Second Language Acquisition of Morphosyntax - Case Study Example

SECOND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION OF MORPHO-SYNTAX SECOND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION 12th April, 2012 (1.1) Negative grammatical structures used by the Spanish L2 speaker From the speech data given from a spanish learner, use of negative structures develops systematically but slowly as the L2 speaker progresses in second language acquisition, despite the L1 grammar constraints. This is indicated by his gradual ability to use internal negative structure (negators such as no, don't, or not) at the start or end of a sentence, and an example from the data is "no like more thank you" (Towell et al, 1997). Also there is use of internal negation where by negators are placed between a verb and a subject, and examples from the data "is in my country no have many friends". Also from the data the spanish learner demonstrates abilities to attach negators to modal verbs or auxiliary verbs examples being, "I don't have a woman" and "I don't remember this name" respectively. The learner's speech when critically analysed shows that at any given time, it is a patterned product of a linguistic system, with grammatical elements, completely distinctive from both L1 (first language) and L2 (second language) due to internal restructuring. When Second language acquisition takes place, the level of success to be achieved is dependent on the degree of access and transfer of UG and thus its constraint effects on L2 grammatical elements (Rule and Marsden, 2006). This determines the sequence and rate at which L2 is acquired, as well as universal grammar development for the learners. (1.2) The Negative structure developmental stages of the data The learner as demonstrated from his speech data, acquires ability to use negative structures in his sentences, through four developmental stages of second language acquisition. He advances the levels of negators utilisation in sentences systematically but this is significantly influenced by the grammatical elements of his native spanish language (Mitchell and Myles, 2004). At the initial stages the learner gains ability for use of negative structures at the start or end of a sentence what is referred as external negation, despite spanish universal grammar constraints. This is shown for instance in phrases such as "no remember", "don't remember how say it", and "no understand that", when he starts a sentence with negators. This is followed by his ability to place a negative structure between a subject and the main verb, that is internal negation. For example in week eleven we see a sentence reading, "in my country no have too much friends", but the choice of negators is not well taken care of, as grammar constraints continue to display here (Yuan, 2004). Attachment of negative structures to modal verbs then is acquired by the spanish learner, as the data indicates in sentences such as "I no speak english very nice no" and "I no have application". The data indicates the learner acquiring ability to attach negators to auxiliary verbs, as indicated for example by a sentence like "I no remember this name" towards the end of learning period. This is a gradual and a systematic acquisition of negative structure use and development, and at the end of the learning period the spanish learner achieves use of negative structure abilities despite spanish language grammatical constraints (White, 1992). The role of the first language (L1) in the development of grammatical competence of the second language (L2) For this learner's first or native language (L1) is a very important tool of communication in the process of second language (L2) acquisition, and it involves gain of new syntactic structure and vocabulary via extensive incorporation of cultural elements (White, 1989). L1 universal grammar offers parameters or elements which may be no longer available on second language acquisition, and this sequence occurs in gradual stages of development depending on levels of access and transfer of these universal grammar elements and influence on L2 word order (Abrahamsson and Hyltenstann, 2008). The learners therefore develops L1 language universal grammar constraints, in levels depending on degree of accessibility of these grammatical elements. Second language acquisition is a gradual and systematic process which involves several interdependent developmental stages. This is determined by different levels of access of the grammatical elements of L1 of the learners, to L2 which may be either fully, partially or indirectly/no accessibility (Hawkins, 2001). Similar stages can be seen in children who try to successfully achieve first language acquisition, but the difference is that there is a different objectives carried by adult learners to achieve L2 in a success non-guaranteed process. This is due to the underlying forces of L1 universal grammar constraints, which hinders effective achievement of second language acquisition by the learner (Hersechenson, 2009). Therefore the role of first language in development of grammatical competency of second language is actually dependent on levels of access and transfer of grammatical elements between the two languages. UG constraints to second language acquisition can be wholesome where grammatical parameters are fully set, partial where part of the UG are set or no access where setting of UG does not occur (Hawkins, 2001). Depending on accessibility factor, L1 can play a role in the transfer of grammatical parameters. For instance a full transfer occurs when the L1 parameters of L2 learner are used as the baseline starting point. Due to this direct access and availability of UG parameters to second language acquisition, the structure of L2 grammar of learners tends to be similar to those of native speakers (L2). For example Japanese learners of english were able to successfully reset the head parameters very quickly (Flynn, 1986). Since initially L1 grammar and its parameter setting are transferred, there is an assumption that L1 and L2 of the learner are similar. There will be UG constrained grammar, dissimilar to both native grammar of L1 and L2 as UG re structures L2 grammar, and this concept was earlier referred as interlanguage (Mitchell and Myles, 2004). On the other part of L1 parameters can be accessed and transferred to L2 resulting to direct resetting of others so as to attain conformity of second language grammar. This leads to part of UG parameters being instantiated to L2 grammar and this may lead to partial resetting of L2 templates. For instance Cantonese English learners failed to acquire wh_ movement linked grammatical properties which do not exist in their native Cantonese language grammar was UG constrained (Hawkins, 2001). Indirect accessibility of universal grammar to learners, these parameters may be achieved from L1 resulting to L2 grammatical parameters available but already fixed to L1 settings. Total inaccessibility of UG to second language acquisition, renders learners to generate general mechanisms to solve grammatical problems encountered in their new language (Freeman, 1997). For example Though grammaticality judgement tests can be used to access these effects by setting sentences which targets L1 grammatically, answers given can be incorrect on basis of semantic contents, extremism and guesswork from the learner. The first or native language is a very important tool for L2 learners as it is a useful communication tool for L2 acquisation. Second language acquisition is not just a general gain of syntactic structure and vocabulary of a foreign language, but it reflects an extensive incorporation of cultural elements underlying the language (Bley-Vroman, 1990). Universal grammar in the learners native language offers parameters which may be no longer available for second language acquisition. The learners have an already constrained grammar due to the influence of L1 UG and it may be obtained from L1 either directly or indirectly. Consequently the L2 learners are subjected different levels of UG constraints of second language acquisition, and this includes lack of grammatical contribution of L1 to this acquisition when there is no access or transfer of universal grammar elements. Therefore depending on the level of grammatical elements access and transfer, L1 plays a very important role in shaping the grammatical competence of L2 (Ellis, 1994). Thus we can summarise that, whenever there is complete inaccessibility of universal grammar elements of second language, there will be a subsequent development of a variety of "Wild" grammars by the learners. Partial access may result to an intermediate grammatical structure between L1 and L2 development, which may as well be referred asan inter language in other literatures (Hersechenson, 2009). This enables learners to develop universal grammar parameters not experienced in L1 through partial parameter setting. But for the case of full access and transfer of UG elements, the subsequent second language conformity will be restricted to universal grammar of L1 and the speaker's grammatical competence usually resembles that of native ones. References ABRAHAMSSON, N. & HYLTENSTAM, K. (2008). The robustness of aptitude effects in near-native second language acquisition Studies in Second Language Acquisition 30: 481-509. BLEY-VROMAN, R. (1990) The logical problem of foreign language learning. Linguistic Analysis 20:3-49. ELLIS, R. (1994). The study of second language acquisition. Oxford: Oxford University Press. FLYNN, S. and WAYNE A. O'NEIL (1985), Linguistic Theory in Second Language Acquisition FREEMAN L. D. (1997). Chaos/complexity science and second language acquisition. Applied Linguistics, 18(2), 141–165. HAWKINS, R. (2001) Second language syntax: a generative introduction. Malden, MA: Blackwell. (chapter 1) HAWKINS, R. (2001) Second language syntax: a generative introduction. Malden, MA: Blackwell. (chapter 3) HERSCHENSOHN, J. & ARTEAGA, D. (2009) Tense and verb raising in advanced L2 French. Journal of French Language Studies 19(3): 291-318 MITCHELL, R. & MYLES, F. (2004) Second Language Learning Theories. London: Arnold. (chapter 3) MITCHELL, R. & MYLES, F. (2004) Second Language Learning Theories. London: Arnold. (chapters 1& 2) RULE, S. & MARSDEN, E. (2006) The acquisition of functional categories in early French L2 grammars: the use of finite and non-finite verbs in negative contexts. Second Language Research, 22 (2): 188-218. TOWELL,R., CHAN, C. YH and HAWKINS, R. D.(1997). Approaches to Second Language Acquisition; Multilingual Matters WHITE, L. (1992) Long and short verb movement in second language acquisition. Canadian Journal of Linguistics 37: 273-86. WHITE, L. (1989) Universal Grammar and Second Language Acquisition. Amsterdam: Benjamins. (chapter 4) YUAN, B. (2004) Negation in French-Chinese, German-Chinese and English-Chinese Interlanguages. Transactions of the Philological Society, 102 (2): 169-197. Read More