The Acquisition of Word Order

Within a new model of language acquisition, this book discusses verb second (V2) word order in situations where there is variation in the input. While traditional generative accounts consider V2 to be a parameter, this study shows that, in many languages, this word order is dependent on fine distinctions in syntax and information structure. Thus, within a split-CP model of clause structure, a number of micro-cues are formulated, taking into account the specific context for V2 vs. non-V2 (clause type, subcategory of the elements involved, etc.). The micro-cues are produced in children’s I-language grammars on exposure to the relevant input. Focusing on a dialect of Norwegian, the book shows that children generally produce target-consistent V2 and non-V2 from early on, indicating that they are sensitive to the micro-cues. This includes contexts where word order is dependent on information structure. The children’s occasional non-target-consistent behavior is accounted for by economy principles.

Bernadette Plunkett, in Journal of Linguistics 47: 746-753, 2011:
I very much enjoyed reading the book and would strongly recommend it to acquisitionists and syntacticians alike. Overall, I found the model of micro-cues that Westergaard develops very appealing, and I hope that she will provide us with some of the answers of my remaining questions in her future work, which I look forward to reading.