Feature reconfiguration at the syntax-discourse interface
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Liz Smeets
Abstract
This study examines L1 transfer in the L2 acquisition of feature mappings associated with Italian Clitic Left Dislocation (CLLD) by native speakers of English and Romanian. In Italian, insertion of a clitic after dislocating a direct object is restricted to [+anaphor] objects (López, 2009) and in Romanian to [+specific] objects. Extending the Feature Reassembly Hypothesis (Lardiere, 2009) to the syntax-discourse interface, successful acquisition is arguably more difficult for the L1 Romanian group than the L1 English group due to the need for feature reassembly. The findings show convergence with the target language only for the L1 English group in the near-native levels of L2 proficiency. The results suggest that reconfiguration is prone to fossilization when reassembly is required.
Abstract
This study examines L1 transfer in the L2 acquisition of feature mappings associated with Italian Clitic Left Dislocation (CLLD) by native speakers of English and Romanian. In Italian, insertion of a clitic after dislocating a direct object is restricted to [+anaphor] objects (López, 2009) and in Romanian to [+specific] objects. Extending the Feature Reassembly Hypothesis (Lardiere, 2009) to the syntax-discourse interface, successful acquisition is arguably more difficult for the L1 Romanian group than the L1 English group due to the need for feature reassembly. The findings show convergence with the target language only for the L1 English group in the near-native levels of L2 proficiency. The results suggest that reconfiguration is prone to fossilization when reassembly is required.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Acknowledgments vii
- Introduction 1
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L2 acquisition of syntax
- Intervention effects in L1 and L2 English raising 11
- Explaining the difficulty with L2 acquisition of scope interpretation by speakers of a scope-rigid language 41
- Definiteness and argument position in the interpretation of bare nouns 67
- L1-Mandarin L2-English learners’ acquisition of English double-quantifier scope 93
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L2 acquisition at interfaces
- Feature dependency and the poverty of the stimulus in the acquisition of L2 German plural allomorphy 117
- Development of L2 prosody 137
- Transfer of prosodic representation 157
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Impact of previously learned languages
- The role of L1 Norwegian and L2 English in the acquisition of verb placement in L3 German 191
- Feature reconfiguration at the syntax-discourse interface 213
-
Exploring extra-linguistic factors and their impact on L2 acquisition
- Interference-based and capacity-based approaches to working memory in second language sentence processing 243
- Heritage language speakers inform the critical period hypothesis for first and second language acquisition 265
- A different type of RC attachment resolution 287
- Subject Index 315
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Acknowledgments vii
- Introduction 1
-
L2 acquisition of syntax
- Intervention effects in L1 and L2 English raising 11
- Explaining the difficulty with L2 acquisition of scope interpretation by speakers of a scope-rigid language 41
- Definiteness and argument position in the interpretation of bare nouns 67
- L1-Mandarin L2-English learners’ acquisition of English double-quantifier scope 93
-
L2 acquisition at interfaces
- Feature dependency and the poverty of the stimulus in the acquisition of L2 German plural allomorphy 117
- Development of L2 prosody 137
- Transfer of prosodic representation 157
-
Impact of previously learned languages
- The role of L1 Norwegian and L2 English in the acquisition of verb placement in L3 German 191
- Feature reconfiguration at the syntax-discourse interface 213
-
Exploring extra-linguistic factors and their impact on L2 acquisition
- Interference-based and capacity-based approaches to working memory in second language sentence processing 243
- Heritage language speakers inform the critical period hypothesis for first and second language acquisition 265
- A different type of RC attachment resolution 287
- Subject Index 315
