Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in
Book cover

Linguistic Theory in Second Language Acquisition pp 144–172Cite as

Island Effects in Second Language Acquisition

  • Chapter

Part of the book series: Studies in Theoretical Psycholinguistics ((SITP,volume 8))

Abstract

A major underlying assumption of generative grammar is that the first language learner comes to the acquisition task equipped with innate, specifically linguistic, knowledge, or Universal Grammar (UG). Much work has been done in trying to characterize precisely what properties of language fall within UG, and therefore do not have to be learned. Recent work assumes that many principles of UG are parameterized; that is, that they vary somewhat from language to language in their effects. The assumption of an innate language component to the mind is motivated by arguments concerning the “poverty of the stimulus,” the fact that the linguistic competence of the adult is too complex to be projected by the child from the input data alone, or from the data interacting with nonlinguistic cognitive principles, given certain short-comings in that input (Baker and McCarthy, 1981; Hornstein and Lightfoot, 1981). This projection problem can be overcome if the child is assumed to be predisposed to deal with language input in quite restricted ways, with UG providing limitations on possible grammars.

The research reported here was carried out with the support of a grant SSHRCC Grant no. 410–84–0211, for which I am grateful. I should like to thank Eric Kellerman and Lisa Travis for comments and suggestions, as well as my discussant Wayles Brown. I should also like to thank staff and students at the following schools in Quebec for their cooperation: Turner Language School, Canadian Forces Base. St. Hubert; College Rosemont. Montreal; Polyvalente St. Joseph. Mt. Laurier.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.

Chapter
USD   29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD   129.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD   219.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Learn about institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  • Adjemian, C. and J. Liceras (1984). “Accounting for adult acquisition of relative clauses: universal grammar, L1, and structuring the intake.” In Eckman, Bell, and Nelson (1984).

    Google Scholar 

  • Baker, C. and J. McCarthy, eds. (1981). The logical problem of language acquisition. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bley-Vroman, R. (1986). “The logical problem of foreign language learning.” To appear in Linguistics Analysis.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bley-Vroman, R., G. Ioup, and S. Felix (1987). “The accessibility of UG in adult language acquisition: evidence from the acquisition of WH-movement.” Paper presented at the Seventh Los Angeles Second Language Research Forum, February 1987.

    Google Scholar 

  • Borer, H. and K. Wexler (1987). “The maturation of syntax.” In Roeper and Williams (1987).

    Google Scholar 

  • Chomsky, N. (1973). “Conditions on transformations.” In Anderson and Kiparsky (eds.), A festschrift for Morris Halle. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chomsky, N. (1977). “On wh-movement.” In Culicover, Wasow and Akmajian (eds.), Formal syntax. New York: Academic Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chomsky, N. (1981a). “Principles and parameters in syntactic theory.” In Hornstein and Lightfoot (1981).

    Google Scholar 

  • Chomsky, N. (1981b). Lectures on Government and Binding. Dordrecht: Foris.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chomsky, N. (1982). Some concepts and consequences of the theory of government and binding. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Clahsen, H. and P. Muysken (1986). “The availability of universal grammar to adult and child learners: a study of the acquisition of German word order.” Second Language Research 2, 93–119.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Eckman, F. (1984). “Universais, typologies, and interlanguages.” In Rutherford (ed.), Language universais and second language acquisition. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.

    Google Scholar 

  • Eckman, F., L. Bell and D. Nelson, eds. (1984). Universais of second language acquisition. Rowley, MA: Newbury House.

    Google Scholar 

  • Felix, S. (1984). “Maturational asepcts of universal grammar.” In Davies, Criper, and Howatt (eds.), Interlanguage. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Finer, D. and E. Broselow (1986). “L2 acquisition of reflexives.” In NELS 16: Proceedings of the 16th Annual Northeastern Linguistics Society Meeting. University of Massachusetts, Amherst: Graduate Linguistics Student Association.

    Google Scholar 

  • Flynn, S. (1984). “A universal in L2 acquisition based on a PBD typology.” In Eckman, Bell, and Nelson (1984).

    Google Scholar 

  • Flynn, S. (1987). A parameter-setting model of L2 acquisition: Experimental studies in Anaphora. Dordrecht: Reidel.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gass, S. and L. Selinker, eds. (1983). Language transfer in language learning. Rowley, MA: Newbury House.

    Google Scholar 

  • Genesee, F., P. Rogers, and N. Holobow (1983). “The social psychology of second language learning: another point of view.” Language Learning 33, 209–24.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hilles, S. (1986). “Interlanguage and the pro-drop parameter.” Second Language Research 2, 33–52.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hornstein, N. and D. Lightfoot, eds. (1981). Explanation in linguistics: the logical problem of language acquisition. London: Longman.

    Google Scholar 

  • Huang, J. (1982). “Logical relations in Chinese and the theory of grammar.” Ph.D. Diss., MIT.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hyams, N. (1986). Language acquisition and the theory of parameters. Dordrecht: Reidel.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Hyltenstam, K. (1984). “Language typology, language universais, markedness and second language acquisition.” In Andersen (ed.), Second languages: a crosslinguistic perspective. Rowley, MA: Newbury House.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kayne, R. (1981). “ECP extensions.” Linguistic Inquiry 12, 93–133.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kayne, R. (1983). “Connectedness.” Linguistic Inquiry 14, 223–49.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lasnik, H. and M. Saito (1984). “On the nature of proper government.” Linguistic Inquiry 15, 235–89.

    Google Scholar 

  • Oller, J. (1979). Language tests at school. London: Longman.

    Google Scholar 

  • Otsu, Y. (1981). “Universal grammar and syntactic development in children: toward a theory of syntactic development.” Ph.D. Diss., MIT.

    Google Scholar 

  • Phinney, M. (1987). “The prodrop parameter in second language acquisition.” In Roeper and Williams (1987).

    Google Scholar 

  • Ritchie, W. (1978). “The right roof constraint in adult-acquired language.” In Ritchie (ed.), Second language acquisition research: issues and implications. New York: Academic Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rizzi, L. (1982). Issues in Italian syntax. Dordrecht: Foris.

    Google Scholar 

  • Roeper, T. (1982). “The role of universais in the acquisition of gerunds.” In Wanner and Gleitman (eds.), Language acquisition: the state of the art. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Roeper, T. and E. Williams, eds. (1987). Parameter setting. Dordrecht: Reidel.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ross, J. (1967). “Constraints on variables in syntax.” Ph.D. Diss., MIT.

    Google Scholar 

  • Selinker, L. (1972). “Interlanguage.” International Review of Applied Linguistics 10, 209–31.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sobin, N. (1987). “The variable status of comp-trace phenomena.” Natural Language and Linguistic Theory 5, 33–60.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sportiche, D. (1981). “Bounding nodes in French.” Linguistic Review 1, 219–46.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Torrego, E. (1984). “On inversion in Spanish and some of its effects.” Linguistic Inquiry 15, 103–29.

    Google Scholar 

  • Van Buren, P. and M. Sharwood Smith (1985). “The acquisition of preposition stranding by second language learners and parametric variation.” Second Language Research 1, 18–46.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • White, L. (1982). Grammatical theory and language acquisition. Dordrecht: Foris.

    Google Scholar 

  • White, L. (1985a). “Is there a logical problem of second language acquisition?” TESL Canada 2.2, 29–41.

    Google Scholar 

  • White, L. (1985b). “Universal grammar as a source of explanation in second language acquisition.” In Wheatley et al. (eds.), Current approaches to second language acquisition: proceedings of the 1984 University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee linguistics symposium. Indiana University Linguistics Club.

    Google Scholar 

  • White, L. (1985c). “The pro-drop parameter in adult second language acquisition.” Language Learning 35, 47–62.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • White, L. (1986). “Implications of parametric variation for adult second language acquisition: an investigation of the ‘pro-drop’ parameter.” In Cook (ed.), Experimental approaches to second language acquisition. Oxford: Pergamon Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zobl, H. (1983). “Markedness and the projection problem.” Language Learning 33, 293–313.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. McGill University, Canada

    Lydia White

Authors
  1. Lydia White
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, USA

    Suzanne Flynn

  2. Department of Linguistics and Philosophy, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, USA

    Wayne O’Neil

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 1988 Kluwer Academic Publishers

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

White, L. (1988). Island Effects in Second Language Acquisition. In: Flynn, S., O’Neil, W. (eds) Linguistic Theory in Second Language Acquisition. Studies in Theoretical Psycholinguistics, vol 8. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-2733-9_10

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-2733-9_10

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-55608-085-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-009-2733-9

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation