The acquisition of clitics in L2 Spanish: Examining restrictions on clitic solidarity

Becky Halloran; Jason Rothman

The acquisition of clitics in L2 Spanish

Examining restrictions on clitic solidarity

Author(s): Becky Halloran ¹ and Jason Rothman ²
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Affiliations:
¹ Indiana University

² University of Reading & UiT Arctic University of Tromso
Source: Romance Linguistics 2012 , pp 3-16
Publication Date August 2015

This study examines the mental representation of clitic object pronouns in English L2 Spanish speakers of beginning, intermediate and advanced proficiencies. We present the results of a scalar grammaticality judgment task, which examines knowledge of clitic placement in both Exceptional Case Marking (ECM) verb constructions and non-ECM (finite and modal + infinitival) constructions. Our findings suggest that these advanced L2 learners have converged on the Spanish grammar, showing high sensitivity to the restrictions placed on clitic solidarity in ECM constructions coupled with acute knowledge of the distribution pattern of Spanish clitics in non-ECM environments. We argue that this pattern supports UG-accessibility approaches to adult L2 acquisition.

Affiliations: 1: Indiana University; 2: University of Reading & UiT Arctic University of Tromso

References

Bruhn de Garavito, Joyce & Silvina Montrul
1996 “Verb-movement and clitic placement in French and Spanish as a second language”. Proceedings of the 20th Annual Boston University Conference on Language Development , 123–134. Sommerville, Mass.: Cascadilla Press.
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2004 The Acquisition of Spanish: Morphosyntactic development in monolingual and bilingual L1 acquisition and adult L2 acquisition. Amsterdam & Philadelphia: John Benjamins. doi: 10.1075/lald.37
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1996 “Clitic constructions”. Phrase structure and the lexiconed. by Johan Rooryck and Laurie A. Zaring , 213–276. Dordrecht: Kluwer. doi: 10.1007/978‑94‑015‑8617‑7_9
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Strozer, Judith
1976 Clitics in Spanish. Ph.D. dissertation, UCLA
[Google Scholar]
Thomas, Danielle
2012 Grammatical Optionality and Variability in Bilingualism: How Spanish-English bilinguals limit clitic-climbing. Ph.D. Dissertation, The University of Toronto.
[Google Scholar]
Tsimpli, Ianthi & Maria Dimitrakopoulou
2007 “The interpretability hypothesis: Evidence from wh-interrogatives in second language acquisition”. Second Language Research23:2.215–242. doi: 10.1177/0267658307076546
https://doi.org/10.1177/0267658307076546 [Google Scholar]
Uriagereka, Juan
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[Google Scholar]
White, Lydia
1996 “Clitics in L2 French”. Generative perspectives on language acquisitioned. by Harald Clahsen , 335–367. Amsterdam & Philadelphia: John Benjamins. doi: 10.1075/lald.14.14whi
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References

Bruhn de Garavito, Joyce & Silvina Montrul
1996 “Verb-movement and clitic placement in French and Spanish as a second language”. Proceedings of the 20th Annual Boston University Conference on Language Development , 123–134. Sommerville, Mass.: Cascadilla Press.
[Google Scholar]
Duffield, Nigel & Lydia White
1999 “Assessing L2 knowledge of Spanish clitic placement: converging methodologies”. Second Language Research15:2.133–160. doi: 10.1191/026765899668237583
https://doi.org/10.1191/026765899668237583 [Google Scholar]
Hawkins, Roger & Hajime Hattori
2006 “Interpretation of English multiple wh-questions by Japanese speakers: A missing uninterpretable feature account”. Second Language Research22:3.269–301. doi: 10.1191/0267658306sr269oa
https://doi.org/10.1191/0267658306sr269oa [Google Scholar]
Liceras, Juana M
1985 “The value of clitics in non-native Spanish”. Second Language Research1:2.151–168.
[Google Scholar]
Masullo, Pascual J
2004 “Clitics aren’t Climbers!” (Unpublished manuscript). University of Pittsburg, Pittsburg.
Montrul, Silvina
2004 The Acquisition of Spanish: Morphosyntactic development in monolingual and bilingual L1 acquisition and adult L2 acquisition. Amsterdam & Philadelphia: John Benjamins. doi: 10.1075/lald.37
https://doi.org/10.1075/lald.37 [Google Scholar]
Schwartz, Bonnie & Rex Sprouse
1996 “L2 cognitive states and the full transfer/full access hypothesis”. Second Language Research12.40–72. doi: 10.1177/026765839601200103
https://doi.org/10.1177/026765839601200103 [Google Scholar]
Sportiche, Dominique
1996 “Clitic constructions”. Phrase structure and the lexiconed. by Johan Rooryck and Laurie A. Zaring , 213–276. Dordrecht: Kluwer. doi: 10.1007/978‑94‑015‑8617‑7_9
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-015-8617-7_9 [Google Scholar]
Strozer, Judith
1976 Clitics in Spanish. Ph.D. dissertation, UCLA
[Google Scholar]
Thomas, Danielle
2012 Grammatical Optionality and Variability in Bilingualism: How Spanish-English bilinguals limit clitic-climbing. Ph.D. Dissertation, The University of Toronto.
[Google Scholar]
Tsimpli, Ianthi & Maria Dimitrakopoulou
2007 “The interpretability hypothesis: Evidence from wh-interrogatives in second language acquisition”. Second Language Research23:2.215–242. doi: 10.1177/0267658307076546
https://doi.org/10.1177/0267658307076546 [Google Scholar]
Uriagereka, Juan
1995 “Aspects of the syntax of clitic placement in western Romance”. Linguistic Inquiry26:1.79–123.
[Google Scholar]
White, Lydia
1996 “Clitics in L2 French”. Generative perspectives on language acquisitioned. by Harald Clahsen , 335–367. Amsterdam & Philadelphia: John Benjamins. doi: 10.1075/lald.14.14whi
https://doi.org/10.1075/lald.14.14whi [Google Scholar]

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[ref-CIT0001] Bruhn de Garavito, Joyce & Silvina Montrul
1996 “Verb-movement and clitic placement in French and Spanish as a second language”. Proceedings of the 20th Annual Boston University Conference on Language Development , 123–134. Sommerville, Mass.: Cascadilla Press.
[Google Scholar]

[ref-CIT0002] Duffield, Nigel & Lydia White
1999 “Assessing L2 knowledge of Spanish clitic placement: converging methodologies”. Second Language Research15:2.133–160. doi: 10.1191/026765899668237583
https://doi.org/10.1191/026765899668237583 [Google Scholar]

[ref-CIT0003] Hawkins, Roger & Hajime Hattori
2006 “Interpretation of English multiple wh-questions by Japanese speakers: A missing uninterpretable feature account”. Second Language Research22:3.269–301. doi: 10.1191/0267658306sr269oa
https://doi.org/10.1191/0267658306sr269oa [Google Scholar]

[ref-CIT0004] Liceras, Juana M
1985 “The value of clitics in non-native Spanish”. Second Language Research1:2.151–168.
[Google Scholar]

[ref-CIT0005] Masullo, Pascual J
2004 “Clitics aren’t Climbers!” (Unpublished manuscript). University of Pittsburg, Pittsburg.

[ref-CIT0006] Montrul, Silvina
2004 The Acquisition of Spanish: Morphosyntactic development in monolingual and bilingual L1 acquisition and adult L2 acquisition. Amsterdam & Philadelphia: John Benjamins. doi: 10.1075/lald.37
https://doi.org/10.1075/lald.37 [Google Scholar]

[ref-CIT0007] Schwartz, Bonnie & Rex Sprouse
1996 “L2 cognitive states and the full transfer/full access hypothesis”. Second Language Research12.40–72. doi: 10.1177/026765839601200103
https://doi.org/10.1177/026765839601200103 [Google Scholar]

[ref-CIT0008] Sportiche, Dominique
1996 “Clitic constructions”. Phrase structure and the lexiconed. by Johan Rooryck and Laurie A. Zaring , 213–276. Dordrecht: Kluwer. doi: 10.1007/978‑94‑015‑8617‑7_9
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-015-8617-7_9 [Google Scholar]

[ref-CIT0009] Strozer, Judith
1976 Clitics in Spanish. Ph.D. dissertation, UCLA
[Google Scholar]

[ref-CIT0010] Thomas, Danielle
2012 Grammatical Optionality and Variability in Bilingualism: How Spanish-English bilinguals limit clitic-climbing. Ph.D. Dissertation, The University of Toronto.
[Google Scholar]

[ref-CIT0011] Tsimpli, Ianthi & Maria Dimitrakopoulou
2007 “The interpretability hypothesis: Evidence from wh-interrogatives in second language acquisition”. Second Language Research23:2.215–242. doi: 10.1177/0267658307076546
https://doi.org/10.1177/0267658307076546 [Google Scholar]

[ref-CIT0012] Uriagereka, Juan
1995 “Aspects of the syntax of clitic placement in western Romance”. Linguistic Inquiry26:1.79–123.
[Google Scholar]

[ref-CIT0013] White, Lydia
1996 “Clitics in L2 French”. Generative perspectives on language acquisitioned. by Harald Clahsen , 335–367. Amsterdam & Philadelphia: John Benjamins. doi: 10.1075/lald.14.14whi
https://doi.org/10.1075/lald.14.14whi [Google Scholar]

The acquisition of clitics in L2 Spanish

Examining restrictions on clitic solidarity

From This Site