Meaning in Second Language Spanish

In this chapter, five types of meaning are defined: lexical, grammatical, semantic, discourse-related and pragmatic. The L2 acquisition in Spanish of properties divided along the lines of the linguistic interfaces are surveyed: the interface of syntax and semantics, syntax and the lexicon, syntax and discourse, syntax and pragmatics. The acquisition of meaning in Spanish has enjoyed much attention and has been studied from a variety of theoretical perspectives. It is argued in this chapter that not all facets of meaning acquisition have been explored to the same depth. The main conclusion is that meaning mismatches constitute a formidable challenge for language acquisition, but successful acquisition is possible and frequently attested at the higher levels of proficiency.

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