Remarks on the acquisition of Basque–Spanish bilingualism

2012 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. 392-399 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jürgen M. Meisel
Keyword(s):  
Role Models ◽  
Age Of Onset ◽  
First Language ◽  
Problem Area ◽  
Bilingual Children ◽  
Grammatical Development ◽  
Second Language Speakers ◽  
Developmental Sequences ◽  
Core Areas ◽  
Grammatical Change

This commentary on the preceding six articles focuses on three issues concerning simultaneous and successive acquisition in early childhood which are addressed directly or indirectly in the contributions under discussion. The first issue concerns crosslinguistic interaction. It is argued that the evidence presented here speaks in favour of autonomous grammatical development in simultaneous bilingualism. Crosslinguistic interaction seems to happen only when grammatical knowledge is activated, i.e. in language use. The second problem area discussed here concerns the respective roles of input, universal mechanisms, and age of onset of acquisition as factors determining the course of acquisition. The claim is that these and other variables all contribute to an explanation of developmental sequences in monolingual and bilingual first language acquisition but that quantitative properties of the input do not override universal principles in the domain of grammar. The third point consists in emphasizing the role of second language speakers as role models for bilingual children. This provides an explanation of contact-induced change in core areas of grammar where, otherwise, empirical evidence does not support the claim of crosslinguistic interaction in bilingual children acquiring two languages simultaneously. It also constitutes a plausible scenario accounting for diachronic grammatical change.

Syntax–pragmatic and morphology–pragmatic interfaces in sequential bilingual language acquisition: The case of Russia-Turkish and English-Turkish bilingual children

2018 ◽  
Vol 23 (5) ◽  
pp. 1137-1158
Author(s):  
Elena Antonova-Ünlü
Keyword(s):  
Language Acquisition ◽  
Age Of Onset ◽  
First Language ◽  
The Other ◽  
Bilingual Children ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Bilingual Language Development ◽  
Direct Objects ◽  
Cross Sectional Design ◽  
Case Markers

Aims: This study examines sequential bilingual language development focusing on the acquisition of two domains that interact with pragmatics, precisely, post-predicate constituents and case marking for direct objects in Turkish, which are cases of syntax–pragmatic and morphology–pragmatic interface, respectively, by Russian-Turkish and English-Turkish sequential bilinguals who had been acquiring Turkish as their child second language (cL2). Design: A cross-sectional design was adopted in the study. Methods: Narratives were used as a method of data collection. The use of post-predicate constituents and case markers for direct objects produced by the sequential bilinguals in their cL2 Turkish was compared with that of Turkish monolingual and simultaneous bilingual children. Conclusions: The study provides evidence that cL2 may be similar to monolingual and bilingual first language acquisition in some domains, while the other domains may be affected by age of onset and cross-linguistic influence from the other language that has developed to a certain extent.

scholarly journals Speed, breakdown, and repair: An investigation of fluency in long-term second-language speakers of English

2016 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 228-242 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cornelia Lahmann ◽  
Rasmus Steinkrauss ◽  
Monika S Schmid
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Age Of Onset ◽  
First Language ◽  
Aging Effect ◽  
L2 Acquisition ◽  
Second Language Speakers ◽  
Syllable Duration ◽  
Specific Factors ◽  
The Mean

Aims and objectives/purpose/research questions: The present study investigated which factors would best predict second-language (L2) fluency in a group of long-term L2 speakers of different English varieties with German as their first language. Design/methodology/approach: L2 fluency was conceptualized in terms of utterance fluency for which speed, breakdown and repair fluency were distinguished. Data and analysis: Multiple measures of utterance fluency were applied to four-minute speech fragments originating from 102 spontaneous oral interviews. Interviewees’ ages of onset ranged from 7 to 17, whereas their ages at interview ranged from 57 to 87. Multifactorial analyses yielded significant effects of age at interview. Findings/conclusions: Whereas the mean number of silent pauses and repairs increases, syllable duration decreases. This leaves room for interpretation as to why we find an aging effect. Overall, the evidence suggests that the usual, L2 acquisition-specific factors, such as age of onset or length of residence, are no longer at play to predict L2 fluency. Originality and significance/implications: To this point L2 fluency in very advanced, highly proficient L2 speakers has received little attention. The results point to the need for more research into highly proficient L2 users.

Motion Lexicalization in Chinese among Heritage Language Children in Canada

2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 272-296
Author(s):  
Youran Lin ◽  
Elena Nicoladis
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Heritage Language ◽  
First Language ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Mainland China ◽  
Bilingual Children ◽  
Older Children ◽  
Second Language Speakers ◽  
Heritage Language Speakers ◽  
Two Age Groups

Heritage language speaking children often show signs of attrition, particularly as they get older and are educated in the majority language of the society where they live. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that simplification is one process of attrition for heritage language speakers. We tested this hypothesis on the expression of motion events among children who are first language speakers of Mandarin Chinese and early second language speakers of English, the majority language in this community. We compared their motion expressions to those of monolingual Mandarin-speaking children living in mainland China. Two age groups were included: younger children (4-6 years, not yet in school) and older children (8-10 years; in school for two to five years). The children watched a cartoon and recounted the story. We coded the motion expressions used in their retellings. The results showed that the older bilingual children showed clear signs of attrition, particularly simplification, but also some signs of cross-linguistic influence from English. These results suggest that attrition in a heritage language can quickly follow the onset of schooling in the majority language.

Development of object clitics in child L2 French

2012 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 140-162 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonas Granfeldt
Keyword(s):  
Second Language Acquisition ◽  
Language Acquisition ◽  
First Language ◽  
Bilingual Children ◽  
L2 Acquisition ◽  
Developmental Sequences ◽  
Object Clitics ◽  
L2 Learners ◽  
L2 Development ◽  
Specific Proposal

It has been argued that the study of child L2 development can inform different maturational accounts of language acquisition. One such specific proposal was put forward by Meisel (2008), arguing for a cut-off point for monolingual or bilingual first language acquisition — (2)L1 — type of development at 3–4 years. The paper analyses the longitudinal development of object clitics in child L2 French (L1 Swedish) and compares the developmental sequence in child L2 learners (n = 7) with different Ages of Onset of Acquisition (AoA) (from 3;0 to 6;5) to the adult L2 sequence that was found in previous studies (Granfeldt & Schlyter 2004). The study also includes age-matched simultaneous bilingual children (n = 3) and monolingual controls (n = 5). The results show that some of the child L2 learners with an AoA over 4 years display structures that are typical of adult L2 acquisition, whereas these structures were not found in the simultaneous bilingual children or in the child second language acquisition (cL2) children with an AoA under 4 years. It is suggested that differences in developmental sequences are due to a combination of AoA and the level of L1 linguistic development at the onset of L2 acquisition.

scholarly journals “Which mouse kissed the frog?” Effects of age of onset, length of exposure, and knowledge of case marking on the comprehension of wh-questions in German-speaking simultaneous and early sequential bilingual children

2016 ◽  
Vol 43 (3) ◽  
pp. 635-661 ◽  
Author(s):  
ANNE DOROTHEE ROESCH ◽  
VASILIKI CHONDROGIANNI
Keyword(s):  
Age Of Onset ◽  
Bilingual Children ◽  
Language Abilities ◽  
Error Patterns ◽  
Case Marking ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Wh Questions ◽  
German Speaking

AbstractStudies examining age of onset (AoO) effects in childhood bilingualism have provided mixed results as to whether early sequential bilingual children (eL2) differ from simultaneous bilingual children (2L1) and L2 children on the acquisition of morphosyntax. Differences between the three groups have been attributed to other factors such as length of exposure (LoE), language abilities, and the phenomenon to be acquired. The present study investigates whether four- to five-year-old German-speaking eL2 children differ from 2L1 children on the acquisition of wh-questions, and whether these differences can be explained by AoO, LoE, and/or knowledge of case marking. The 2L1 children outperformed the eL2 children in terms of accuracy; however, both bilingual groups exhibited similar error patterns. This suggests that 2L1 and eL2 bilingual children are sensitive to the same morphosyntactic cues, when comprehending wh-questions. Finally, children's performance on the different types of wh-questions was explained by a combination of knowledge of case marking, LoE, and AoO.

scholarly journals Factors of success and failure in the acquisition of grammatical gender in Dutch

2008 ◽  
Vol 24 (3) ◽  
pp. 267-295 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leonie Cornips ◽  
Aafke Hulk
Keyword(s):  
Second Language Acquisition ◽  
Success Factors ◽  
Age Of Onset ◽  
Structural Similarity ◽  
Grammatical Gender ◽  
Bilingual Children ◽  
Two Factors ◽  
Gender System

The goal of this article is to examine the factors that are proposed in the literature to explain the success—failure in the child L2 (second language) acquisition of grammatical gender in Dutch definite determiners. Focusing on four different groups of bilingual children, we discuss four external success factors put forward in the literature: (1) early age of onset, (2) lengthy and intensive input, (3) the quality of the input and (4) the role of the other language. We argue that the first two factors may indeed contribute to explaining the differences in success between the less and more successful bilingual children. However, the influence of the quality of the input in (standard) Dutch appears to be inconclusive, whereas the (structural) similarity of the gender systems in the two languages may reinforce the children's awareness of the grammatical gender category. Moreover, it appears that individual bilingualism vs. societal bilingualism, that is the sociolinguistic context in which Dutch is acquired, is not a factor for failure or success with respect to the acquisition of grammatical gender. In the final part of this article, we hypothesize that the important role of the input is related to a language internal factor, which distinguishes the Dutch gender system of the definite determiner from that of other languages, resulting in different acquisition paths.

Raadsels van tweedetaalverwerving

2012 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 150-159
Author(s):  
Jan H. Hulstijn
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Second Language Acquisition ◽  
Language Acquisition ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Scientific Inquiry ◽  
Multidisciplinary Approach ◽  
First Language ◽  
Fast Acquisition ◽  
Developmental Sequences

This paper predicts that the study of second language acquisition, as a young discipline of scientific inquiry in its own right, faces a bright future, but only if its scholarly community critically re-examines some notions and assumptions that have too long been taken for granted. First, it is time to reconsider familiar dichotomies, such as second versus foreign language and natural versus instructed language learning. Furthermore, it is worth checking whether and to what extent the puzzling phenomena to be explained by language acquisition theories do really exist (such as uniformity and success and fast acquisition rates in first language acquisition and universal developmental sequences in second language acquisition). The paper furthermore pleas for a multidisciplinary approach to the explanation of the fundamental puzzles of first and second language acquisition and bilingualism, including bridging the divide between psycholinguistic and socio-cultural theories.

Lexical preference in second dialect acquisition in a second language

2021 ◽  
pp. 136700692110369
Author(s):  
Ksenia Gnevsheva ◽  
Anita Szakay ◽  
Sandra Jansen
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
First Language ◽  
Social Constraints ◽  
Second Languages ◽  
Positive Attitudes ◽  
Second Language Speakers ◽  
Dialect Acquisition ◽  
Second Dialect Acquisition ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Australian English

Aims and objectives/purpose/research questions: How does second dialect acquisition in a second language compare to that in a first language in terms of rates and predictors of second dialect vocabulary use? Design/methodology/approach: A lexical preference task was completed by four groups of participants residing in Australia: first language speakers of Australian (L1D1) and American (L1D2) English, and first language speakers of Russian who acquired Australian (L2D1) and American (L2D2) English first. The participants named objects which are denoted by different words in American and Australian English (e.g. bell pepper vs capsicum). Data and analysis: The response was coded as either American or Australian, and percentage of use of Australian items was calculated for each group. Findings/conclusions: L1D1 used Australian words the most and L1D2 the least. L2D1 and L2D2 fell between the two L1 groups. L1D2 rate of use was predicted by proportion of life spent in Australia. L2D1 were more likely to choose Australian words if they had lived in Australia longer and had positive attitudes toward Australia. L2D2 were less likely to use Australian words the longer they had lived in the USA. Similar, but not identical, factors predict second dialect acquisition in the first and second languages. Originality: The research is innovative in considering second dialect acquisition in second language speakers and creates a bridge between second language and second dialect acquisition research. Significance/implications: The finding that second language speakers may be more flexible in second dialect acquisition than first language speakers has important implications for our understanding of cognitive and social constraints on acquisition.

Variations dans l’acquisition du marqueur ergatif en basque par des enfants bilingues basque-français

2014 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 227-251 ◽  
Author(s):  
Isabelle Duguine ◽  
Barbara Köpke ◽  
Jean-Luc Nespoulous
Keyword(s):  
Longitudinal Study ◽  
Language Acquisition ◽  
Age Of Acquisition ◽  
Bilingual Children ◽  
Research Protocol ◽  
Developmental Sequences ◽  
Task Differences

This paper presents the findings of a longitudinal study of seven Basque-French bilingual children and three monolingual Basque-speaking children concerning the acquisition of the morphological marking of the ergative case in Basque. Following the hypotheses put forth to account for the development of early bilingualism, the aim of the study was to establish whether bilingual children follow the same developmental sequences as monolingual children during the acquisition of the ergative case. The research protocol we have developed involves relatively unguided as well as constrained data focusing on the production of the ergative case in these two contexts. The data show significant inter-individual and inter-task differences in the production of the ergative case that contribute to some variation in language acquisition. The findings lead us to question classifications of early bilinguals based on age of acquisition alone.

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