchers in the area of second language acquisition. The aim is to provide the reader with an acquisition perspective on processes of second and foreign language learning.
Download or read book The Split IP Parameter in Second Language Learning written by Adela Simoiu and published by Cambridge Scholars Publishing. This book was released on 2014-05-02 with total page 253 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 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 book 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 L1 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 L1 and L2 acquisition is related precisely to this process. The parameter which the book focuses on is the split IP parameter (Bobaljik and Thráinsson, 1998), in the case of Romanian L1 learners of English as L2. Romanian is (+ split IP) while English is (- split IP). In this case, the learners would need to move from the positive (+) value of the parameter to the negative (-) one, i.e. from a wider set of property values to a more restrictive one. There are three possible scenarios: (i) the L2 learners set the negative (-) value from the target language from the very beginning, on the basis of input alone; (ii) the learners first transfer the positive (+) value from their L1 and reset this value to the L2 negative (-) one as they progress in acquiring the L2; the final state is L2-like; (iii) the learners first transfer the positive (+) value from their L1 but resetting is impossible; the L2 underlying representations are different from those of native speakers even with advanced speakers, and what may account for final L2 state is parameter learning. These scenarios are explored with the help of the data provided by longitudinal and experimental studies.
Download or read book The contribution of Universal Grammar to second language acquisition Which role is UG likely to play in SLA written by Lena Linden and published by GRIN Verlag. This book was released on 2008-02-12 with total page 24 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Seminar paper from the year 2006 in the subject English Language and Literature Studies - Linguistics, grade: 1,3, University of Cologne (Englisches Seminar), course: Research in Language Acquisition, language: English, abstract: If we take for granted that children acquire their first language with the help of an innate language acquisition device containing Universal Grammar, is it likely that the acquisition of a second language works in the same way? Is Universal Grammar still the driving force or did the prerequisites for the acquisition change in a way that learners need to consult other means and resources, like only their general cognitive abilities and learning strategies? There are many points in which first and second language acquisition differ...It is these differences that made linguists doubt that first and second language acquisition are entirely the same process. This paper is concerned with the question whether Universal Grammar is still available for second language learners and whether the mental grammar of L2 learners shows signs of impairment. After a short introduction to the concept of Universal Grammar in first language acquisition, it will turn to Universal Grammar in second language acquisition. In this context it will be considered whether the interlanguage grammar might be impaired and whether UG is probable to influence second language acquisition. Several theories of second language acquisition will be presented in advance to the discussion whether learners are likely to have full access, partial access or no access to Universal Grammar. Before being concluded it will take a short look at the problems that arise in second language research.
Download or read book Input and Evidence written by Susanne Elizabeth Carroll and published by John Benjamins Publishing. This book was released on 2001-10-04 with total page 480 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Input and Evidence: the raw material of second language acquisition is an empirical and theoretical treatment of one of the essential components of SLA: the input to language learning mechanisms. It reviews and adds to the empirical studies showing that negative evidence (correction, feedback, repetitions, reformulations) play a role in language acquisition in addition to that played by ordinary conversation. At the same time, it embeds discussion of input within a framework which includes a serious treatment of language processing, including the problem of modularity and the question of how semantic representations can influence grammatical ones. It lays the foundation for the development of a truly explanatory theory of SLA in the form of the Autonomous Induction Theory which combines a model of induction with an interpretation of Universal Grammar, thereby permitting, for the the first time, a coherent approach to the problem of constraining induction in SLA.
