LINGUIST List 22.2368 Mon Jun 06 2011 Diss: Lang Acq: Romano: 'Adult Second Language Development of INFL ...' Editor for this issue: Mfon Udoinyang <mfonlinguistlist.org> To post to LINGUIST, use our convenient web form at http://linguistlist.org/LL/posttolinguist.cfm. Directory         1.     Francesco Romano , Adult Second Language Development of INFL Related Properties: Contributions from UG, the L1 and input Message 1: Adult Second Language Development of INFL Related Properties: Contributions from UG, the L1 and input Date: 04-Jun-2011 From: Francesco Romano <f.romanolancaster.ac.uk> Subject: Adult Second Language Development of INFL Related Properties: Contributions from UG, the L1 and input E-mail this message to a friend Institution: University of Essex Program: MPhil/PhD in Linguistics Dissertation Status: Completed Degree Date: 2011 Author: Francesco Romano Dissertation Title: Adult Second Language Development of INFL Related Properties: Contributions from UG, the L1 and input Linguistic Field(s): Language Acquisition Subject Language(s): Italian (ita) Dissertation Director: Roger Hawkins Dissertation Abstract: This thesis tests a number of claims in the literature on second language acquisition about the source and development of grammatical knowledge in learners of second languages (L2s). One claim is that innate linguistic knowledge (Universal Grammar (UG)) interacts with the input to explain L2 development, and that a speaker's first language (L1) has little influence (Vainikka & Young-Scholten, 2007). Another claim (Pienemann, 2007) differs fundamentally from the first in respect of the architecture of innate linguistic knowledge (Lexical Functional Grammar). A third claim is that the starting point for L2 acquisition is the entire L1 grammar, and development results from restructuring that grammar on the basis of input, under UG constraints (Schwartz & Sprouse, 2008). A final claim is that development is largely determined by properties of input, with no role for innate knowledge (Goldschneider & DeKeyser, 2001). A bidirectional study of the acquisition of properties associated with the Infl(ection) category in L2 English (by L1 speakers of French and Spanish) and L2 Italian (by L1 speakers of English and Spanish) was conducted using a battery of tests that were methodologically equivalent for both L2s. The acquisition of inflectional morphology, of overt/null subjects in finite clauses and of copula and main-verb raising/non-raising were examined. Results show L1 influence on the acquisition of preverbal finite subjects in the L2 Italian initial and L2 English intermediate state. Although participants also show pervasive optionality in the use of inflectional morphology, as found in previous studies, there was no evidence that this was task-related (pace claims that optionality is an interface mapping problem (Prévost & White, 2000)). None of the four claims was able to successfully predict all the empirical findings but generally speaking most of the results were compatible with Vainikka and Young-Scholten (2007) and a view that UG is implicated in L2 acquisition (contra Goldschneider & DeKeyser, 2001). A dissociation between the acquisition of null subjects and main verb-raising in L2 Italian was found and argued to be consistent with recent proposals of the abstract representation of null subjects by Biberauer and Roberts (2010). Cognate auxiliaries were acquired in different orders in English and Italian, and input factors alone were not sufficient to explain the patterns found. The study concludes that the L2 development of Infl is driven by gradual modification of the feature composition of L2 lexical items, constrained by the L1 and UG. Read more issues|LINGUIST home page|Top of issue Page Updated: 06-Jun-2011       About LINGUIST    |   Contact Us       While the LINGUIST List makes every effort to ensure the linguistic relevance of sites listed on its pages, it cannot vouch for their contents.