LINGUIST List 17.3005
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Fri Oct 13 2006
Diss: Lang Acquisition: Bong: 'Economical Parameter-Setting in Seco...'
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1. Hyun
Bong,
Economical Parameter-Setting in Second Language Acquisition: Japanese-speaking learners of English
Message 1: Economical Parameter-Setting in Second Language Acquisition: Japanese-speaking learners of English
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Date: 03-Oct-2006
From: Hyun Bong <mikibongyahoo.co.jp>
Subject: Economical Parameter-Setting in Second Language Acquisition: Japanese-speaking learners of English
Institution: University of Cambridge
Program: Research Centre for English and Applied Linguistics
Dissertation Status: Completed
Degree Date: 2005
Author: Hyun Kyung Bong
Dissertation Title: Economical Parameter-Setting in Second Language Acquisition: Japanese-speaking learners of English
Linguistic Field(s):
Language Acquisition
Dissertation Director:
Henriette Hendriks
Ayumi Matsuo
Teresa Parodi
Ian G. Roberts
Dissertation Abstract:
Economical Parameter-Setting in Second Language Acquisition:
Japanese-Speaking Learners of English
This dissertation develops a 'weak deterministic' model of language
acquisition that can accommodate first language (L1) acquisition, language
change, and second language (L2) acquisition: namely the Economical
Parameter-Setting model. This model is achieved by adopting the notion of
economy employed in the theory of Universal Grammar (UG) developed in the
Minimalist Program (MP, Chomsky 1993, 1995, 2000a, b, 2001), and by
modifying a pre-minimalist model of language learnability and language
change developed by Clark and Roberts (1993), which has not previously been
applied in empirical L1 and L2 acquisition studies.
The main claims are that the processes of L1 acquisition and L2 acquisition
are governed by the same economy principles and that the differences lie
neither in different governing properties of the acquisition processes nor
in different degrees of UG availability, but in factors that cause the
divergence of parameter-settings from the input setting. The proposed
causal factors are twofold: (i) particular variabilities of the input
caused by L2 learning environments and (ii) the L1 lexicon. These factors
contribute to an increased obscurity and ambiguity of the parameter
settings embodied in the input.
Examination of L1 and L2 literature suggests that the proposed model has
advantages over the variants of the deterministic model. Thorough
investigation of L2 acquisition studies, pointing out shortcomings of the
existing analyses, suggests that none of the previous theories is free from
problems or can capture all the L2 acquisition data. Re-examination of the
previous studies (analyses and data) suggests that the proposed model can
provide a plausible account of the data that remain unexplained.
The claims of the proposed model are supported by the experimental study of
the L2 acquisition of (i) the English wh-question formations, (ii)
constraints on wh-extractions, (iii) properties of complementiser
exponents, (iv) tense realisation and (v) aspectual auxiliaries by
Japanese-speaking learners sampled from a particular L2 learning
environment. The results of the experimental tests provide empirical
evidence for economical parameter-setting in L2 acquisition, and for the
influence of lexicon-contact and of biased input. L2 learners misanalyse
the input and this misanalysis leads to a 'grammaticalisation-like' or
'parameter-change-like' development (i.e. misdevelopment) of some of the
grammatical properties, resulting in a grammar that is non-convergent with
the native-speakers' but that is still guided by the principles of economy.
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