This paper explores a biolinguistic approach to second language acquisition by combining Di Sciul... more This paper explores a biolinguistic approach to second language acquisition by combining Di Sciullo’s (2011) Directional Asymmetry Principle with Rizzi’s (2010) refined analysis of Merge. My hypothesis is that grammatical development in a second language can be determined by increasingly greater asymmetrical relations along four sequential stages: i) Fluctuating Primary Merge Asymmetry, ii) Stabilised Primary Merge Asymmetry, iii) Phrasal Merge Asymmetry, and iv) Extended Phrasal Merge Asymmetry. This hypothesis is tested in relation to the development of Russian copular sentences, which display a variety of complex symmetry-breaking processes, and supporting evidence is provided by a small-scale cross-sectional study of 5 learners of Russian as a second language at different proficiency levels.
In this paper we will show how, on the basis of the universal developmental sequences predicted b... more In this paper we will show how, on the basis of the universal developmental sequences predicted by a scientific theory of grammatical development (i.e., Processability Theory), it is possible to infer an effective grammatical syllabus for teaching case in Russian as a second language. In particular, we will compare the case syllabus proposed in a variety of textbooks for learners of Russian with the universal sequences predicted by Processability Theory. Our aim is to highlight some of the incongruities between them, and suggest how these can be resolved. We will thus offer a scientifically sequenced syllabus for teaching case that parallels learners’ grammatical development.
Learning a second language (L2) is a complex task, involving cognitive and affective factors, bot... more Learning a second language (L2) is a complex task, involving cognitive and affective factors, both personal and social. Hence theories of Second Language Acquisition (SLA) are many and varied. Among them, Processability Theory (PT) offers a principled transitional paradigm that deals specifically with grammatical development (cf. Pienemann, 1998;. In this paper we will illustrate how LFG contributes substantially to the formulation of PT's developmental hypotheses. Specifically it provides PT with two fundamental concepts, ensuring that the different parts of a sentence fit together: the different syntactic (i.e., lexical, phrasal or sentence) levels within or across which their elements require unification; and the different kinds of correspondences among a-, c-and f-structures. Furthermore, within the PT framework, we will investigate the development of case in Russian L2. In this respect, the original proposal that we wish to make here is that descriptive account of case assignments in Russian can also be applied in a developmental perspective. In particular, we will show that King's four types of case assignments (semantic, configurational, lexical and grammatical functions) can be successfully interfaced with PT's stages for the development of case, and thus constitute a helpful resource for a better understanding of the learners' developmental process. Our hypotheses are then tested on cross-sectional data collected among 12 learners of Russian L2 at different proficiency levels and from a varied L1 background.
Acquiring wh- questions is no mean feat for the L2 learner, in so far as they are sentences marke... more Acquiring wh- questions is no mean feat for the L2 learner, in so far as they are sentences marked both pragmatically and linguistically. Pragmatically, they are used to request new information, and hence always have an element in focus; structurally, their focus must respond to language-specific constraints. This paper hypothesises a staged development of wh- questions in L2 Russian within the framework of Processability Theory (Pienemann et al., 2005). Russian is a multiple fronting language which marks most question words by case, and thus offers an intriguing testing ground. Results of a cross-sectional study of 8 learners at different proficiency levels and from a variety of L1 backgrounds confirm the developmental hypotheses. They also reveal further interesting patterns at the interface between the development of wh- questions and that of declaratives in L2 Russian.
Learning a second language (L2) is a complex task, involving cognitive and affective factors, bot... more Learning a second language (L2) is a complex task, involving cognitive and affective factors, both personal and social. Hence theories of Second Language Acquisition (SLA) are many and varied. Among them, Processability Theory (PT) offers a principled transitional paradigm that deals specifically with grammatical development (cf. Pienemann, 1998; Pienemann, Di Biase & Kawaguchi, 2005). In this paper we will illustrate how LFG contributes substantially to the formulation of PT’s developmental hypotheses. Specifically it provides PT with two fundamental concepts, ensuring that the different parts of a sentence fit together: the different syntactic (i.e., lexical, phrasal or sentence) levels within or across which their elements require unification; and the different kinds of correspondences among a-, c- and f-structures. Furthermore, within the PT framework, we will investigate the development of case in Russian L2. In this respect, the original proposal that we wish to make here is that King’s (1995) descriptive account of case assignments in Russian can also be applied in a developmental perspective. In particular, we will show that King’s four types of case assignments (semantic, configurational, lexical and grammatical functions) can be successfully interfaced with PT’s stages for the development of case, and thus constitute a helpful resource for a better understanding of the learners’ developmental process. Our hypotheses are then tested on cross-sectional data collected among 12 learners of Russian L2 at different proficiency levels and from a varied L1 background.
This paper explores a biolinguistic approach to second language acquisition by combining Di Sciul... more This paper explores a biolinguistic approach to second language acquisition by combining Di Sciullo’s (2011) Directional Asymmetry Principle with Rizzi’s (2010) refined analysis of Merge. My hypothesis is that grammatical development in a second language can be determined by increasingly greater asymmetrical relations along four sequential stages: i) Fluctuating Primary Merge Asymmetry, ii) Stabilised Primary Merge Asymmetry, iii) Phrasal Merge Asymmetry, and iv) Extended Phrasal Merge Asymmetry. This hypothesis is tested in relation to the development of Russian copular sentences, which display a variety of complex symmetry-breaking processes, and supporting evidence is provided by a small-scale cross-sectional study of 5 learners of Russian as a second language at different proficiency levels.
In this paper we will show how, on the basis of the universal developmental sequences predicted b... more In this paper we will show how, on the basis of the universal developmental sequences predicted by a scientific theory of grammatical development (i.e., Processability Theory), it is possible to infer an effective grammatical syllabus for teaching case in Russian as a second language. In particular, we will compare the case syllabus proposed in a variety of textbooks for learners of Russian with the universal sequences predicted by Processability Theory. Our aim is to highlight some of the incongruities between them, and suggest how these can be resolved. We will thus offer a scientifically sequenced syllabus for teaching case that parallels learners’ grammatical development.
Learning a second language (L2) is a complex task, involving cognitive and affective factors, bot... more Learning a second language (L2) is a complex task, involving cognitive and affective factors, both personal and social. Hence theories of Second Language Acquisition (SLA) are many and varied. Among them, Processability Theory (PT) offers a principled transitional paradigm that deals specifically with grammatical development (cf. Pienemann, 1998;. In this paper we will illustrate how LFG contributes substantially to the formulation of PT's developmental hypotheses. Specifically it provides PT with two fundamental concepts, ensuring that the different parts of a sentence fit together: the different syntactic (i.e., lexical, phrasal or sentence) levels within or across which their elements require unification; and the different kinds of correspondences among a-, c-and f-structures. Furthermore, within the PT framework, we will investigate the development of case in Russian L2. In this respect, the original proposal that we wish to make here is that descriptive account of case assignments in Russian can also be applied in a developmental perspective. In particular, we will show that King's four types of case assignments (semantic, configurational, lexical and grammatical functions) can be successfully interfaced with PT's stages for the development of case, and thus constitute a helpful resource for a better understanding of the learners' developmental process. Our hypotheses are then tested on cross-sectional data collected among 12 learners of Russian L2 at different proficiency levels and from a varied L1 background.
Acquiring wh- questions is no mean feat for the L2 learner, in so far as they are sentences marke... more Acquiring wh- questions is no mean feat for the L2 learner, in so far as they are sentences marked both pragmatically and linguistically. Pragmatically, they are used to request new information, and hence always have an element in focus; structurally, their focus must respond to language-specific constraints. This paper hypothesises a staged development of wh- questions in L2 Russian within the framework of Processability Theory (Pienemann et al., 2005). Russian is a multiple fronting language which marks most question words by case, and thus offers an intriguing testing ground. Results of a cross-sectional study of 8 learners at different proficiency levels and from a variety of L1 backgrounds confirm the developmental hypotheses. They also reveal further interesting patterns at the interface between the development of wh- questions and that of declaratives in L2 Russian.
Learning a second language (L2) is a complex task, involving cognitive and affective factors, bot... more Learning a second language (L2) is a complex task, involving cognitive and affective factors, both personal and social. Hence theories of Second Language Acquisition (SLA) are many and varied. Among them, Processability Theory (PT) offers a principled transitional paradigm that deals specifically with grammatical development (cf. Pienemann, 1998; Pienemann, Di Biase & Kawaguchi, 2005). In this paper we will illustrate how LFG contributes substantially to the formulation of PT’s developmental hypotheses. Specifically it provides PT with two fundamental concepts, ensuring that the different parts of a sentence fit together: the different syntactic (i.e., lexical, phrasal or sentence) levels within or across which their elements require unification; and the different kinds of correspondences among a-, c- and f-structures. Furthermore, within the PT framework, we will investigate the development of case in Russian L2. In this respect, the original proposal that we wish to make here is that King’s (1995) descriptive account of case assignments in Russian can also be applied in a developmental perspective. In particular, we will show that King’s four types of case assignments (semantic, configurational, lexical and grammatical functions) can be successfully interfaced with PT’s stages for the development of case, and thus constitute a helpful resource for a better understanding of the learners’ developmental process. Our hypotheses are then tested on cross-sectional data collected among 12 learners of Russian L2 at different proficiency levels and from a varied L1 background.
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