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Chapter 4. The Acquisition of the Ergative Case in Hindi as a Foreign Language

  • Kristof Baten and Saartje Verbeke
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Theoretical and Methodological Developments in Processability Theory
This chapter is in the book Theoretical and Methodological Developments in Processability Theory

Abstract

Using the framework of Processability Theory (PT), this chapter examines the development of the Hindi case system in the interlanguage of Dutch-speaking foreign language learners. A number of studies have already adopted the PT framework to describe, predict and explain the development of case marking systems in different languages (e.g., German, Russian and Serbian). These studies demonstrated that PT was a suitable framework for predicting and explaining case development. Because German, Russian and Serbian are accusative languages, the question arises whether PT as a conceptual framework is also applicable to the foreign language acquisition of a language with ergative features such as Hindi. The present chapter therefore addresses case development in L2 Hindi, thereby testing the claim that PT possesses universal applicability. Spontaneous oral production data were collected from 11 foreign language learners of Hindi. In accordance with PT, the study results indicate that three stages of development occur; in particular, learners begin with no feature unification, transition through direct mapping, and eventually attain feature unification.

Abstract

Using the framework of Processability Theory (PT), this chapter examines the development of the Hindi case system in the interlanguage of Dutch-speaking foreign language learners. A number of studies have already adopted the PT framework to describe, predict and explain the development of case marking systems in different languages (e.g., German, Russian and Serbian). These studies demonstrated that PT was a suitable framework for predicting and explaining case development. Because German, Russian and Serbian are accusative languages, the question arises whether PT as a conceptual framework is also applicable to the foreign language acquisition of a language with ergative features such as Hindi. The present chapter therefore addresses case development in L2 Hindi, thereby testing the claim that PT possesses universal applicability. Spontaneous oral production data were collected from 11 foreign language learners of Hindi. In accordance with PT, the study results indicate that three stages of development occur; in particular, learners begin with no feature unification, transition through direct mapping, and eventually attain feature unification.

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Acknowledgments vii
  4. Chapter 1. Processability theory 1
  5. Interface between Morpho-Syntax and Discourse/Pragmatics/Semantics
  6. Chapter 2. Processing Alignments 21
  7. Chapter 3. The emergence of sentence Topic in a Topicprominent language 45
  8. Chapter 4. The Acquisition of the Ergative Case in Hindi as a Foreign Language 71
  9. Chapter 5. Response Paper 105
  10. Constraints on Processing and Receptive Processing
  11. Chapter 6. Constraints on Processing 115
  12. Chapter 7. Studying Receptive Grammar Acquisition within a PT Framework 139
  13. Chapter 8. Response Paper 169
  14. Developments in Instructed Second Language Learning
  15. Chapter 9. PT meets CA 177
  16. Chapter 10. Instructing Stages of Processability Theory in L2 Spanish 205
  17. Chapter 11. Implications of the Developmental Stages of Language Acquisition for Classroom Teaching 239
  18. Chapter 12. Response Paper 263
  19. Index 271
https://doi.org/10.1075/palart.4.04bat

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Acknowledgments vii
  4. Chapter 1. Processability theory 1
  5. Interface between Morpho-Syntax and Discourse/Pragmatics/Semantics
  6. Chapter 2. Processing Alignments 21
  7. Chapter 3. The emergence of sentence Topic in a Topicprominent language 45
  8. Chapter 4. The Acquisition of the Ergative Case in Hindi as a Foreign Language 71
  9. Chapter 5. Response Paper 105
  10. Constraints on Processing and Receptive Processing
  11. Chapter 6. Constraints on Processing 115
  12. Chapter 7. Studying Receptive Grammar Acquisition within a PT Framework 139
  13. Chapter 8. Response Paper 169
  14. Developments in Instructed Second Language Learning
  15. Chapter 9. PT meets CA 177
  16. Chapter 10. Instructing Stages of Processability Theory in L2 Spanish 205
  17. Chapter 11. Implications of the Developmental Stages of Language Acquisition for Classroom Teaching 239
  18. Chapter 12. Response Paper 263
  19. Index 271
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