Comparing levels of processability across languages

In this article we utilize a developmental perspective as a metric for the comparison of bilingual language ability. In particular, we utilize Processabilty Theory (Pienemann, 1998a, 2005) which provides a psycholinguistic metric for developmental schedules of any given language. We demonstrate this approach to the cross-linguistic measurement of language development on the basis of Itani-Adams’ (2007) study of bilingual (Japanese—English) first language acquisition.

[1]  Gerard Kempen,et al.  An Incremental Procedural Grammar for Sentence Formulation , 1987, Cogn. Sci..

[2]  Satomi Kawaguchi,et al.  Extending processability theory , 2005 .

[3]  H. Hopp Syntactic features and reanalysis in near-native processing , 2006 .

[4]  Fethi Mansouri,et al.  Agreement morphology in Arabic as a second language: typological features and their processing implications , 2005 .

[5]  Annick de Houwer,et al.  The Acquisition of Two Languages from Birth: A Case Study: Metalinguistic behaviour , 1990 .

[6]  Jürgen M. Meisel Chapter 1. Grammatical development in the simultaneous acquisition of two first languages , 1990 .

[7]  Seán Devitt,et al.  Language Processing and Second Language Development: Processability Theory , 2000 .

[8]  U. Nettelbladt,et al.  Measuring language development in bilingual children: Swedish- Arabic children with and without language impairment , 2003 .

[9]  Michael Lipka Word Formation , 2001, The Cambridge Grammar of Classical Greek.

[10]  Yanyin Zhang 5. Processing and formal instruction in the L2 acquisition of five Chinese grammatical morphemes , 2005 .

[11]  W. Levelt,et al.  Speaking: From Intention to Articulation , 1990 .

[12]  M. Garrett Levels of processing in sentence production , 1980 .

[13]  Satomi Kawaguchi Argument structure and syntactic development in Japanese as a second language , 2005 .

[14]  Annick de Houwer,et al.  The Acquisition of Two Languages from Birth: A Case Study: List of tables , 1990 .

[15]  Manfred Pienemann,et al.  Developmental dynamics in L1 and L2 acquisition: Processability Theory and generative entrenchment , 1998, Bilingualism: Language and Cognition.

[16]  Y. Itani-Adams One Child, Two Languages: Bilingual First Language Acquisition in , 2007 .

[17]  Peter Sells,et al.  Korean and Japanese morphology from a lexical perspective , 1995 .

[18]  Alison Mackey,et al.  An empirical study of children's ESL development , 1993 .

[19]  J. Hinds Japanese conversational structures , 1982 .

[20]  J. Bresnan Lexical-Functional Syntax , 2000 .

[21]  Manfred Pienemann,et al.  Psychological Constraints on the Teachability of Languages , 1984, Studies in Second Language Acquisition.

[22]  Malcolm Johnston,et al.  Development and variation in learner language , 1997 .

[23]  M. Shibatani,et al.  The languages of Japan , 1991 .

[24]  F. Mansouri,et al.  The Pedagogic Effectiveness of Developmental Readiness in ESL Grammar Instruction. , 2005 .

[25]  Susanne Döpke,et al.  One parent, one language , 1992 .

[26]  Manfred Pienemann,et al.  Constructing an Acquisition-Based Procedure for Second Language Assessment , 1988, Studies in Second Language Acquisition.

[27]  柴谷 方良,et al.  The languages of Japan , 2009 .

[28]  Satomi Kawaguchi,et al.  Exploring the typological plausibility of Processability Theory: language development in Italian second language and Japanese second language , 2002 .

[29]  Paul Fletcher,et al.  The Grammatical Analysis of Language Disability: A Procedure for Assessment and Remediation , 1977 .

[30]  Gisela Håkansson,et al.  A unified approach towards the development of Swedish as L2: a processability account , 1999 .

[31]  Manfred Pienemann,et al.  Cross-linguistic aspects of processability theory , 2005 .