Zibun and locality in L2 Japanese

2012 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Noriko Yoshimura ◽  
Mineharu Nakayama ◽  
Tomohiko Shirahata ◽  
Koichi Sawasaki ◽  
Yasushi Terao
Keyword(s):  
Language Learners ◽  
Second Language Learners ◽  
Universal Grammar ◽  
Judgment Task ◽  
Human Cognition ◽  
L2 Acquisition ◽  
Long Distance ◽  
Value Judgment ◽  
Interface Theory ◽  
Parameter Resetting

AbstractSecond language learners encounter difficulty in interpreting the anaphoric relationship between a reflexive pronoun and its antecedent because they often fail to reset their parameter appropriately. However, the recent interface theory has called this parameter conversion approach into question, in particular, whether L2 learners do indeed reset their language parameter during the course of L2 acquisition. This paper explores this issue by conducting an experiment with a truth-value judgment task on the interpretations of zibun among English and Chinese speaking adult learners of Japanese. The results support our hypothesis that the short-distance interpretation of zibun can be acquired early if “locality” is the core notion of human cognition, as assumed in Universal Grammar, whereas long distance interpretation takes time to acquire because of the syntax-pragmatics interface. We emphasize that the parameter resetting approach cannot provide a plausible account for this “short vs. long” asymmetry in the acquisition of zibun binding.

Effects of Instruction on Second Language Acquisition of the Japanese Long-Distance Reflexive Zibun

1996 ◽  
Vol 41 (3) ◽  
pp. 235-254 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lydia White ◽  
Makiko Hirakawa ◽  
Takako Kawasaki
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Second Language Acquisition ◽  
Language Acquisition ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Second Language Learners ◽  
Universal Grammar ◽  
Judgment Task ◽  
Teaching Intervention ◽  
Long Distance ◽  
Value Judgment

AbstractThis article reports on a small study investigating whether teaching second language learners the long-distance (LD) properties of the Japanese reflexive zibun ‘self leads to acquisition of its subject-oriented status. The study involved low intermediate level learners of Japanese who were instructed on zibun over a four-week period. The focus of the instruction was that the reflexive zibun can take long-distance antecedents. At the same time, subjects were never taught that the antecedent must be a subject. Subjects were tested using a truth-value judgment task. Results show that the learners initially rejected LD binding; they showed a significant increase in acceptance of LD antecedents after the teaching intervention. Analyses of individual learners show that about half of them successfully acquired the relevant properties of zibun. With one exception, learners did not generalize from their instruction to assume that “anything goes” as far as antecedents for zibun are concerned. Rather, they acquired grammars of reflexive binding that fall within the range permitted by Universal Grammar.

The role of the L1 grammar in the L2 acquisition of segmental structure

1998 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 136-193 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cynthia A. Brown
Keyword(s):  
Language Learners ◽  
Second Language Learners ◽  
Universal Grammar ◽  
First Language ◽  
Experimental Studies ◽  
Phonological Acquisition ◽  
L2 Acquisition ◽  
Phonological Knowledge ◽  
Japanese Speakers ◽  
Phonological Interference

Acquisition of segmental structure in first language acquisition is accomplished through the interaction of Universal Grammar and the learner's detection of phonemic contrasts in the input (Rice and Avery, 1995; Brown and Matthews, 1993,1997). This article investigates the acquisition of the English /l–r/,/b–v/ and /f–v/ contrasts by second language learners whose L1s do not contrast these segments. Based on L1 phonological acquisition and infant speech perception research,a model of phonological interference is developed which explains how the influence of the L1 phonology originates and identifies the level of phonological knowledge that impinges upon L2 acquisition. It is proposed that if a learner's L1 grammar lacks the phonological feature that differentiates a particular non-native contrast, he or she will be unable to perceive the contrast and therefore unable to acquire the novel segmental representations. In order to evaluate this hypothesis, two experimental studies were conducted. Experiment 1 investigates the acquisition of /l/ and /r/ by Chinese and Japanese speakers; the acquisition of the /l–r/, /b–v/ and /f–v/ contrasts by Japanese speakers is compared in experiment 2. The results from an AX discrimination task and a picture selection task indicate that successful acquisition of a non-native contrast is constrained by the learner's L1 grammar. Differences between Chinese and Japanese speakers (experiment 1) and differences in the acquisition of several different contrasts among Japanese speakers (experiment 2) are argued to reflect subtle phonological properties of the learners' respective L1s. These findings demonstrate that a speaker's L1 grammar may actually impede the operation of UG, preventing the L2 learner from acquiring a non-native phonemic contrast.

Parsing Effects in Second Language Sentence Processing

1995 ◽  
Vol 17 (4) ◽  
pp. 483-516 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alan Juffs ◽  
Michael Harrington
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Sentence Processing ◽  
Second Language Learners ◽  
Word Reading ◽  
Universal Grammar ◽  
Original Research ◽  
Long Distance ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Subject Extraction

This paper reexamines claims that second language learners are more accurate at judging long-distance object extraction than subject extraction and that the difference in accuracy is due to processing factors rather than differences in underlying competence. Although previous studies have reported robust effects for the subject/object asymmetry, the global nature of the response measures leaves open the question of whether the subject gap is in fact the locus of difficulty for second language learners. Using many of the same stimuli sentences from original research in combination with a theory of principle-based parsing, this study employs the moving window display technique to collect on-line measures of processing long-distancewh-extraction. Twenty-five advanced Chinese-speaking ESL learners provided grammaticality judgments in two presentation conditions: full-sentence, where judgment reaction times are measured from sentence onset to the learner's judgment; and word-by-word reading, where word-by-word latencies are collected in addition to judgments. The accuracy and reaction time results from the full-sentence condition replicated previous findings. The word-by-word results confirm that it is the subject gap that is the source of difficulty for the learners. Claims in the literature that principles of Universal Grammar are not available to adult learners are not supported by these results, which show that parsing, and not grammatical competence, is the source of difficulty on performance with subject extraction sentences.

scholarly journals Specific and generic subjects in the Italian of German–Italian simultaneous bilinguals and L2 learners

2012 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 736-756 ◽  
Author(s):  
TANJA KUPISCH
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Second Language Learners ◽  
Age Of Onset ◽  
Native Language ◽  
Judgment Task ◽  
Value Judgment ◽  
L2 Learners ◽  
Truth Value ◽  
Acceptability Judgment

This study investigates definite articles in specific and generic subject nominals in Italian spoken by adult simultaneous bilinguals (2L1ers) and second language learners (L2ers). The study focuses on plural and mass DPs, in which German and Italian differ. The aims are to (i) compare acquisition outcomes between the weaker and the stronger language in 2L1 acquisition, (ii) see in a comparison with L2ers whether the phenomenon under investigation, which is typically acquired late (after age 6;0), lacks age of onset effects, and (iii) discuss predictions for the directionality of cross-linguistic influence. Twenty German–Italian 2L1ers and 15 advanced L2ers of Italian with German as their native language were tested in an acceptability judgment task and a truth value judgment task. The results show clear differences between Italian as the weaker and as the stronger language in 2L1 acquisition, and similarities between Italian as L2 and as the weaker language in 2L1 acquisition.

The acquisition of parameterized grammars

1985 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lydia White
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Hypothesis Testing ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Second Language Learners ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Universal Grammar ◽  
Negative Evidence ◽  
L2 Acquisition ◽  
L1 And L2 ◽  
Identical Fashion

In this paper, I look at some problems that arise if second language learners are assumed to acquire the L2 on the basis of unconstrained hypothesis testing, since this crucially involves the assumption of the availability of negative evidence and does not seem to be sufficiently 'fine-tuned' for the learner to acquire certain aspects of the L2 grammar. Instead, it is proposed that L2 acquisition, like L1, may involve the prior knowledge of a number of highly contrained principles of Universal Grammar which restrict the number of options available to the learner. In some cases, these principles may be subject to parametric variation, so that they do not work in identical fashion in L1 and L2, allowing for the possibility of transfer of the L1 parameter setting. Taking subjacency as a case in point, a pilot study is reported in which native speakers of French and Spanish learning English as a second language were tested for their judgements on the bounding status of S in the L2 grammar. In English S is a bounding node, whereas in French and Spanish it is not. It was found that subjects were less accurate in their judgements on the bounding status of S in English than native-speaking controls, with a number of subjects consistently transferring the L1 parameter. In most cases, subjects showed improvement with increasing level of ESL proficiency. The majority of subjects adopted a consistent position with respect to the question of the bounding status of S, suggesting that they were not indulging in unconstrained hypothesis testing.

Morphosyntactic Knowledge in Late Second Language Learners and Heritage Speakers of Russian

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 124-150
Author(s):  
Kira Gor
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Second Language Learners ◽  
Developmental Trajectories ◽  
Judgment Task ◽  
Russian Language ◽  
Heritage Speakers ◽  
Language Curriculum ◽  
Grammaticality Judgment ◽  
Early Learners

The current study pursues two goals. First, it establishes developmental trajectories in the acquisition of 10 morphosyntactic features of Russian by American learners, using a grammaticality judgment task (GJT), an offline test of morphosyntactic knowledge that allows for direct comparison of native and nonnative performance through a highly controlled set of materials. Second, it compares the performance of late second language learners and heritage speakers (early learners) of Russian matched in global proficiency as established by the ACTFL Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI), and ranging from Intermediate to Superior proficiency. The study demonstrates that heritage speakers outperform late second language learners on most, but not all the morphosyntactic features tested in the GJT. These findings shed new light on the development of nonnative grammatical knowledge in early and late learners of Russian, and will inform Russian language curriculum development.

Topic-drop versus pro-drop: null subjects and pronominal subjects in the Spanish L2 of Chinese, English, French, German and Japanese speakers

1999 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-40 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juana M. Liceras ◽  
Lourdes Díaz
Keyword(s):  
Second Language Learners ◽  
Universal Grammar ◽  
Null Subjects ◽  
L2 Acquisition ◽  
Subject Pronouns ◽  
Clear Cut ◽  
Subordinate Clauses ◽  
Recent Developments ◽  
Null Subject Parameter ◽  
Early English

Recent developments within the so-called Principles and Parameters model of acquisition argue for a clear-cut separation of Universal Grammar (UG) principles from parametric options and locate all parameters within functional categories (Borer, 1984; Lebeaux, 1988; Chomsky, 1991). This has led Tsimpli and Roussou (1991) to propose that adult L2 (second language) learners have access to UG principles but do not reset the parameters of the L2, which amounts to saying that null subjects in the adult Spanish L2 may or may not have the same status as native Spanish null subjects, depending on the speakers’ L1 (first language) and the UG principles at stake. In the case of L1 acquisition, Rizzi (1994) and Hyams (1994) provide a competence account of null subjects in early child English which relate them to adult English Diary Drop and German-style topic-drop rather than to Spanish-style pro-drop. They specifically argue that these missing subjects are restricted to the first position of non- wh root clauses and that fixing the null subject parameter will consist of incorporating the ROOT=CP principle into this grammar. In this paper, we analyse the Spanish L2 oral spontaneous data produced by adult L1 speakers of pro-drop and topic-drop languages in an attempt to provide a competence account of null subjects in adult nonnative Spanish. Our data show that, unlike early English grammars, all the Spanish non-native grammars contain null subjects both in matrix and subordinate clauses, and that this is the case at the early and advanced stages. It also shows that many non-native pronominal subjects do not have the same value as native Spanish subjects and that subject pronouns are used for identification purposes. It is suggested that these data provide evidence for a model of L2 acquisition where adult non-native grammar construction resorts to a default licensing procedure which allows null pronouns provided they can be identified.

scholarly journals The L2-acquisition of the German particle doch

2016 ◽  
Vol 54 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lotte Hogeweg ◽  
Helen de Hoop ◽  
Stefanie Ramachers ◽  
Frans van der Slik ◽  
Verena Wottrich
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Second Language Learners ◽  
Native Language ◽  
L2 Acquisition ◽  
Discourse Particles

AbstractDiscourse particles are notoriously difficult to acquire for second language learners. It has been argued that this difficulty is caused by a lack of equivalent concepts in the learner’s native language. In this article we compare the acquisition of the German particle

scholarly journals The acquisition of the determiner phrase in bilingual and second language French

2000 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 263-280 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonas Granfeldt
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Second Language Learners ◽  
Phrase Structure ◽  
Determiner Phrase ◽  
Functional Categories ◽  
L2 Acquisition ◽  
Structure Building ◽  
Complementary Distribution ◽  
L1 Acquisition

This study deals with the acquisition of Functional Categories in the French Determiner Phrase. The development of determiners and prenominal adjectives in three bilingual Swedish–French children is compared with that of four Swedish second language learners of French. It is argued that acquisition is crucially different in these two cases. The bilingual children initially have restrictions on phrase structure, resulting at one stage in a complementary distribution of determiners and adjectives. These results support a structure building view of L1 acquisition. For L2 acquisition of the same structure, there is no evidence for an initially reduced phrase structure. This finding is explained in terms of a transfer effect. A preliminary comparison with the acquisition of finiteness suggests that, whereas there is some correlation over time in the L1B subjects, no such correlation is found in the L2 learners.

Verb movement in French L2 acquisition

1999 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 103-125 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dalila Ayoun
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Judgment Task ◽  
Production Task ◽  
L2 Acquisition ◽  
Verb Movement ◽  
Grammaticality Judgment ◽  
L2 Learners ◽  
Theoretical Predictions ◽  
Parameter Resetting

This study investigates the acquisition of verb movement phenomena in the interlanguage of English native speakers learning French as a second language. Participants (n=83), who were enrolled in three different classes, were given a grammaticality judgment task and a production task. The French native speakers' results (n=85) go against certain theoretical predictions for negation and adverb placement in nonfinite contexts, as well as for quantification at a distance. The production task results, but not the grammaticality judgment results, support the hypothesis that the effects of parameter resetting successfully appear in the interlanguage of adult L2 learners.

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