Language Acquisition and Language Structure Flashcards
LALS UU
What does it mean for decision-making to be context-dependant?
The value of an option depends not only on the option in question, but also on the other options in the choice set, the context.
What are the two types of intransitive verbs?
- Unergative
- Unaccusative
Intransitive verb
A verb that requires only one argument.
What is the difference between unergatives and unaccusatives?
The theta-role they assign to the only argument they take.
Unaccusative verb
An intransitive verb that only takes an argument with theta-role ‘theme’.
Unergative verb
An intransitive verb that only takes an argument with theta-role ‘agent’.
What is the difference between broad and narrow focus?
Narrow focus extends only over only a single consituent (ex: NP), broad focus over multiple constituents.
What are the two main accounts for difficulty in acquiring VS-inversion in Spanish?
- Unaccusative trap hypothesis (UTH)
- Interface hypothesis (IH)
UTH (abbreviation)
unaccusative trap hypothesis
IH (abbreviation)
Interface hypothesis
Unaccusative trap hypothesis (UTH)
One of the two main accounts for difficulty in acquiring VS-inversion in Spanish. Says difficulty is caused by representational deficit.
Interface hypothesis (IH)
One of the two main accounts for difficulty in acquiring VS-inversion in Spanish. Says SV-order is an interface phenomenon: both pragmatic & syntactic constraints. Interface phenomena are acquired later than other phenomena.
Residual optionality
When L2 learners can access both a form/structure in L1 and the corresponding form/structure in L2.
CLLD (abbreviation)
Clitic left dislocations
Clitic left dislocations (CLLD)
When a phrase is left dislocated and a clitic precedes the verb.
EPP (abbreviation)
Extended projection principle
Extended projection principle (EPP)
Every finite clause must have a subject and the specifier of certain functional phrases must be filled.
Final attainment
The ultimate level of proficiency that a learner achieves in a particular language.
By what age do children know their L1?
By 4-5 years.
Is acquisition uniform across all languages?
Yes.
What is the difference between the stages, order and final state of L1 acquisition in children?
There is no difference, it is uniform across languages.
Logical problem of language acquisition
Argument of poverty of stimulus
Poverty of stimulus (POS) argument
There is a mismatch between the input children are exposed to and their final attainment. An argument for innate knowledge.
Is there innate knowledge in 2L1?
Yes, the language faculty is programmed to learn one or more languages.
Is there innate knowledge in L2?
Yes, innate knowledge is somehow available but also interacts with L1 transfer and amount of input.
What components overlap with L1 acquisition in the slides graph?
UG and L1 input.
What components overlap with L2 acquisition in the slides graph?
UG, L1 input, L1 and L2 input.
How does L1 transfer develop during L2 acquisition?
L1 transfer is strong in the beginning of the acquisition process but may decrease over time.
What are the crucial factors in L2 acquisition?
L1 transfer and UG access.
What is the case if UG access is available in the L2 acquisition process?
Parameters remain unchanged (the L1) or parameters may be set according to L2 values, or parameters may be reset (L1 ->Ln).
Full-transfer hypothesis
Says that learners transfer all aspects of L1 to L2, so UG parameters remain unchanged.
Full-access hypothesis
Says that learnes have access to the full linguistic system when learning L2, so the UG parameters are all available (L1 -> Ln).
What is the language separation issue concerned with?
The grammatical knowledge of children, NOT the use children make of the two languages.
What two competing views are presented in the issue of language separation?
- Fusion hypothesis
- Differentiation hypothesis
Fusion hypothesis
Says that children create a new, integrated system that combines the two separate systems in 2L1 acquisition.
Differentiation hypothesis
Says that children differentiate two systems as soon as they have access to grammatical knowledge in 2L1 acquisition.
Describe the 3 steps in Volterra & Taeschner’s model of bilingual language development (fusion hypothesis)
- 1 lexical system containing elements from both languages.
- 2 distinct lexical systems, but same syntactic rules.
- 2 distinct grammatical systems.
Head-complement parameter
The UG parameter concerned with whether a language is a head-initial or head-final pattern in its phrase structure.
What hypothesis about the language separation issue is supported by the DUFDE project?
The differentiation hypothesis, because DE-FR bilingual kids only use correct word order from 1:10 y/o and their language development pattern is that of monolinguals.
Is there a critical period for L1?
Yes, around puberty.