Object Drop in L2 Spanish, (Complex) Feature Reassembly and L1 Pre-emption

L2 learners from different L1s may differ in L2 development and ultimate attainment for the same target property. Examining object drop in L2 Spanish, we maintain that performances of distinct L1 groups (English, Chinese, Brazilian and European Portuguese) are not as contradictory as they first appear. We argue that L1 influences are sources of observed L2 behaviours, and suggest that feature reassembly (e.g. Lardiere 2009) and L1 pre-emption (e.g. Rothman & Iverson 2011, 2013; Trahey & White 1993) are not mutually exclusive; they may apply simultaneously and differentially depending on the L1/L2 pairs and target L2 property, creating distinct learning tasks for different L1s. Keywords: object drop; feature reassembly; pre-emption; cross-linguistic influence