Linguistic Approaches to Bilingualism - Volume 5, Issue 2, 2015

There are two competing theories of bilingual lexical access — the language-selective access theory, which proposes that only the lexical items from the intended language are activated for selection during speech planning and comprehension (e.g., Costa, Santesteban, & Ivanova, 2006), and the language non-selective access theory, which proposes that both languages receive activation and compete for production (e.g., Kroll, Bobb, & Wodniecka, 2006). This study examines whether language-specific syntax — the syntactic positioning of a target word in a determiner phrase — can act as a language cue to modulate cross-linguistic activation and whether inhibition resolves competition (e.g., Green, 1998). In two cross-modal priming (+/−Rep) tasks, Spanish-English bilinguals were presented English sentences that were linearly congruent (Canonical Dative and of-Genitive) or incongruent (Dative Double Object and ’s-Genitive) with Spanish syntax and were prompted to make a lexical decision on a Spanish translation of the target word or a control word. The RTs revealed that participants were significantly slower in the incongruent condition (−Rep) than the congruent condition (−Rep) suggesting that language-specific syntax is a language cue that modulates cross-linguistic activation. When participants were prompted to repeat the sentences aloud (+Rep), the translation equivalent was expected to compete with the target word for production, yet no significant difference of RTs was found and the role of inhibition in speech production was not confirmed. Taken together, these findings support the language non-selective access model and further refine current theories of cross-linguistic activation and inhibitory control during bilingual language comprehension and production.

In order to elucidate the structure of heritage grammars, this paper presents an analysis of word order variation in Moundridge Schweitzer German (MSG), a moribund heritage variety of German spoken in South Central Kansas. Based on elicited production data and an acceptability judgment task, we show that the current state of the MSG grammar maintains the asymmetric German verb-second (V2) and verb-final (V-final) word-ordering closely tied to specific pragmatic information associated with clause-types and complementizers. Extensive contact with English does not lead to adoption of English word order; rather, it occasions restructuring of German word order within the constraints of German syntax. We model these findings in a syntactic analysis following recent proposals by Putnam & Sánchez (2013) and Polinsky (2011) that challenge the notion of ‘incomplete acquisition’ as a way to conceptualize heritage language acquisition.

This paper examines the interpretation of NPs in generic and existential contexts in the acquisition of Brazilian Portuguese (BrP) as a third language (L3) by learners who speak English and a Romance language (Spanish, French or Italian). The paper examines whether transfer / cross-linguistic influence is from English, Spanish/French/Italian, or both, and whether it matters which language is the learners’ first language (L1) vs. their second language (L2). An Acceptability Judgment Task of NP interpretation in BrP is administered to L1-English L2-Spanish/French/Italian and L1-Spanish L2-English learners of BrP as an L3, as well as to a control group of native speakers of BrP. The findings point to a nuanced picture of transfer in L3 acquisition, in which both languages can serve as the source of transfer, but transfer from a previously learned Romance language is more pronounced than transfer from English, both for L1-English L2-Romance and L1-Spanish L2-English L3-learners of BrP.

The vulnerability of the syntax–semantics interface in simultaneous bilingual first language acquisition is still up for debate; while some scholars have found crosslinguistic transfer at this interface, others found no such influence. To determine which kinds of syntax–semantics interface phenomena may be vulnerable, this study examines the acquisition and use of dative alternation by German-English bilingual children and adults compared with English monolingual children and German and English monolingual adults.The study shows that bilingual children interpret and comprehend dative constructions in English like their monolingual peers but their production of dative constructions in German is influenced by English. This suggests that syntax–semantics interface phenomena relating to the representation of verbs’ objects are vulnerable to influence. However, bilingual adults perform like monolinguals in both languages. These results suggest that any indeterminacy in the use of dative alternation in the adult state is due to L1 attrition rather than incomplete L1 acquisition.