2. DISTRIBUTION OF GRAMMATICAL ASPECT MORPHEMES IN INTERLANGUAGE Dr. P. González Leiden University

3. Abstract Initial stage(s) of the acquisition of the L2 Spanish aspectual system by L1 Dutch adult learners Aspect Hypothesis Predicational Effect Hypothesis 17 Dutch classroom L2 learners of Spanish following a beginner’s course took part on this experiment. They wrote a number of compositions A hypothesis comparing analysis shows that it is not the lexical semantics of the verbs what partly influences the verb choice but the predicational aspect

4. 4 steps: (1)Cross-linguistic analysis (2)Acquisition theory (3) Study (4) Methodological implications

5. (1)Cross-linguistic analysis General linguistic principles: Tense and aspect are often treated as a twin pair having complementary tasks: a) tense provides the location; b) aspect gives information about the perspective from which the eventuality is described.

6. Tense (pasts) Dutch: the voltooid tegenwoordige tijd (present perfect) the verleden tijd (simple past) Spanish: the pretérito perfecto compuesto (present perfect) the pretérito perfecto simple (simple past perfective) the pretérito imperfecto (simple past imperfective)

7. Aspect Grammatical: Spanish:the pretérito perfecto simple (simple past perfective) the pretérito imperfecto (simple past imperfective) Predicational: Dutch:terminative eventualities durative eventualities Spanish:terminative eventualities durative eventualities

8. Table 1: Dutch pasts Imperfect (onvoltooid) Perfect (voltooid) Durative1 Zij zong she sang 2 Zij heeft gezongen she has sung Terminativ e 3 Zij zong een lied she sang a song 4 Zij heeft een lied gezongen she has a song sung

9. Table 2: Spanish pasts Imperfecto (Imperfect) Perfecto simple (Simple perfect) Perfecto compuesto (Compound Perfect) Durative1 cantaba sang.IMP.3rdp 2 cantó sang.PF.3rdp 3 ha cantado has sung Terminat ive 4 cantaba una canción sang.IMP.3rdp a song 5 cantó una canción sang.PF.3rdp a song 6 ha cantado una canción has sung a song

10. Comparison between systems : Dutch Tense versus Spanish Tense: 1 tense more in Spanish Spanish Grammatical Aspect: no formal equivalent in Dutch Dutch Predicational Aspect versus Spanish Predicational Aspect: the same in both languages!!

11. (2) Acquisition Theory Effect of the L1 Which effect will a learner’s native language have on the acquisition of the aspectual properties of the L2? What do they know about their L1’s temporal- aspectual system? Aspect in Dutch: terminative/durative; will this have an effect?

12. New L2 information Which aspectual information the L2 learner confronts for the first time? In Spanish, the terminative/durative distinction does no have any influence on the choice of verb form

13. Different approaches to the acquisition of aspect and tense Functional/pragmatic/context oriented research: Salaberry Sentential level research: Andersen and his Aspect Hypothesis

14. Aspect Hypothesis “(…) Second language learners will initially be influenced by the inherent semantic aspect of verbs or predicates in the acquisition of tense and aspect markers associated with or affixed to these verbs” The AH is based on Vendler’s quadripartition: states, activities, accomplishments and achievements (verbal meanings)

15. “why use 4 when everything that needs to be accounted for holds for 2” Bipartitions:  terminative and durative (predicational meanings)  perfective and imperfective (grammatical meanings) Predication Effect Hypothesis: A division into terminative and durative predications presents an optimal description of what happens to the Spanish past tenses in the interlanguage of Dutch L2 learners

16. (3) Experimental Study 17 1st year students 11 weeks Compositions about the past Statistical analysis and comparison

17. Table 3: Use perfective/imperfective according to quadripartition by Dutch L2 learners of Spanish

18. Table 4: Use perfective/imperfective according to terminative/durative division of predicates 12345 Week of Measurement 50 60 70 80 90 100 TERMINATIVE DURATIVE

19. Dutch beginner students DO rely on the predicational aspect the eventuality conveys to use the perfective/imperfective morphology of the verb Perfective = Imperfective = Terminative Durative (and not on the quadripartition)

20.  Showing that it is not always valid may be the key towards successful instruction (All this may mean pedagogical implications!!!)

21. (4) Methodological implications Knowing the differences among the languages at stake won’t be enough Pointing out the problem won’t be enough Analysing the acquisition problem + Understanding the theoretical foundations behind the problem ------------------------------------------------------------ Proper understanding of the acquisition difficulties

22. How: via an instruction including 3 parts: 1 -instruction on terminativity in the L1 (Dutch) 2 -instruction on terminativity in the L2 (Spanish) 3 - instruction on perfectivity in the L2 (Spanish).

23. Conclusions The use of verbal morphology is clearly influenced by predicational aspect In essence, the use of the perfective is extended to all predications Application: these findings have allowed to create a new method to teach Dutch learners of Spanish the functions of the two simple-past tenses

24. References: Andersen, R. (1991). Developmental sequences: the emergence of aspect marking in second language acquisition. In T. Hueber & A. Ferguson (Eds.), Crosscurrents in SLA and linguistic theories (pp. 305-324). Amsterdam/Philadelphia: John Benjamins. Bardovi-Harlig, K. (2000). Tense and aspect in second language acquisition: form, meaning and use. Malden, MA: Blackwell. González, P. (2003). Aspects on Aspect: Theory and Applications of Grammatical Aspect in Spanish. PhD. Dissertation. University of Utrecht. Lot series 71. Li, P. & Shirai, Y. (2000). The acquisition of lexical and grammatical aspect. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter. Salaberry, R. (2000). The development of past tense morphology in L2 Spanish. In K. de Bot & T. Huebner (Eds.). In series Studies in Bilingualism, Vol. 22. Amsterdam/ Philadelphia: John Benjamins. Vendler, Z. (1957). Verb and times. Philosophical Review, 66, 143-160. Verkuyl, H. J. (1999). Aspectual issues. Studies on time and quantity. California: CLSI Publications.