Constraints on Second Language Acquisition of English Subject--Verb Agreement

We examine the microparameters of null and postverbal subjects in the Greek L1/English L2 interlanguage, exploring the role of interpretability in interlanguage representations. Our results suggest that while uninterpretable features are inaccessible in L2 acquisition, interpretable features are available and play a compensatory role. Although the abstract L1 properties of subject-verb agreement seem to transfer to the L2 representation, the effects appear scattered and transfer is not direct. We thus suggest that Greek-learner L2 English grammar exhibits non-random optionality in the properties of null and postverbal subjects, regulated by parameter-resetting (feature re-valuation) which is, however, neither the L1 (Greek) nor the target L2 (English) option.

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Second language acquisition: from theory to data

Second language Research ◽

10.1191/026765800671563747 ◽

2000 ◽

Vol 16 (1) ◽

pp. 27-43 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Louise M. Jansen

Keyword(s):

Second Language ◽

Second Language Acquisition ◽

Language Acquisition ◽

Verb Second ◽

Data Description ◽

Verb Agreement

Clahsen's (1988) and Clahsen and Muysken's (1989) claim that subject–verb agreement and verb-second are unrelated in the acquisition of German second language acquisition (SLA) has met a number of counterpositions; for example: Pienemann and Johnston (1987) and Pienemann (1988; 1998), Jordens (1988), Eubank (1992; 1994) and Vainikka and Young-Scholten (1994; 1996). The conflicting claims source essentially the same data. The presentation and analysis of these data is scrutinized and a number of inconsistencies and methodological questions are identified. The paper argues that, when it comes to underpinning theoretical claims, more rigour in data description should be exercised.

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Finiteness and verb placement in second language acquisition

Second language Research ◽

10.1177/026765830001600403 ◽

2000 ◽

Vol 16 (4) ◽

pp. 355-381 ◽

Cited By ~ 32

Author(s):

Teresa Parodi

Keyword(s):

Second Language ◽

Second Language Acquisition ◽

Language Acquisition ◽

Universal Grammar ◽

L2 Acquisition ◽

Verb Agreement ◽

Learning Tasks ◽

Verb Placement ◽

New Perspective ◽

L1 Acquisition

The relationship between finiteness and verb placement has often been studied in both first language (L1) and second language (L2) acquisition and many studies claim that, while there is a correlation between finiteness and verb placement in L1 acquisition, these areas represent separate learning tasks in second language acquisition (SLA). The purpose of this article is to provide a new perspective on this elusive question, analysing data from speakers of Romance languages learning German as a second language (L2). Verbs are classified as thematic and nonthematic and analysed with respect to overt subject–verb agreement and verb placement as seen in negation patterns. A clear association between subject–verb agreement and verb placement is seen for nonthematic verbs: they are in most cases morphologically finite and show the syntactical distribution of finite verbs. These verbs are interpreted as a spell-out of agreement features, differing both from the speakers' L1 and from the L2, but conforming to a universal grammar (UG) option.

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