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Nonnative acquisition of Verb Second: On the empirical underpinnings of universal L2 claims

Bohnacker, Ute LU (2005)
Abstract
Acquiring Germanic verb second is typically described as difficult for second-language learners. Even speakers of a V2-language (Swedish) learning another V2-language (German) are said not to transfer V2 but to start with a non-V2 grammar, following a universal developmental path of verb placement. The present study contests this claim, documenting early targetlike V2 production for 6 Swedish ab-initio (and 23 intermediate) learners of German, at a time when their interlanguage syntax elsewhere is nontargetlike (head-initial VPs). Learners whose only nonnative language is German never violate V2, indicating transfer of V2-L1 syntax. Informants with previous knowledge of English are less targetlike in their L3-German productions, indicating... (More)
Acquiring Germanic verb second is typically described as difficult for second-language learners. Even speakers of a V2-language (Swedish) learning another V2-language (German) are said not to transfer V2 but to start with a non-V2 grammar, following a universal developmental path of verb placement. The present study contests this claim, documenting early targetlike V2 production for 6 Swedish ab-initio (and 23 intermediate) learners of German, at a time when their interlanguage syntax elsewhere is nontargetlike (head-initial VPs). Learners whose only nonnative language is German never violate V2, indicating transfer of V2-L1 syntax. Informants with previous knowledge of English are less targetlike in their L3-German productions, indicating interference from non-V2 English. V2 per se is thus not universally difficult for nonnative learners. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
organization
publishing date
type
Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding
publication status
published
subject
host publication
The function of function words and functional categories. LALD 7802, Series Linguistik Aktuell/Linguistics Today
editor
den Dikken, Marc and Tortora, Christina
publisher
John Benjamins Publishing Company
ISBN
90-272-2802-7
language
English
LU publication?
yes
additional info
The information about affiliations in this record was updated in December 2015. The record was previously connected to the following departments: Swedish (015011001)
id
53c3273f-a8d9-422e-bc73-fdacbacd7948 (old id 536841)
date added to LUP
2016-04-04 12:08:45
date last changed
2018-11-21 21:09:14
@inbook{53c3273f-a8d9-422e-bc73-fdacbacd7948,
  abstract     = {{Acquiring Germanic verb second is typically described as difficult for second-language learners. Even speakers of a V2-language (Swedish) learning another V2-language (German) are said not to transfer V2 but to start with a non-V2 grammar, following a universal developmental path of verb placement. The present study contests this claim, documenting early targetlike V2 production for 6 Swedish ab-initio (and 23 intermediate) learners of German, at a time when their interlanguage syntax elsewhere is nontargetlike (head-initial VPs). Learners whose only nonnative language is German never violate V2, indicating transfer of V2-L1 syntax. Informants with previous knowledge of English are less targetlike in their L3-German productions, indicating interference from non-V2 English. V2 per se is thus not universally difficult for nonnative learners.}},
  author       = {{Bohnacker, Ute}},
  booktitle    = {{The function of function words and functional categories. LALD 7802, Series Linguistik Aktuell/Linguistics Today}},
  editor       = {{den Dikken, Marc and Tortora, Christina}},
  isbn         = {{90-272-2802-7}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  publisher    = {{John Benjamins Publishing Company}},
  title        = {{Nonnative acquisition of Verb Second: On the empirical underpinnings of universal L2 claims}},
  year         = {{2005}},
}