Speculations about the acquisition of wh-questions in Brazilian Portuguese

This paper analyzes the intonation of Spanish and Brazilian Portuguese (BP) produced by monolingual speakers of both languages and bilingual BP speakers that lived in Spain on average for 6 years. Bilinguals produced data in both Spanish L2 (BL2) and BP L1 (BL1). Speech materials are sentences in different modalities (declaratives, yes-no and wh-questions) and reading styles (isolated sentences and storytelling). Fundamental frequency (f0) contours were analyzed to assess learning in Spanish L2 and language attrition in the L1 production of bilinguals. Variability in the f0 contours of the four language conditions was gauged by means of three indices (peak rate, peak range and global standard deviation). Dynamic time warping (DTW) distances between pairs of f0 contours were also measured as a way to measure within- and between-language differences in intonation patterns. The main results are: 1) BL2 and BL1 contours are significantly more variable than the monolingual ones both quantitatively and qualitatively; 2) BL2 contours partially converge towards the patterns of Spanish monolinguals, showing that there is learning; 3) there is evidence for language attrition in the form of transfer of Spanish patterns to BP contours produced by bilinguals; 4) Learning and attrition levels are different depending on sentence modality, such that learning is greater in modalities that differ less between BP and Spanish and attrition is greater in modalities that differ the most.

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Chapter 5. Wh-questions in Brazilian Portuguese and Quebec French

Linguistik Aktuell/Linguistics Today - Brazilian Portuguese, Syntax and Semantics ◽

10.1075/la.260.05kat ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 136-150

Author(s):

Mary Aizawa Kato

Keyword(s):

Brazilian Portuguese ◽

Quebec French ◽

Wh Questions

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The development of language and its interaction with other aspects of cognition: the case of medial wh-questions in English and in Brazilian Portuguese

Ilha do Desterro A Journal of English Language Literatures in English and Cultural Studies ◽

10.5007/2175-8026.2020v73n3p169 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 73 (3) ◽

pp. 169-184

Author(s):

Elaine Grolla ◽

Adam Liter ◽

Jeffrey Lidz

Keyword(s):

Experimental Data ◽

Preschool Children ◽

Brazilian Portuguese ◽

Cognitive System ◽

High Activation ◽

Wh Questions ◽

Development Of Language ◽

Inhibition Control ◽

Children's Grammar ◽

Peculiar Behavior

Preschool children acquiring English and Brazilian Portuguese display a peculiar behavior when prompted to produce multi-clause wh-questions. In elicited production tasks, structures with an extra wh-element in medial position are sometimes produced. Such medial questions are impossible in the adult languages being acquired. Following a hypothesis put forth by Grolla & Lidz (2018), we propose that children’s productions are not generated by children’s grammar, but reflect difficulties of their developing cognitive system. More specifically, we propose that children’s more limited inhibition control capacity leads them to pronounce elements with high activation levels in wrong places of the structure. Experimental data on both languages are provided which corroborate this claim. These data show that children with more limited inhibition control capacity are more likely to produce medial wh-questions.

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The comprehension of passive sentences and wh-questions with action and non-action verbs by children acquiring Brazilian Portuguese

10.19146/pibic-2015-37111 ◽

2015 ◽

Author(s):

Ruth Elisabeth Vasconcellos Lopes ◽

Carla Pereira Minello

Keyword(s):

Brazilian Portuguese ◽

Wh Questions ◽

Action Verbs

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Responses of Language-Disordered Children to Wh-Questions

Language Speech and Hearing Services in Schools ◽

10.1044/0161-1461.1702.95 ◽

1986 ◽

Vol 17 (2) ◽

pp. 95-106 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Martha M. Parnell ◽

James D. Amerman ◽

Roger D. Harting

Keyword(s):

Relative Difficulty ◽

Normal Children ◽

Cognitive Linguistic ◽

Wh Questions

Nineteen language-disordered children aged 3—7 years responded to items representing nine wh-question forms. Questions referred to three types of referential sources based on immediacy and visual availability. Three and 4-year-olds produced significantly fewer functionally appropriate and functionally accurate answers than did the 5- and 6-year-olds. Generally, questions asked with reference to nonobservable persons, actions, or objects appeared the most difficult. Why, when, and what happened questions were the most difficult of the nine wh-forms. In comparison with previous data from normal children, the language-disordered subjects' responses were significantly less appropriate and accurate. The language-disordered children also appeared particularly vulnerable to the increased cognitive/linguistic demands of questioning directed toward nonimmediate referents. A hierarchy of wh-question forms by relative difficulty was very similar to that observed for normal children. Implications for wh-question assessment and intervention are discussed.

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