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SUMMARY:Residual optionality in L1 syntax: effects of delayed onset of acq
 uisition - Juergen M. Meisel\, University of Hamburg / University of Calga
 ry
DTSTART:20101130T160000Z
DTEND:20101130T173000Z
UID:TALK27062@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Chris Cummins
DESCRIPTION:Recent research comparing simultaneous and successive acquisit
 ion of bilingualism suggests that successive acquisition of languages is a
 ffected by age-related changes\nmuch earlier than had previously been assu
 med. As of age (of onset of acquisition) 4\,\napproximately\, one can obse
 rve differences in the grammatical knowledge acquired\nby child second lan
 guage (cL2) learners\, as compared to monolingual or bilingual L1\ndevelop
 ment.\n\nSocial and situational varieties of languages frequently differ i
 n core features of syn­\ntax. Since young children are exposed to colloqu
 ial varieties\, they do not encounter all\nproperties of more formal varie
 ties of their L1 during early years. If the acquisition of\na given proper
 ty is delayed until age 5 or later\, it is conceivable that this represent
 s an\ninstance of L2 acquisition embedded in L1 devel­opment.\n\nThis is 
 claimed to be the case in French where certain interrogative constructions
  (e.g.\nclitic inversion) are virtually non-existent in colloqui­al speec
 h. Children tend not\nto be exposed to some inversion patterns during the 
 first five years. They therefore\nacquire these constructions in much the 
 same way as L2 learners\, i.e. their knowledge\nof these aspects of syntax
  is characterized by residual optionality. This explains why\nmature monol
 ingual speakers of French behave\, in some respects\, like advanced L2\nle
 arners in using or judging certain constructions of their 'mother tongue'.
LOCATION:GR-06/07\, English Faculty Building
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