1887
  1. Home
  2. e-Journals
  3. International Journal of Chinese Linguistics
  4. Volume 7, Issue 2
  5. Article
Volume 7, Issue 2
  • ISSN 2213-8706
  • E-ISSN: 2213-8714
USD
Buy:$35.00 + Taxes

Abstract

Abstract

The acquisition of the grammatical knowledge related to inflectional morphology and syntax-pragmatics interface have both been shown to be challenging for heritage speakers (e.g., Montrul et al. 2008Polinsky 20062008Sorace et al. 2009Montrul 2009Benmamoun et al. 2013aLaleko & Polinsky 2016). In these previous work on heritage language acquisition, the acquisition of inflectional morphology (e.g. either agreement morphology or topic marking) is also a relevant acquisition task associated with the syntax-discourse phenomena under investigation. In this paper we focus on the acquisition of discourse-conditioned structures by heritage speakers when inflectional morphology is not part of the learning task. Specifically, we report results of a picture-verification experiment focusing on English-dominant heritage Chinese speakers’ grammatical knowledge of null objects. As a topic-prominent language lacking verbal tense/agreement morphology, the licensing and identification of null arguments in Chinese has nothing to do with agreement morphology. In addition, unlike other topic-prominent pro-drop languages, Chinese has no inflectional morphology associated with grammatical subjects/objects and topic phrases. Without the interference of co-occurring inflectional morphology, we found that there is no significant difference between heritage Chinese speakers and the monolingual baseline in their acceptance of null objects in contextually appropriate contexts. The results of our study cast doubt on the thesis that heritage speakers are unable to acquire discourse-related knowledge (cf. Sorace & Serratrice 2009Laleko 2010Laleko & Polinsky 2016) and support Yuan’s (2010) claim that interface categories should not be considered holistically.

© John Benjamins Publishing Company
Loading

Article metrics loading...

/content/journals/10.1075/ijchl.19016.cho
2020-12-10
2024-10-04

  • From This Site

    /content/journals/10.1075/ijchl.19016.cho
    dcterms_title,dcterms_subject,pub_keyword
    -contentType:Journal -contentType:Contributor -contentType:Concept -contentType:Institution
    10
    5
Loading full text...

Full text loading...

References

  1. Albirini, A. E. , Benmamoun, E. , & Saadah, E.
    (2011) Grammatical features of Egyptian and Palestinian heritage speakers’ oral production. Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 33, 273–303. 10.1017/S0272263110000768
     https://doi.org/10.1017/S0272263110000768 [Google Scholar]
  2. Argyri, E. & Sorace, A.
    (2007) Crosslinguistic influence and language dominance in older bilingual children. Bilingualism: Language and Cognition, 10, 79–99. 10.1017/S1366728906002835
     https://doi.org/10.1017/S1366728906002835 [Google Scholar]
  3. Baayen, R. H.
    (2008) Analyzing linguistic data: A practical introduction to statistics using R. Cambridge University Press. 10.1017/CBO9780511801686
     https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511801686 [Google Scholar]
  4. (2010) A real experiment is a factorial experiment?The Mental Lexicon, 5, 149–157. 10.1075/ml.5.1.06baa
     https://doi.org/10.1075/ml.5.1.06baa [Google Scholar]
  5. Barr Dale, J. , Levy, R. , Scheepers, C. , & Tily, H. J.
    (2013) Random effects structure for confirmatory hypothesis testing: Keep it maximal. Journal of Memory and Language, 68, 255–278. 10.1016/j.jml.2012.11.001
     https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jml.2012.11.001 [Google Scholar]
  6. Bates, D. , Bolker, B. M. , Maechler, M. , & Walker, S.
    (2018) lme4: Linear mixed-effect models using S4 classes.
     [Google Scholar]
  7. Belletti, A. , Bennatti, E. , & Sorace, A.
    (2007) Theoretical and developmental issues in the syntax of subjects: evidence from near-native Italian. Natural Language and Linguistic Theory, 25, 657–689. 10.1007/s11049‑007‑9026‑9
     https://doi.org/10.1007/s11049-007-9026-9 [Google Scholar]
  8. Benmamoun, E. , Montrul, S. , & Polinsky, M.
    (2010) Prolegomena to heritage linguistics [White paper]. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Harvard University. Retrieved fromwww.nhlrc.ucla.edu/pdf/HL-whitepaper.pdf
     [Google Scholar]
  9. (2013a) Heritage languages and their speakers: Opportunities and challenges for linguistics. Theoretical Linguistics, 39, 129–181. 10.1515/tl‑2013‑0009
     https://doi.org/10.1515/tl-2013-0009 [Google Scholar]
  10. (2013b) Defining an “ideal” heritage speaker: Theoretical and methodological challenges. Reply to peer commentaries. Theoretical Linguistics, 39, 259–294. 10.1515/tl‑2013‑0018
     https://doi.org/10.1515/tl-2013-0018 [Google Scholar]
  11. Berman, R.
    (2004) Between emergence and mastery: the long developmental route of language acquisition. In R. Berman (Ed.). Language Development across Childhood and Adolescence (pp.9–34). Amsterdam: John Benjamins. 10.1075/tilar.3.05ber
     https://doi.org/10.1075/tilar.3.05ber [Google Scholar]
  12. Bini, M.
    (1993) La adquisición del italiano: más allá de las propiedades sintácticas delparámetro pro-drop. In J. M. Liceras (Ed.). La lingüística yelanálisis de los sistemas no nativos (pp.126–139). Ottawa: Dovehouse.
     [Google Scholar]
  13. Bley-Vroman, R.
    (1990) The logical problem of foreign language learning. Linguistic Analysis, 20, 3–49.
     [Google Scholar]
  14. Bonfieni, M. , Branigan, H. P. , Pickering, M. J. , & Sorace, A.
    (2019) Language experience modulates bilingual language control: The effect of proficiency, age of acquisition, and exposure on language switching. Acta Psychologica, 193, 160–170. 10.1016/j.actpsy.2018.11.004
     https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actpsy.2018.11.004 [Google Scholar]
  15. Brehmer, B. & Czachor, A.
    (2010) A case study of two groups of Polish-German bilinguals. Paper presented at theWorkshop on Incomplete Acquisition and Language Attrition. Hamburg University, July 2010.
     [Google Scholar]
  16. Cheng, H.-T. J.
    (2011) Argument ellipsis in Mandarin Chinese. InProceedings of the 23rd North America Conference on Chinese Linguistics (NACCL-23).
     [Google Scholar]
  17. (2012) On the (non)-elidability of Phases. InProceedings of GLOW in Asia Workshop for Young Scholars.
     [Google Scholar]
  18. (2013) Argument Ellipsis, Classifier Phrases, and the DP Parameter, PhD Dissertation, University of Connecticut.
  19. Choi, H.-W.
    (2003) Paradigm leveling in American Korean. Language Research, 39, 183–204.
     [Google Scholar]
  20. Chomsky, N.
    (1965) Aspects of the Theory of Syntax. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
     [Google Scholar]
  21. (1981) Lectures on Government and Binding. Foris, Dordrecht.
     [Google Scholar]
  22. (1986) Knowledge of Language: Its Nature, Origins, and Use. New York, NY: Praeger.
     [Google Scholar]
  23. Chung, E. S.
    (2009) Challenging a single-factor analysis of case ellipsis in Korean. Qualifying paper, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Department of Linguistics.
     [Google Scholar]
  24. Cohen, J.
    (1983) The cost of dichotomization. Applied Psychological Measurement, 7, 249–253. 10.1177/014662168300700301
     https://doi.org/10.1177/014662168300700301 [Google Scholar]
  25. de Groot, C.
    (2005) The grammars of Hungarian outside Hungary from a linguistic-typological perspective. In Fenyvesi, A. (Ed.). Hungarian language contact outside Hungary (pp.351–370). Amsterdam: John Benjamins. 10.1075/impact.20.18gro
     https://doi.org/10.1075/impact.20.18gro [Google Scholar]
  26. de Prada Pérez, A.
    (2009) Subject expression in Minorcan Spanish: Consequences of contact with Catalan. PhD Dissertation, Pennsylvania State University.
  27. de Swart, P.
    (2013) A (single) case for heritage speakers?Theoretical Linguistics, 39, 251–258. 10.1515/tl‑2013‑0017
     https://doi.org/10.1515/tl-2013-0017 [Google Scholar]
  28. Dubisz, S.
    (1997) Język polski poza granicami kraju – proba charakteristiki kontrastowej. In Dubisz, S. (Ed.), Język polski poza granicami kraju (pp.324–376). Opole: Uniwersytet Opolski.
     [Google Scholar]
  29. (2001) Język polski poza granicami kraju. In Gajda, S. (Ed.), Język polski (pp.492–514). Opole: Uniwersytet Opolski.
     [Google Scholar]
  30. Epstein, S. D. , Flynn, S. , & Martohardjono, G.
    (1996) Second language acquisition: Theoretical and experimental issues in contemporary research. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 19, 677–714. 10.1017/S0140525X00043521
     https://doi.org/10.1017/S0140525X00043521 [Google Scholar]
  31. Flores, C. M. M.
    (2015) Understanding heritage language acquisition. Some contributions from the research on heritage speakers of European Portuguese. Lingua, 164, 251–265. 10.1016/j.lingua.2014.09.008
     https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lingua.2014.09.008 [Google Scholar]
  32. Grüter, T.
    (2007) Investigating object drop in child French and English: A truth value judgment task. In Belikova, A. , Meroni, L. & Umeda, M. (Eds.). Proceedings of the 2nd Conference on Generative Approaches to Language Acquisition North America (GALANA) (pp.102–113). Somerville, MA: Cascadilla Proceedings Project.
     [Google Scholar]
  33. Guijarro-Fuentes, P. & Schmitz, K.
    (2015) The nature and nurture of heritage language acquisition. Lingua, 164, 239–250. 10.1016/j.lingua.2015.05.008
     https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lingua.2015.05.008 [Google Scholar]
  34. Herschensohn, J.
    (2007) Language development and age. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 10.1017/CBO9780511486487
     https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511486487 [Google Scholar]
  35. Huang, C.-T. J.
    (1984) On the distribution and reference of empty pronouns. Linguistic Inquiry, 15, 531–574.
     [Google Scholar]
  36. (1989)  Pro-drop in Chinese: A generalized control approach. In O. Jaeggli & K. Safir (Eds.). The Null Subject Parameter (pp.185–214). Dordrecht: D. Reidel. 10.1007/978‑94‑009‑2540‑3_6
     https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-2540-3_6 [Google Scholar]
  37. (1991) Remarks on the status of the null object. In R. Freidin (Ed.). Principles and Parameters in Comparative Grammar (pp.56–76). Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
     [Google Scholar]
  38. Ivanov, I.
    (2012) L2 acquisition of Bulgarian clitic doubling: A test case for the Interface Hypothesis. Second Language Research, 28, 345–68. 10.1177/0267658312452066
     https://doi.org/10.1177/0267658312452066 [Google Scholar]
  39. Iverson, M. , Kempchinsky, P. , & Rothman, J.
    (2008) Interface vulnerability and knowledge of the subjunctive/indicative distinction with negated epistemic predicates in L2 Spanish. EuroSLA Yearbook, 8, 135–63. 10.1075/eurosla.8.09ive
     https://doi.org/10.1075/eurosla.8.09ive [Google Scholar]
  40. Jaeger, F. T.
    (2008) Categorical data analysis: away from ANOVAs (transformation or not) and towards Logit Mixed Models. Journal of Memory and Language, 59, 434–446. 10.1016/j.jml.2007.11.007
     https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jml.2007.11.007 [Google Scholar]
  41. Jia, R. & Paradis, J.
    (2015) The use of referring expressions in narratives by Mandarin heritage language children and the roles of language environment factors in predicting individual diferences. Bilingualism: Language and Cognition, 18–4, 737–752. 10.1017/S1366728914000728
     https://doi.org/10.1017/S1366728914000728 [Google Scholar]
  42. Jin, H. G.
    (1994) Topic-prominence and subject-prominence in L2 acquisition: Evidence of English-to-Chinese typological transfer. Language Learning, 44, 101–122.
     [Google Scholar]
  43. Kagan, O. , & Friedman, D.
    (2004) Using the OPI to place heritage speakers of Russian. Foreign Language Annals, 36(4), 536–545. 10.1111/j.1944‑9720.2003.tb02143.x
     https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1944-9720.2003.tb02143.x [Google Scholar]
  44. Kondo-Brown, K.
    (2003) Heritage language instruction for post-secondary students from immigrant backgrounds. The Heritage Language Journal, 1, 1–25.
     [Google Scholar]
  45. Kraš, T.
    (2008) Anaphora resolution in near-native Italian grammars: Evidence from native speakers of Croatian. EuroSLA Yearbook, 8, 107–34. 10.1075/eurosla.8.08kra
     https://doi.org/10.1075/eurosla.8.08kra [Google Scholar]
  46. Laleko, O.
    (2010) The syntax-pragmatics interface in language loss: Covert restructuring of aspect in heritage Russian. Ph. D. Dissertation, University of Minnesota.
  47. Laleko, O. & Polinsky, M.
    (2016) Between syntax and discourse: Topic and case marking in heritage speakers and L2 learners of Japanese and Korean. Linguistic Approaches to Bilingualism, 6, 396–439. 10.1075/lab.14018.lal
     https://doi.org/10.1075/lab.14018.lal [Google Scholar]
  48. Li, C. & Thompson, S.
    (1976) Subject and topic: A new typology of language. In Li, Charles (Ed.), Subject and Topic (pp.457–489). New York: Academic Press.
     [Google Scholar]
  49. Li, R.
    (2010) Anaphoric dependencies: Reflexive binding and null arguments in child Mandarin. Ph. D. Dissertation, City University of Hong Kong.
  50. (2017) The child acquisition of null arguments. Foreign Language Teaching and Research, 2, 163–176.
     [Google Scholar]
  51. Li, W. & Lee, S.
    (2002) L1 development in an L2 environment: The use of Cantonese classifiers and quantifiers by young British-born Chinese in Tyneside. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 4, 359–382.
     [Google Scholar]
  52. Li, Y.-H. A.
    (2007) Beyond empty categories. Ms., USC. 10.7131/chuugokugogaku.2007.74
     https://doi.org/10.7131/chuugokugogaku.2007.74 [Google Scholar]
  53. (2011) Born empty and more. Paper presented at theannual meeting of the Linguistic Society of America, Pittsburgh, PA.
     [Google Scholar]
  54. Light, T.
    (1977) Claire talk: A Cantonese-speaking child’s confrontation with bilingualism. Journal of Chinese Linguistics, 5, 261–275.
     [Google Scholar]
  55. Lozano, C.
    (2006) The development of the syntax–discourse interface: Greek learners of Spanish. In V. Torrens & L. Escobar (Eds.). The acquisition of syntax in Romance languages (pp.371–399). Amsterdam: John Benjamins. 10.1075/lald.41.18loz
     https://doi.org/10.1075/lald.41.18loz [Google Scholar]
  56. Mahajan, G.
    (2009) Heritage-Schmeritage: It’s their language. Paper presented at the Second Language Acquisition Conference , San Diego CA, April 2009.
     [Google Scholar]
  57. Mai, Z. , Kwan, C. , & Yip, V.
    (2016) Expressing displacement in heritage Cantonese: Cross-linguistic influence and structural vulnerability. International Journal of Bilingualism, 22(6), 1–16.
     [Google Scholar]
  58. Martin, C.
    (2013) Assessing the oral proficiency of heritage speakers according to the ACTFL guidelines 2012 – Speaking. The Heritage Language Journal, 10, 73–87.
     [Google Scholar]
  59. Malgaza, P. & Bel, A.
    (2006) Null subjects at the syntax-pragmatics interface: Evidence from Spanish interlanguage of Greek speakers. In O’Brien, M. G. , Shea, C. , and Archibald, J. (Eds.). Proceedings of the 8th Generative Approaches to Second Language Acquisition Conference (GASLA 2006) (pp.88–97). Somerville, MA: Cascadilla Proceedings Project.
     [Google Scholar]
  60. Mendes, C. G. & Iribarren, C. I.
    (2007) Fixação do parâmetro do sujeito nulo na aquisição do português europeu por hispanofalantes. In Lobo, M. & Coutinho, M. A. (Eds.). XXII Encontro Nacional da Associação Portuguesa de Linguística: Textos selecionados (pp.483–498). Lisbon: Associação Portuguesa de Linguística.
     [Google Scholar]
  61. Michnowicz, J.
    (2015) Subject pronoun expression in Yucatan Spanish. In Cavalho, A. , Orozco, R. , and Shin, N. (Eds.). Subject Pronoun Expression in Spanish: A Cross-dialectal Perspective (pp.103–121). Washington, D.C.: Georgetown University Press.
     [Google Scholar]
  62. Montrul, S.
    (2002) Incomplete acquisition and attrition of Spanish tense/aspect distinctions in adult bilinguals. Bilingualism: Language and Cognition, 5, 39–68. 10.1017/S1366728902000135
     https://doi.org/10.1017/S1366728902000135 [Google Scholar]
  63. (2004) Subject and object expression in Spanish heritage speakers: A case of morpho-syntactic convergence. Bilingualism: Language and Cognition, 7, 125–142. 10.1017/S1366728904001464
     https://doi.org/10.1017/S1366728904001464 [Google Scholar]
  64. (2005) Second language acquisition and first language loss in adult early bilinguals: Exploring some differences and similarities. Second Language Research, 21, 199–249. 10.1191/0267658305sr247oa
     https://doi.org/10.1191/0267658305sr247oa [Google Scholar]
  65. (2008) Incomplete acquisition in bilingualism. Re-examining the age factor. Amsterdam: John Benjamins. 10.1075/sibil.39
     https://doi.org/10.1075/sibil.39 [Google Scholar]
  66. (2009) Internal and external interfaces in bilingual language development. International Journal of Bilingualism, 13, 195–210. 10.1177/1367006909339810
     https://doi.org/10.1177/1367006909339810 [Google Scholar]
  67. (2011) Multiple interfaces and incomplete acquisition. Lingua, 121, 591–604. 10.1016/j.lingua.2010.05.006
     https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lingua.2010.05.006 [Google Scholar]
  68. Montrul, S. , Foote, R. , & Perpiñán, S.
    (2008) Gender agreement in adult second language learners and Spanish heritage speakers: The effects of age and context of acquisition. Language Learning, 58, 503–553. 10.1111/j.1467‑9922.2008.00449.x
     https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9922.2008.00449.x [Google Scholar]
  69. Montrul, S. & Polinsky, M.
    (2011) Why not heritage speakers? A response to Sorace. Linguistic Approaches to Bilingualism, 1, 58–62. 10.1075/lab.1.1.07mon
     https://doi.org/10.1075/lab.1.1.07mon [Google Scholar]
  70. O’Grady, W. , Lee, M. , & Choo, M.
    (2001) The acquisition of relative clauses by heritage and non-heritage learners of Korean as a second language, a comparative study. Journal of Korean Language Education, 12, 283–294.
     [Google Scholar]
  71. Paul, W. & Whitman, J.
    (2017) Topic prominence. In M. Everaert & H. C. van Riemsdijk (Eds.). The Wiley Blackwell companion to syntax, second edition. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.. 10.1002/9781118358733.wbsyncom065
     https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118358733.wbsyncom065 [Google Scholar]
  72. Polinsky, M.
    (1997a) American Russian: Language loss meets language acquisition. In W. Browne (Eds.). Formal Approaches to Slavic Linguistics (pp.370–407). Ann Arbor: Michigan Slavic Publications.
     [Google Scholar]
  73. (1997b) Cross-linguistic parallels in first language loss. Southwest Journal of Linguistics, 14, 87–123.
     [Google Scholar]
  74. (2006) Incomplete acquisition: American Russian. Journal of Slavic Linguistics, 14, 191–262.
     [Google Scholar]
  75. (2008) Gender under incomplete acquisition: Heritage speakers’ knowledge of noun categorization. Heritage Language Journal, 6–1, 40–71.
     [Google Scholar]
  76. (2011) Reanalysis in adult heritage language: A case for attrition. Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 33, 305–328. 10.1017/S027226311000077X
     https://doi.org/10.1017/S027226311000077X [Google Scholar]
  77. (2018) Heritage languages and their speakers. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 10.1017/9781107252349
     https://doi.org/10.1017/9781107252349 [Google Scholar]
  78. Polinsky, M. & Kagan, O.
    (2007) Heritage languages: In the ‘wild’ and in the classroom. Language and Linguistics Compass, 1, 368–95. 10.1111/j.1749‑818X.2007.00022.x
     https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1749-818X.2007.00022.x [Google Scholar]
  79. Polinsky, M. & Scontras, G.
    (2020) Understanding heritage languages. Bilingualism: Language and Cognition, 23–1, 4–20. 10.1017/S1366728919000245
     https://doi.org/10.1017/S1366728919000245 [Google Scholar]
  80. R Team
    R Team (2017) R: a language and environment for statistical computing. Retrieved fromwww.r-project.org/
  81. Rizzi, L.
    (1982) Issues in Italian syntax. Dordrecht: Foris. 10.1515/9783110883718
     https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110883718 [Google Scholar]
  82. (1986) Null objects in Italian and the theory of pro . Linguistic Inquiry, 17, 501–557.
     [Google Scholar]
  83. Rodriguez-Ordóñez, I. & Sainzmaza-Lecanda, L.
    (2018) Bilingualism effects in Basque subject pronoun expression: Evidence from L2 Basque. Linguistic Approaches to Bilingualism, 8, 523–560. 10.1075/lab.16024.rod
     https://doi.org/10.1075/lab.16024.rod [Google Scholar]
  84. Rothman, J.
    (2009a) Understanding the nature and outcomes of early bilingualism: Roman languages as heritage languages. International Journal of Bilingualism, 13–2, 155–163. 10.1177/1367006909339814
     https://doi.org/10.1177/1367006909339814 [Google Scholar]
  85. (2009b) Pragmatic deficits with syntactic consequences: L2 pronominal subjects and the syntax–pragmatics interface. Journal of Pragmatics, 41, 951–973. 10.1016/j.pragma.2008.07.007
     https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pragma.2008.07.007 [Google Scholar]
  86. Schwartz, B. D. & Sprouse, R. A.
    (1996) L2 cognitive states and the full transfer/full access model. Second Language Research, 12, 40–72. 10.1177/026765839601200103
     https://doi.org/10.1177/026765839601200103 [Google Scholar]
  87. Scontras, G. , Polinsky, M. , Tsai, C. Y. E. , & Mai, K.
    (2017) Cross-linguistic scope ambiguity: When two systems meet. Glossa: A journal of general linguistics, 2(1), 36. 10.5334/gjgl.198
     https://doi.org/10.5334/gjgl.198 [Google Scholar]
  88. Scontras, G. , Polinsky, M. & Fuchs, Z.
    (2018) In support of representational economy: Agreement in heritage Spanish. Glossa: A journal of general linguistics, 3(1), 1. 10.5334/gjgl.164
     https://doi.org/10.5334/gjgl.164 [Google Scholar]
  89. Shi, D.
    (2000) Topic and topic-comment constructions in Mandarin Chinese. Language, 76, 383–408. 10.1353/lan.2000.0070
     https://doi.org/10.1353/lan.2000.0070 [Google Scholar]
  90. Silva-Corvalán, C.
    (1994) Language contact and change. Spanish in Los Angeles. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
     [Google Scholar]
  91. Slabakovam, R.
    (2008) Meaning in the second language. Mouton de Gruyter, Berlin. 10.1515/9783110211511
     https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110211511 [Google Scholar]
  92. Slabakova, R. & Ivanov, I.
    (2011) A more careful look at the syntax–discourse interface. Lingua, 121: 637–51. 10.1016/j.lingua.2010.05.003
     https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lingua.2010.05.003 [Google Scholar]
  93. Slabakova, R. , Kempchinsky, P. , & Rothman, J.
    (2012) Clitic-doubled left dislocation and focus fronting in L2 Spanish: A case of successful acquisition at the syntax–discourse interface. Second Language Research, 28, 319–43. 10.1177/0267658312447612
     https://doi.org/10.1177/0267658312447612 [Google Scholar]
  94. Song, M. , O’Grady, W. , Cho, S. , & Lee, M.
    (1997) The learning and teaching of Korean in community schools. In Kim, Y. H. (Ed.). Korean language in America 2 (pp.111–127). American Association of Teachers of Korean, Hawaii.
     [Google Scholar]
  95. Sorace, A.
    (2000) Differential effects of attrition in the L1 syntax of near-native L2 speakers. InProceedings of the 24th Boston University Conference on Language Development (pp.719–215). Sommerville, MA: Cascadilla Press.
     [Google Scholar]
  96. (2004) Native language attrition and developmental instability at the syntax-discourse interface: Data, interpretations and methods. Bilingualism: Language and Cognition, 7, 143–145. 10.1017/S1366728904001543
     https://doi.org/10.1017/S1366728904001543 [Google Scholar]
  97. (2005) Syntactic optionality at interfaces. In L. Cornips & K. Corrigan (Eds.), Syntax and variation: Reconciling the biological and the social (pp.46–111). Amsterdam: John Benjamins.
     [Google Scholar]
  98. (2011) Pinning down the concept of ‘interface’ in bilingualism. Linguistic Approaches to Bilingualism, 1, 1–33. 10.1075/lab.1.1.01sor
     https://doi.org/10.1075/lab.1.1.01sor [Google Scholar]
  99. Sorace, A. & Filiaci, F.
    (2006) Anaphora resolution in near-native speakers of Italian. Second Language Research, 22, 339–368. 10.1191/0267658306sr271oa
     https://doi.org/10.1191/0267658306sr271oa [Google Scholar]
  100. Sorace, A. & Serratrice, L.
    (2009) Internal and external interfaces in bilingual language development: Beyond structural overlap. International Journal of Bilingualism, 13, 195–210. 10.1177/1367006909339810
     https://doi.org/10.1177/1367006909339810 [Google Scholar]
  101. Sorace, A. , Serratrice, L. , Filiaci, F. , & Baldo, M.
    (2009) Discourse conditions on subject pronoun realization: Testing the linguistic intuitions of bilingual children. Lingua, 119, 460–477. 10.1016/j.lingua.2008.09.008
     https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lingua.2008.09.008 [Google Scholar]
  102. Taraldsen, T.
    (1978) On the NIC, vacuous application, and the that-trace filter. Indiana University Linguistics Club, Bloomington.
     [Google Scholar]
  103. (1980) On the NIC, vacuous application and the that-trace filter. MIT and Indiana Linguistics Club.
     [Google Scholar]
  104. Tsimpli, I.
    (2014) Early, late or very late. Timing acquisition and bilingualism. Linguistic Approaches to Bilingualim, 4, 283–313. 10.1075/lab.4.3.01tsi
     https://doi.org/10.1075/lab.4.3.01tsi [Google Scholar]
  105. Tsimpli, I. , Sorace, A. , Heycock, C. & Filiaci, F.
    (2004) First language attrition and syntactic subjects: A study of Greek and Italian near-native speakers of English. International Journal of Bilingualism, 8, 257–277. 10.1177/13670069040080030601
     https://doi.org/10.1177/13670069040080030601 [Google Scholar]
  106. Tsimpli, I. & Sorace, A.
    (2006) Differentiating interfaces: L2 performance in syntax-semantics and syntax-discourse phenomena. In Bamman, D. , Magnitskaia, T. & Zaller, C. (Eds.). Proceedings of the 30th Annual Boston University Conference on Language Development (pp.653–664). Sommerville, MA: Cascadilla Press.
     [Google Scholar]
  107. Valdés, G.
    (1989) Teaching Spanish to Hispanic bilinguals: A look at oral proficiency testing and the proficiency movement. Hispania, 72(2), 392–401. 10.2307/343163
     https://doi.org/10.2307/343163 [Google Scholar]
  108. Wang, Q. , Lillo-Martin, D. , Best, C. T. , & Levitt, A.
    (1992) Null subject vs. null object: some evidence from the acquisition of Chinese and English. Language Acquisition, 59, 221–254. 10.1207/s15327817la0203_2
     https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327817la0203_2 [Google Scholar]
  109. Washio, R.
    (1997) Resultatives, compositionality and language variation. Journal of East Asian Linguistics, 6, 1–49. 10.1023/A:1008257704110
     https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1008257704110 [Google Scholar]
  110. Wexler, K.
    (1998) Very early parameter setting and the unique checking constraint. Lingua, 106, 23–79. 10.1016/S0024‑3841(98)00029‑1
     https://doi.org/10.1016/S0024-3841(98)00029-1 [Google Scholar]
  111. White, L.
    (2003) Second language acquisition and Universal Grammar. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 10.1017/CBO9780511815065
     https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511815065 [Google Scholar]
  112. White, L. & Genesee, F.
    (1996) How native is near-native? The issue of ultimate attainment in adult second language acquisition. Second Language Research, 12, 233–265. 10.1177/026765839601200301
     https://doi.org/10.1177/026765839601200301 [Google Scholar]
  113. White, L.
    (2009) Grammatical theory: Interfaces and L2 knowledge. In Ritchie, W. & Bhatia, T. K. (Eds.). The New Handbook of Second Language Acquisition. Oxford: Blackwell.
     [Google Scholar]
  114. Xiang, M. , Polinsky, M. , Kelly, K. , Chen, L. I. , & Wang, S.
    (2009) The effect of partial semantic feature match in forward prediction and backward retrieval. Poster presented atCUNY 22, UC Davis.
     [Google Scholar]
  115. Xu, L.
    (1986) Free empty category. Linguistic Inquiry, 17, 75–93.
     [Google Scholar]
  116. Yip, M. & Matthews, S.
    (2010) The acquisition of Chinese in bilingual and multilingual contexts. International Journal of Bilingualism, 14, 127–146. 10.1177/1367006909356652
     https://doi.org/10.1177/1367006909356652 [Google Scholar]
  117. Yuan, B.
    (1993) Directionality of difficulty in second language acquisition of Chinese and English. PhD Dissertation, University of Edinburgh, UK.
  118. (1995) Acquisition of base-generated topics by English-Speaking learners of Chinese. Language Learning, 45, 201–237. 10.1111/j.1467‑1770.1995.tb00455.x
     https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-1770.1995.tb00455.x [Google Scholar]
  119. (2010) Domain-wide or variable-dependent vulnerability of the semantics – syntax interface in L2 acquisition? Evidence from wh-words used as existential polarity words in L2 Chinese grammars Second Language Research, 26 (2), 219–260. 10.1177/0267658309349421
     https://doi.org/10.1177/0267658309349421 [Google Scholar]
  120. Zhao, X. L.
    (2012) Interpretation of Chinese overt and null embedded arguments by English-speaking learners. Second Language Research, 28(2), 169–190. 10.1177/0267658312437629
     https://doi.org/10.1177/0267658312437629 [Google Scholar]
  121. (2014) Ultimate attainment of anaphora resolution in L2 Chinese. Second Language Research, 30(3), 381–407. 10.1177/0267658314521107
     https://doi.org/10.1177/0267658314521107 [Google Scholar]
  122. Zhu, J. & Gavarró, A.
    (2019) Testing language acquisition models: null and overt topics in Mandarin. Journal of Child Language, 46, 707–732. 10.1017/S0305000919000114
     https://doi.org/10.1017/S0305000919000114 [Google Scholar]
/content/journals/10.1075/ijchl.19016.cho
Loading
Acquisition of null objects in Mandarin Chinese by heritage speakers
International Journal of Chinese Linguistics 7, 223 (2020); https://doi.org/10.1075/ijchl.19016.cho
/content/journals/10.1075/ijchl.19016.cho
/content/journals/10.1075/ijchl.19016.cho
Loading

Data & Media loading...

  • Article Type: Research Article
Keyword(s): heritage speakers; Mandarin Chinese; null objects; syntax-pragmatics interface

Most Cited

This is a required field
Please enter a valid email address
Approval was successful
Invalid data
An Error Occurred
Approval was partially successful, following selected items could not be processed due to error