Home Linguistics & Semiotics Misrepresentation of Dutch neuter gender in older bilingual children?
Chapter
Licensed
Unlicensed Requires Authentication

Misrepresentation of Dutch neuter gender in older bilingual children?

  • Susanne Brouwer , Leonie Cornips and Aafke Hulk
View more publications by John Benjamins Publishing Company
Search
Current Trends in Child Second Language Acquisition
This chapter is in the book Current Trends in Child Second Language Acquisition

Abstract

Previous research revealed that monolingual children between 11- and 13-yearold show a target-like production with respect to gender assignment of definite determiners whereas this is not the case for bilingual children who massively overgeneralize de. In order to further investigate this overgeneralization, we designed an experimental decision task, “tapping the knowledge” of both monolingual and bilingual children. Our results show that bilinguals fail to represent abstract gender and that de and het are in free variation. The difference between the production and comprehension data could suggest that bilinguals have some awareness of de and het being gender markers. In that case, the overgeneralization in the production data is possibly not a grammatical phenomenon, but more likely a speech production strategy.

Abstract

Previous research revealed that monolingual children between 11- and 13-yearold show a target-like production with respect to gender assignment of definite determiners whereas this is not the case for bilingual children who massively overgeneralize de. In order to further investigate this overgeneralization, we designed an experimental decision task, “tapping the knowledge” of both monolingual and bilingual children. Our results show that bilinguals fail to represent abstract gender and that de and het are in free variation. The difference between the production and comprehension data could suggest that bilinguals have some awareness of de and het being gender markers. In that case, the overgeneralization in the production data is possibly not a grammatical phenomenon, but more likely a speech production strategy.

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Part I. Introduction
  4. Recent perspectives in child second language acquisition 3
  5. Progressive aspect in child L2 English 17
  6. Child second language acquisition or successive first language acquisition? 55
  7. Part II. The acquisition of D-elements
  8. Misrepresentation of Dutch neuter gender in older bilingual children? 83
  9. Comparing child and adult L2 acquisition of the Greek DP: Effects of age and construction 97
  10. Part III. Morphological variability
  11. The development of copula and auxiliary be and overgeneration of be in child L2 English 145
  12. Truncation in child L2 acquisition: Evidence from verbless utterances 177
  13. The status of subjects in early child L2 English 209
  14. The morphology/syntax interface in child L2 acquisition: Evidence from verbal morphology 237
  15. Part IV. Comparisons of child L1, child L2 and adult L2
  16. Testing the Domain-by-Age Model: Inflection and placement of Dutch verbs 271
  17. Comparing child L2 development with adult L2 development: How to measure L2 proficiency 301
  18. Part V. Typical vs. atypical child L2 acquisition
  19. Tense as a clinical marker in English L2 acquisition with language delay/impairment 337
  20. Index 357
https://doi.org/10.1075/lald.46.06bro

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Part I. Introduction
  4. Recent perspectives in child second language acquisition 3
  5. Progressive aspect in child L2 English 17
  6. Child second language acquisition or successive first language acquisition? 55
  7. Part II. The acquisition of D-elements
  8. Misrepresentation of Dutch neuter gender in older bilingual children? 83
  9. Comparing child and adult L2 acquisition of the Greek DP: Effects of age and construction 97
  10. Part III. Morphological variability
  11. The development of copula and auxiliary be and overgeneration of be in child L2 English 145
  12. Truncation in child L2 acquisition: Evidence from verbless utterances 177
  13. The status of subjects in early child L2 English 209
  14. The morphology/syntax interface in child L2 acquisition: Evidence from verbal morphology 237
  15. Part IV. Comparisons of child L1, child L2 and adult L2
  16. Testing the Domain-by-Age Model: Inflection and placement of Dutch verbs 271
  17. Comparing child L2 development with adult L2 development: How to measure L2 proficiency 301
  18. Part V. Typical vs. atypical child L2 acquisition
  19. Tense as a clinical marker in English L2 acquisition with language delay/impairment 337
  20. Index 357
Sign up now to receive a 20% welcome discount
Institutional Access
How does access work?
Have an idea on how to improve our website?
Please write us.
© 2025 De Gruyter Brill
Downloaded on 3.10.2025 from https://www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi/10.1075/lald.46.06bro/html?srsltid=AfmBOoq32TfM7bdF_RomTx8L7jfHRUnqmBe3u2QTtw8srv69JvyVMM_6
Scroll to top button