Activating vs. resetting functional categories in SLA : the acquisition of AGR and TNS in English by Sinhalese first language speakers
This study is concerned with the acquisition of Functional categories (FCs) in a second language: a FC that is not activated in the learners native language and a FC that is activated in the L1 but with parametrically variant properties. It focuses on the development and the knowledge representation at ultimate attainment of the two types of FC's in the ILG of native speakers of Sinhalese learning English as a second language. The FC's focused on are AGR(eement) and TNS (Tense). AGR is not instantiated in Sinhala, hence, it has to be 'activated' in the L2. TNS, is activated in both languages but with parametrically variant values. It was predicted that learners carryover FCs common to the L1 and L2 together with their L1 properties. Hence, in the acquisition of English, these learners have to 'reset' the values to TNS. A series of tests was carried out to determine the knowledge representation of AGR and TNS, in the developing grammars and at near-native level. Acceptability judgements were elicited from a cross-sectional sample of learners ranging from lower-intermediate to near-native and a control group of native speakers. It was predicted that L2 learners have access to the 'Universal Grammar (UG) lexicon'
Ratwatte, Hemamala
Activating vs. resetting functional categories in SLA : the acquisition of AGR and TNS in English by Sinhalese first language speakers. This study is concerned with the acquisition of Functional categories (FCs) in a second language: a FC that is not activated in the learners native language and a FC that is activated in the L1 but with parametrically variant properties. It focuses on the development and the knowledge representation at ultimate attainment of the two types of FC's in the ILG of native speakers of Sinhalese learning English as a second language. The FC's focused on are AGR(eement) and TNS (Tense). AGR is not instantiated in Sinhala, hence, it has to be 'activated' in the L2. TNS, is activated in both languages but with parametrically variant values. It was predicted that learners carryover FCs common to the L1 and L2 together with their L1 properties. Hence, in the acquisition of English, these learners have to 'reset' the values to TNS. A series of tests was carried out to determine the knowledge representation of AGR and TNS, in the developing grammars and at near-native level. Acceptability judgements were elicited from a cross-sectional sample of learners ranging from lower-intermediate to near-native and a control group of native speakers. It was predicted that L2 learners have access to the 'Universal Grammar (UG) lexicon'
reset functional_category sla acquisition agr english first_language speaker study concerned acquisition functional_category second_language activate learner native_language activate variant property focus development knowledge representation ultimate attainment two_type native_speaker learn_english second_language focus agr tense agr instantiate hence activate language variant value predict learner common together property hence acquisition_english learners reset value series test carry_determine knowledge representation agr develop grammar near native level acceptability_judgement elicit cross_sectional sample learner range lower intermediate near native control_group native_speaker predict learner access universal_grammar lexicon