Selective deficits at the syntax-discourse interface: evidence from the CEDEL2 corpus
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Cristóbal Lozano
Abstract
Previous research shows that English-speaking learners of Spanish show (i) early sensitivity to the syntactic mechanisms licensing overt and null pronominal subjects, yet (i) persistent and long-lasting deficits when pronominal distribution is constrained by topic/focus at the syntax-discourse interface. It has been assumed that such vulnerability affects the whole set of phi-features of the pronominal paradigm, but I will use near-native corpus evidence to show that the observed deficits are selective, i.e., they do not affect the whole set of phi-features in the pronominal paradigm but rather a subset: due to their representational nature (which is constrained by Universal Grammar), only third person singular animate pronouns are targets for vulnerability, while the rest of the paradigm remains rather stable.
Abstract
Previous research shows that English-speaking learners of Spanish show (i) early sensitivity to the syntactic mechanisms licensing overt and null pronominal subjects, yet (i) persistent and long-lasting deficits when pronominal distribution is constrained by topic/focus at the syntax-discourse interface. It has been assumed that such vulnerability affects the whole set of phi-features of the pronominal paradigm, but I will use near-native corpus evidence to show that the observed deficits are selective, i.e., they do not affect the whole set of phi-features in the pronominal paradigm but rather a subset: due to their representational nature (which is constrained by Universal Grammar), only third person singular animate pronouns are targets for vulnerability, while the rest of the paradigm remains rather stable.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Dedication vii
- Preface ix
- Acknowledgements xiii
- Introduction xv
- Prosodic transfer and the representation of determiners in Turkish-English interlanguage 1
- Exploring Mandarin Chinese speakers' L2 article use 27
- Successful features: Verb raising and adverbs in L2 acquisition under an Organic Grammar approach 53
- Non-permanent representational deficit and apparent target-likeness in second language: Evidence from wh-words used as universal quantifiers in English and Japanese speakers' L2 Chinese 69
- Acquisition of the local binding characteristics of English reflexives and the obligatory status of English objects by Chinese-speaking learners 105
- Selective deficits at the syntax-discourse interface: evidence from the CEDEL2 corpus 127
- Clitic doubling and clitic left dislocation in Spanish and Greek L2 grammars 167
- Aspect and the Interpretation of Motion Verbs in L2 Greek 187
- Associating meaning to form in advanced L2 speakers: An investigation into the acquisition of the English present simple and present progressive 229
- Name index 247
- Subject index 249
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Dedication vii
- Preface ix
- Acknowledgements xiii
- Introduction xv
- Prosodic transfer and the representation of determiners in Turkish-English interlanguage 1
- Exploring Mandarin Chinese speakers' L2 article use 27
- Successful features: Verb raising and adverbs in L2 acquisition under an Organic Grammar approach 53
- Non-permanent representational deficit and apparent target-likeness in second language: Evidence from wh-words used as universal quantifiers in English and Japanese speakers' L2 Chinese 69
- Acquisition of the local binding characteristics of English reflexives and the obligatory status of English objects by Chinese-speaking learners 105
- Selective deficits at the syntax-discourse interface: evidence from the CEDEL2 corpus 127
- Clitic doubling and clitic left dislocation in Spanish and Greek L2 grammars 167
- Aspect and the Interpretation of Motion Verbs in L2 Greek 187
- Associating meaning to form in advanced L2 speakers: An investigation into the acquisition of the English present simple and present progressive 229
- Name index 247
- Subject index 249
