The influence of phonological factors on the expression of finiteness by children learning Dutch as their first and second language
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Elma Blom
Abstract
Previous research has indicated that children learning a first language (L1) and children learning a second language (L2) make errors with finiteness marking, even when they master the syntactic and morphological properties of finiteness marking in the target language. This study investigates whether such residual errors with finiteness marking are caused by phonological properties of the verb form. Three groups participated in the study: a Turkish L1 – Dutch L2 group (mean age = 7), an age-matched Dutch L1 group, and a younger Dutch L1 group (mean age = 5) that matched the L2 group on Dutch proficiency. All children took part in an elicited production task and a non-word repetition task. The results confirm the role of phonological properties of verb forms, in particular composition of the coda cluster. Accuracy was high across all groups, but the L2 children and age-matched L1 children performed slightly better than the younger L1 children. This observation suggests that L2 children can make use of L1 experience in the domain of verb inflection.
Abstract
Previous research has indicated that children learning a first language (L1) and children learning a second language (L2) make errors with finiteness marking, even when they master the syntactic and morphological properties of finiteness marking in the target language. This study investigates whether such residual errors with finiteness marking are caused by phonological properties of the verb form. Three groups participated in the study: a Turkish L1 – Dutch L2 group (mean age = 7), an age-matched Dutch L1 group, and a younger Dutch L1 group (mean age = 5) that matched the L2 group on Dutch proficiency. All children took part in an elicited production task and a non-word repetition task. The results confirm the role of phonological properties of verb forms, in particular composition of the coda cluster. Accuracy was high across all groups, but the L2 children and age-matched L1 children performed slightly better than the younger L1 children. This observation suggests that L2 children can make use of L1 experience in the domain of verb inflection.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Introduction 1
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Part I: Finiteness: underlying relations
- Finiteness and Pseudofiniteness 47
- The Split T Analysis 79
- Universals and variation 93
- Finiteness, inflection, and the syntax your morphology can afford 121
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Part II: Morphosyntactic exponents of (non-)finiteness
- Agreement is not an essential ingredient of finiteness 171
- Non-finiteness in Saamáka 189
- Finiteness and response particles in West Flemish 211
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Part III: Finiteness in language acquisition
- Word order and finiteness in acquisition 257
- The influence of phonological factors on the expression of finiteness by children learning Dutch as their first and second language 287
- Contradictory parameter settings in one mind 309
- Index 343
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Introduction 1
-
Part I: Finiteness: underlying relations
- Finiteness and Pseudofiniteness 47
- The Split T Analysis 79
- Universals and variation 93
- Finiteness, inflection, and the syntax your morphology can afford 121
-
Part II: Morphosyntactic exponents of (non-)finiteness
- Agreement is not an essential ingredient of finiteness 171
- Non-finiteness in Saamáka 189
- Finiteness and response particles in West Flemish 211
-
Part III: Finiteness in language acquisition
- Word order and finiteness in acquisition 257
- The influence of phonological factors on the expression of finiteness by children learning Dutch as their first and second language 287
- Contradictory parameter settings in one mind 309
- Index 343
