Binding in L2 Acquisition

Binding in L2 acquisition

Anaphors (reflexives)

Governing Category Parameter (GC = Local domain):

γ is a governing category for α iff γ is the minimal category which contains α and

A. has a subject, or

B. has an INFL, or

C. has a TNS, or

D. has a indicative TNS, or

E. has a root TNS;

(Wexler and Manzini 1987; 53)

English - A (local antecedent).

Japanese (zibun), Korean (casin), Chinese (ziji) - E (both local and non-local antecedents), but when used as phrasal reflexives (-zisin, -casin and -ziji) - A

Russian (sebja), Serbo-Croatian - C (both local and non-local antecedents)

Simple reflexivesmay take long-distance antecedents and phrasal reflexives may not.

1.  The dogj said that the horsej r e hit himselfj r e

2.  The dogj r told the horsej r e to hit himselfj r e

Finer and Broselow (1986)

Subjects: Japanese, Chinese, and Korean learners ofEnglish.

Method: Yes/no judgment with pictures

Findings: 91.7% answered correctly to (1), and 58.3% to (2)

MacLaughlin (1998)

Subjects: 15 Japanese and Chinese learners ofEnglish.

Method:

3. a. Barbara thinks that [Lisa is proud of herself].

b.herselfcan beBarbara. AGREE DISAGREE

c.herselfcan beLisa. AGREE DISAGREE

4. a. Michael forces [Peter to help himself].

b.himselfcan beMichael. AGREE DISAGREE

c.himselfcan bePeter. AGREE DISAGREE

(MacLaughlin 1998; 211)

Findings: 6/15 used the English value, 2/15 used the Japanese value, and 7/15 used the Russian value.

Watanabe, Fuji, Kabuto, and Murasugi (2008)

Subjects: 81 Japanese learners of English

Method: Ibid

Findings: 27/81 used the English value, 6/81 used the Japanese value, and 48/81 used the Russian value.

Jiang (2009)

Subjects: Chinese learners of English (three proficiency levels)

Method: A story-based truth-valuejudgment task focusing both on sentencetype and antecedent type

Findings: finite/non-finite asymmetry for the intermediate participants

referential/ quantified asymmetry for the advanced participants

Ji-Hye Kim, Silvina Montrul and James Yoon. 2004. Binding Interpretations by Korean Heritage Speakers and Adult L2 Learners of Korean. BUCLD proceedings MA’AYAN MOORE 5/1

Bennett (1994)

Subjects: 40 adolescent Serbo-Croatian learners of English (20 intermediate and 20 advanced)

Method: A picture identification taskand a multiple-choice questionnaire

Findings: Intermediate Serbo-Croatian students allowed antecedents of English reflexives outside of complex NPs and object control infinitives, but not outside of finite clauses.

Demirci, M. 2001. Acquisition of binding of English reflexives by Turkish L2 learners: A neo-gricean pragmatic account. Journal of Pragmatics 33:753-775 TAMAR 5/1 or

Pronouns

1. Tamburelli, M. 2005. The Importance of Paradigm Formation in Bilingual Acquisition: Evidence from Italian. UCLWPL 17, 29-60 YANA 5/1

2. Sanoudaki, I. 2003. Greek ‘strong’ pronouns and the delay of principle B effect. Reading Working Papers in Linguistics 7. 103-124. AMANI 5/1

3. White, L. 1998. Second language acquisition and Binding Principle B: child/adult differences. Second Language Research, Vol. 14, No. 4, 425-439. IDAN