Where are the minimal trees? Evidence from early Zulu L2 subordination

The Minimal Trees Hypothesis (Vainikka and Young-Scholten 1994; 1996a; 1996b) proposes that second language (L2) initial state grammars lack functional categories because functional categories are not subject to transfer effects. The aim of this article is to argue that, to some extent, functional categories instantiated in the learner's first language (L1) transfer to the initial state of L2 syntactic development. On the basis of Zulu interlanguage (IL) data on the acquisition of the obligatory declarative complementizer ukuthi(‘that’) by English native speakers, it is argued that Comp contains a null complementizer system which has sufficient syntactic content to generate subordination in the learners' initial Zulu IL grammar. Regarding transfer of functional categories, it is suggested that null Comp evident at the Zulu L2 initial state is transferred from English, the subjects' L1

Complementizer · Grammar · Interlanguage · Linguistics · Rule-based machine translation · Second-language acquisition · Subordination (linguistics · Syntax · Zulu · Computer Science · Language Development and Disorders · Multilingual Education and Policy · Philosophy · Psychology · Syntax, Semantics, Linguistic Variation

• Performance consistency in second language acquisition and language testing research

  Open Access•Dan Douglas•Second language Research•2001

  Añadir item

• The acquisition of pronominal case-marking by Japanese learners of English

  Open Access•Koji Suda, Shigenori Wakabayashi•Second language Research•2007

  Añadir item

• Magnitude Scaling

  Milton Lodge•Magnitude Scaling•1981

  Añadir item

• Syntactic Theory and the Structure of English

  Open Access•Andrew Radford•Syntactic Theory and the…•1997

  Añadir item

• Word Order and Nominative Case in Non-Native Language Acquisition

  Bonnie D Schwartz, Rex A Sprouse•Language Acquisition Studies in…•1994

  Añadir item

• Direct Access to X’-Theory

  Anne Vainikka, Martha Young-Scholten•Language Acquisition Studies in…•1994

  Añadir item

• Second language acquisition

  Open Access•Samuel David Epstein, Suzanne Flynn et al.•Behavioral and Brain Sciences•1996

  Añadir item

• Finiteness and head movement in early child grammars

  Open Access•Ken Wexler•Verb Movement•1994

  Añadir item

• Clauses without complementizers

  Cathal Doherty•The Linguistic Review•1997

  Añadir item

• Complementizer selection

  Heizō Nakajima•The Linguistic Review•1996

  Añadir item

• Reflexes of grammar in patterns of language change

  Open Access•Anthony S Kroch, Anthony Kroch•Language Variation and Change•1989

  Añadir item

• The Article Systems of Cape Verde and São Tomé Creole Portuguese

  Dante Lucchesi•Journal of Pidgin and Creole…•1993

  Añadir item

• Gradual development of L2 phrase structure

  Open Access•Anne Vainikka, Martha Young-Scholten•Second language Research•1996

  Añadir item

• Case and Tense in the ‘fossilized’ steady state

  Open Access•Donna Lardiere•Second language Research•1998

  Añadir item

• The Generative Study of Second Language Acquisition

  John M Lipski, Suzanne Flynn et al.•Language•1999

  Añadir item

• Feature-marking in the L2 development of deverbal compounds

  Open Access•Donna Lardiere, Bonnie D Schwartz•Journal of Linguistics•1997

  Añadir item

• L2 cognitive states and the Full Transfer/Full Access model

  Open Access•Bonnie D Schwartz, Rex A Sprouse•Second language Research•1996

  Añadir item

• The early stages in adult L2 syntax

  Open Access•Anne Vainikka, Martha Young-Scholten•Second language Research•1996

  Añadir item

• Determiner phrase in a language without determiners (with apologies to Jim Huang 1982)

  Open Access•Ljiljana Progovac•Journal of Linguistics•1998

  Añadir item

• Very early parameter setting and the unique checking constraint

  Open Access•Ken Wexler•Lingua•1998

  Añadir item

• The Comparative Fallacy in Interlanguage Studies

  Open Access•Robert Bley‐vroman•Language Learning•1983

  Añadir item

• Magnitude Estimation of Linguistic Acceptability

  Ellen Gurman Bard, D H Robertson et al.•Language•1996

  Añadir item