Chapter 7 Linguistics aspect of interlanguage Firman Zulfariyanto Arina Yuliarti Novita Arum Sari

Linguistic Aspects of Interlanguage

Typological Universal: Relative Clauses Language vary in whether they have relative clauses structures. This linguistic difference influences the ease with which learners are able to learn relative clauses.

In language like English, a relative clause can be attached to the end of matrix clause: The police have caught the man who bombed the hotel. Or they can be embedded in the main clause: The man who bombed the hotel has been caught by the police.

Linguistic have shown that languages are more likely to permit relative clauses with a subject pronoun than with an object pronoun.

Relative Pronoun Function Example Subject The writer who won the Booker prize is my lifelong friend. Direct Object The writer whom we met won the Booker prize. Indirect Object The writer to whom I introduced you won the Booker prize. Object of Preposition The writer with whom we had dinner won the Booker prize. Genitive The writer whose wife we met won the Booker prize. Object of Comparative The writer who I have written more books than has won the Booker prize.

The accesibility hierarchy serves as an example of how SLA and linguistics can assist each other. Linguistic facts can be used to explain and even predict acquisition. The results of empirical studies of L2 acquisition can be used to refine our understanding of linguistic facts.

Universal Grammar

English compare to Japanese Noam Chomsky`s theory of Universal grammar: Language governed by a set of highly abstract principles. Example: (Reflexives) English compare to Japanese only local binding local and long-distance binding

Learnability

Children learning their L1 must rely on innate knowledge of a language. Poverty of stimulus insufficiency which enables children to discover the rules of a language. Input Positive evidence: what is gramatical Negative evidence: what is ungrammatical

Children must have knowledge of what grammatically possible and impossible. This knowledge, which earlier formation of the theory was referred to as Language Acquisition Devise, is what comprises UG.

The Critical Period Hypothesis

The Critical Period Hypothesis language acquisition is easy and complete, and beyond which it is difficult and incomplete. claim L2 learners who begin learning as adult are unable to achieve native-like speaker competence in either grammar or pronunciation. not all learners are subject to critical period, since some people are able to achieve native-speaker ability from an adult start.

The relative lack of success there may be radical difference in the way L1 and L2 are acquired For example Social condition in which L1 and L2 have some kinds of impact.

Parameter setting of L1 Access to UG a number of theoretical positions; 1. Complete access Parameter setting of L1

2. No access UG is not available to adult L2 learners.

General learning strategies 3. Partial access L2 acquisition is partly regulated by UG and partly by general learning strategies. 4. Dual access Adult L2 learners UG General learning strategies

unmarked marked Markedness Structure those are more ‘natural/basic’ Than other structures unmarked Structures those are common in the world’s language

Cognitive Vs Linguistic Explanation The typological study of languages affords interesting predictions about what learners will acquire first, and what they will transfer from their L1. Linguistic universal and Markedness Direct effect Indirect effect

Reference Ellis, Rod.2003.Second Language Acquisition. Oxford. Oxford University Press. pp 63-71

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