Non-native acquisition and language design
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Calixto Aguero-Bautista
Abstract
Biolinguistics sees language as a cognitive organ and L1-acquisition as a process of language growth. A natural assumption within this approach is that of Lenneberg (1967), who assumes that language growth is subject to certain time restrictions. Some scholars hold Lenneberg’s assumption to be correct; pointing out that L2-acquisition differs from L1-acquisition in not being uniform, automatic or convergent as the latter is; a difference that could follow from loss to access to the mental mechanisms responsible for L1-acquisition due to aging. Many researchers, however, refute Lenneberg’s assumption, pointing out that foreign languages are natural languages and must therefore be constrained by UG; the very mechanism responsible for L1 acquisition. I argue that this debate has taken place without a working model of the design of language. I show that, without such a model, the questions of the debate are misleading. I further show that once a minimalist model is considered, a time restriction on language growth is consistent with the fact that foreign languages are UG constrained. Finally, I argue that time restrictions only constrain those areas of language that involve parameter-setting (e.g. lexical learning), and never those determined by language design.
Abstract
Biolinguistics sees language as a cognitive organ and L1-acquisition as a process of language growth. A natural assumption within this approach is that of Lenneberg (1967), who assumes that language growth is subject to certain time restrictions. Some scholars hold Lenneberg’s assumption to be correct; pointing out that L2-acquisition differs from L1-acquisition in not being uniform, automatic or convergent as the latter is; a difference that could follow from loss to access to the mental mechanisms responsible for L1-acquisition due to aging. Many researchers, however, refute Lenneberg’s assumption, pointing out that foreign languages are natural languages and must therefore be constrained by UG; the very mechanism responsible for L1 acquisition. I argue that this debate has taken place without a working model of the design of language. I show that, without such a model, the questions of the debate are misleading. I further show that once a minimalist model is considered, a time restriction on language growth is consistent with the fact that foreign languages are UG constrained. Finally, I argue that time restrictions only constrain those areas of language that involve parameter-setting (e.g. lexical learning), and never those determined by language design.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Interfaces in a biolinguistic perspective 1
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Part I. Syntax, semantics
- Single cycle syntax and a constraint on quantifier lowering 13
- A constraint on remnant movement 31
- Language and conceptual reanalysis 57
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Part II. Features and interfaces
- Decomposing force 89
- Function without content 117
- The association of sound with meaning 141
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Part III. Phonology, syntax
- Towards a bottom-up approach to phonological typology 169
- The emergence of phonological forms 193
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Part IV. Language development
- Non-native acquisition and language design 217
- Interface ingredients of dialect design 239
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Part V. Experimental studies
- What sign languages show 265
- Indeterminacy and coercion effects 277
- Computation with doubling constituents 303
- Concealed reference-set computation 339
- Index 363
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Interfaces in a biolinguistic perspective 1
-
Part I. Syntax, semantics
- Single cycle syntax and a constraint on quantifier lowering 13
- A constraint on remnant movement 31
- Language and conceptual reanalysis 57
-
Part II. Features and interfaces
- Decomposing force 89
- Function without content 117
- The association of sound with meaning 141
-
Part III. Phonology, syntax
- Towards a bottom-up approach to phonological typology 169
- The emergence of phonological forms 193
-
Part IV. Language development
- Non-native acquisition and language design 217
- Interface ingredients of dialect design 239
-
Part V. Experimental studies
- What sign languages show 265
- Indeterminacy and coercion effects 277
- Computation with doubling constituents 303
- Concealed reference-set computation 339
- Index 363
