Chapter 2. Zero-present under past in child French
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Oana Lungu
Abstract
This chapter discusses novel data from two experimental studies testing the acquisition of futurity and providing evidence in favor of Demirdache and Lungu’s (2009, 2011) zero-tense hypothesis, according to which child grammars display both zero-present and zero-past tenses, alongside indexical present/past tenses. Extending Kratzer (1998), Demirdache and Lungu argue that simultaneous construals of past/present in adult languages arise via a zero-tense analysis of the embedded tense. The claim is that while some adult languages (English, French) allow zero-tense construals of past and others (Japanese) allow zero-tense construals of present, child French in particular and, by hypothesis, child language in general, allows zero-tense construals of both past and present. We argue that once we admit the existence of a zero-present tense in child French, we expect children to allow non-adult, non-indexical construals of other tenses that have a present component. On the basis of two experiments testing the interpretation of futurity in L1 French, we show that this prediction is borne out.
Abstract
This chapter discusses novel data from two experimental studies testing the acquisition of futurity and providing evidence in favor of Demirdache and Lungu’s (2009, 2011) zero-tense hypothesis, according to which child grammars display both zero-present and zero-past tenses, alongside indexical present/past tenses. Extending Kratzer (1998), Demirdache and Lungu argue that simultaneous construals of past/present in adult languages arise via a zero-tense analysis of the embedded tense. The claim is that while some adult languages (English, French) allow zero-tense construals of past and others (Japanese) allow zero-tense construals of present, child French in particular and, by hypothesis, child language in general, allows zero-tense construals of both past and present. We argue that once we admit the existence of a zero-present tense in child French, we expect children to allow non-adult, non-indexical construals of other tenses that have a present component. On the basis of two experiments testing the interpretation of futurity in L1 French, we show that this prediction is borne out.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Preface vii
- Acknowledgments xi
- About the contributors and editor xiii
- Chapter 1. The development of third person singular present form -s 1
- Chapter 2. Zero-present under past in child French 21
- Chapter 3. The L2 acquisition of the English present simple – present progressive distinction 57
- Chapter 4. There is no time like the present 87
- Chapter 5. Examining the influence of transfer and prototypes on the acquisition of the present progressive in L2 Spanish 113
- Chapter 6. Formation and function of the simple present in conversational L2 Russian 153
- Chapter 7. L2 acquisition of English aspect by L1 Arabic speakers 185
- Chapter 8. The L2 acquisition of the present in the Japanese tense-aspect system 215
- Chapter 9. Present tense as a neutral form in the L2 French of Chinese L1 speakers 253
- Chapter 10. The simple present and the expression of temporality in L1 English and L2 English oral narratives 289
- Chapter 11. Conclusions and directions for future research 335
- Subject Index 341
- Name Index 345
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Preface vii
- Acknowledgments xi
- About the contributors and editor xiii
- Chapter 1. The development of third person singular present form -s 1
- Chapter 2. Zero-present under past in child French 21
- Chapter 3. The L2 acquisition of the English present simple – present progressive distinction 57
- Chapter 4. There is no time like the present 87
- Chapter 5. Examining the influence of transfer and prototypes on the acquisition of the present progressive in L2 Spanish 113
- Chapter 6. Formation and function of the simple present in conversational L2 Russian 153
- Chapter 7. L2 acquisition of English aspect by L1 Arabic speakers 185
- Chapter 8. The L2 acquisition of the present in the Japanese tense-aspect system 215
- Chapter 9. Present tense as a neutral form in the L2 French of Chinese L1 speakers 253
- Chapter 10. The simple present and the expression of temporality in L1 English and L2 English oral narratives 289
- Chapter 11. Conclusions and directions for future research 335
- Subject Index 341
- Name Index 345
