Investigating the L2 initial state: Additional evidence from the production and comprehension of Afrikaans-speaking learners of German

This study evaluates the predictions of three theories of the L2 initial state: Full Transfer, Minimal Trees and Structural Minimality. It presents experimental evidence from a production and a comprehension/interpretation task. The tasks were conducted with Afrikaansand with English-speaking learners of German. These data are novel in that (a) they present an experimental paradigm for accessing the receptive abilities of L2 learners at the initial state, and (b) they include evidence from learners of an L2 (German) that is typologically very close to their L1 (Afrikaans). The results are argued to provide unique support for the Full Transfer hypothesis.

[1]  Cecilia Yuet Hung Chan,et al.  The partial availability of Universal Grammar in second language acquisition: the ‘failed functional features hypothesis’ , 1997 .

[2]  Noam Chomsky,et al.  The Minimalist Program , 1992 .

[3]  Anne Vainikka,et al.  The early stages in adult L2 syntax: additional evidence from Romance speakers , 1996 .

[4]  Aafke Hulk,et al.  Parameter setting and the acquisition of word order in L2 French , 1991 .

[5]  Anne Vainikka,et al.  Gradual development of L2 phrase structure , 1996 .

[6]  Andrew Radford,et al.  SMALL CHILDREN'S SMALL CLAUSES , 1988 .

[7]  Rex A. Sprouse,et al.  L2 cognitive states and the Full Transfer/Full Access model , 1996 .

[8]  J. Bobaljik,et al.  Subject positions and the roles of TP , 1996 .

[9]  Robert Bley-Vroman,et al.  The logical problem of foreign language learning , 1989 .

[10]  Y. Grodzinsky.  Trace Deletion, Θ-Roles, and Cognitive Strategies , 1995, Brain and Language.

[11]  Donna Lardiere,et al.  Dissociating syntax from morphology in a divergent L2 end-state grammar , 1998 .

[12]  Donna Lardiere.  Case and Tense in the ‘fossilized’ steady state , 1998 .

[13]  Kevin R. Gregg.  SECOND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION AND UNIVERSAL GRAMMAR , 2004, Studies in Second Language Acquisition.

[14]  Gita Martohardjono,et al.  Second language acquisition: Theoretical and experimental issues in contemporary research , 1996, Behavioral and Brain Sciences.

[15]  R. Bhatt,et al.  Structural Minimality, CP and the initial state in second language acquisition , 2002 .

[16]  Anne Vainikka,et al.  Direct Access to X’-Theory: Evidence from Korean and Turkish adults learning German , 1994 .

[17]  Lynn Eubank,et al.  What is the 'L2 initial state'? , 1996 .

[18]  Brian MacWhinney,et al.  Processing of Morphological and Semantic Cues in Russian and German. , 1999 .

[19]  Rex A. Sprouse,et al.  Word Order and Nominative Case in Non-Native Language Acquisition: A longitudinal study of (L1 Turkish) German Interlanguage , 1994 .

[20]  Theres Grüter.  Another Take on the L2 Initial State: Evidence From Comprehension in L2 German , 2006 .

[21]  Christer Platzack.  The Initial Hypothesis of Syntax , 1996 .

[22]  Eithne Guilfoyle,et al.  Functional Categories and Language Acquisition , 1992, Canadian Journal of Linguistics/Revue canadienne de linguistique.