Second Language Acquisition: An Introductory Course

512 Pages·2001·1.86 MB·English

by  Susan M. Gass & Larry Selinker

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title: Second Language Acquisition : An Introductory Course
author: Gass, Susan M.; Selinker, Larry
publisher: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.
isbn10 | asin: 0805835288
print isbn13: 9780805835281
ebook isbn13: 9780585384573
language: English
subject Second language acquisition.
publication date: 2000
lcc: P118.2.G37 2000eb
ddc: 418
subject: Second language acquisition.
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Page i
SECOND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION
AN INTRODUCTORY COURSE
Second Edition
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SECOND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION
AN INTRODUCTORY COURSE
Second Edition
Susan M. Gass
Michigan State University
Larry Selinker
Birkbeck College, University of London
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Page iv
Copyright © 2001 by Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, by photostat, microfilm, retrieval system, or
any other means, without prior written permission of the publisher.
Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc., Publishers
10 Industrial Avenue
Mahwah, NJ 07430
Cover design by Kathryn Houghtaling Lacey
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Gass, Susan M.
Second language acquisition: an introductory course / Susan Gass, Larry Selinker.--
2nd ed.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0-8058-3527-X (alk. paper) -- ISBN 0-8058-3528-8 (pbk. : alk paper)
1. Second language acquisition. I. Selinker, Larry, 1937-II. Title.
P118.2.G37 2000
418--dc21
00-050332
CIP
Books published by Lawrence Erlbaum Associates are printed on acid-free paper, and their bindings are chosen for
strength and durability.
Printed in the United States of America
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
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To Josh, my life partner,
with love and deep affection.
SUSAN GASS
To Sol and Miriam Selinker
for the example of their courage and wisdom.
Sol passed away in December 1997 and I miss him.
LARRY SELINKER
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CONTENTS
PREFACE
viii
1 INTRODUCTION
1
1.1. The Study of Second Language Acquisition 1
1.2. Definitions 4
1.3. The Nature of Language 5
1.3.1. Sound Systems 6
1.3.2. Syntax 7
1.3.3. Morphology and the Lexicon 9
1.3.4. Semantics 10
1.3.5. Pragmatics 11
1.4. The Nature of Nonnative Speaker Knowledge 12
1.5. Conclusion 12
Points for Discussion 13
2 LOOKING AT INTERLANGUAGE DATA
17
2.1. Data Analysis 17
2.1.1. Data Set I: Plurals 18
2.1.2. Data Set II: Verb + -ing Markers 22
2.1.3. Data Set III: Prepositions 24
2.2. What Data Analysis Does Not Reveal 26
2.3. Data Collection 30
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2.4. Data Elicitation 37
2.4.1. Standardized Language Tests 37
2.4.2. Tests From Psychology 38
2.4.3. Language-Elicitation Measure 40
2.5. Replication 48
2.6. Issues in Data Analysis 49
2.7. What Is Acquisition? 58
2.8. Conclusion 58
Points for Discussion 59
3 THE ROLE OF THE NATIVE LANGUAGE:
AN HISTORICAL OVERVIEW 65
3.1. An Historical Perspective 65
3.1.1. Psychological Background 66
3.1.2. Linguistic Background 68
3.2. Contrastive Analysis Hypothesis 72
3.3. Error Analysis 78
3.4. Conclusion 87
Points for Discussion 87
4 CHILD LANGUAGE ACQUISITION:
FIRST AND SECOND 92
4.1. Child First Language Acquisition 92
4.1.1. Babbling 93
4.1.2. Words 95
4.1.3. Sounds and Pronunciation 96
4.1.4. Syntax 96
4.1.5. Morphology 98
4.2. Theories of Learning 98
4.3. Child Second Language Acquisition 100
4.4. Child Second Language Morpheme Order Studies 104
4.5. Conclusion 108
Points for Discussion 108
5 RECENT PERSPECTIVES ON THE ROLE OF PREVIOUSLY KNOWN LANGUAGES
112
5.1. Morpheme Order Studies 112
5.2. Revised Perspectives on the Role of the Native Language 117
5.2.1. Avoidance 119
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5.2.2. Differential Learning Rates 120
5.2.3. Different Paths 122
5.2.4. Overproduction 125
5.2.5. Predictability/Selectivity 126
5.3 Interlanguage Transfer 132
5.4 Conclusion 137
Points for Discussion 137
6 SLA AND LINGUISTICS
141
6.1. Language Universals 142
6.2. Typological Universals 144
6.2.1. Test Case I: The Accessibility Hierarchy 145
6.2.2. Test Case II: The Acquisition of Questions 149
6.2.3. Test Case III: Voiced/Voiceless Consonants 151
6.2.4. Typological Universals: Conclusions 154
6.3. Tense and Aspect 155
6.3.1. The Aspect Hypothesis 155
6.3.2. The Discourse Hypothesis 158
6.4. Phonology 159
6.5. Conclusion 163
Points for Discussion 164
7 UNIVERSAL GRAMMAR
168
7.1. Universal Grammar 168
7.1.1. Initial State 174
7.1.2. UG Principles 179
7.1.3. UG Parameters 180
7.1.4. Falsification: UG and Typological Universals 183
7.2. Transfer: The UG Perspective 185
7.2.1. Levels of Representation 186
7.2.2. Clustering 186
7.2.3. Learnability 187
7.3. Minimalist Program 188
7.4. Conclusion 190
Points for Discussion 191
8 LOOKING AT INTERLANGUAGE PROCESSES
192
8.1. The Competition Model 192
8.2. The Monitor Model 198
8.2.1. The Acquisition–Learning Hypothesis 198
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