TY - JOUR

T1 - Morphological or syntactic deficits in near-native speakers? An assessment of some current proposals.

AU - Franceschina, Florencia

N1 - RAE_import_type : Journal article RAE_uoa_type : Linguistics

PY - 2001/7/1

Y1 - 2001/7/1

N2 - Lardiere (1998a, 1998b) and Prévost and White (2000b) have proposed that adult second language (L2) learners can in principle acquire native-like syntactic representations of the L2 and that the commonly observed differences between native speakers (NSs) and nonnative speakers (NNSs) are due to the malfunctioning of the morphological module of the grammar or of its interface with the syntactic module. Indeed, they reject the idea that such differences arise as the result of a deficit in the syntax. However, the model of grammar which underlies this proposal is as yet far from clear. To test the strength of the claim it is important to examine closely the assumed interactions between lexicon, syntax and morphology.This article is a modest attempt to begin this process of scrutiny. Once detail is added to the proposal it becomes clear that theoretical and empirical problems arise. Moreover, some new data collected from a near-native speaker of Spanish bring the empirical problems into sharper focus. It will be concluded that existing evidence against a deficit in the syntax is not compelling.

AB - Lardiere (1998a, 1998b) and Prévost and White (2000b) have proposed that adult second language (L2) learners can in principle acquire native-like syntactic representations of the L2 and that the commonly observed differences between native speakers (NSs) and nonnative speakers (NNSs) are due to the malfunctioning of the morphological module of the grammar or of its interface with the syntactic module. Indeed, they reject the idea that such differences arise as the result of a deficit in the syntax. However, the model of grammar which underlies this proposal is as yet far from clear. To test the strength of the claim it is important to examine closely the assumed interactions between lexicon, syntax and morphology.This article is a modest attempt to begin this process of scrutiny. Once detail is added to the proposal it becomes clear that theoretical and empirical problems arise. Moreover, some new data collected from a near-native speaker of Spanish bring the empirical problems into sharper focus. It will be concluded that existing evidence against a deficit in the syntax is not compelling.

U2 - 10.1191/026765801680191497

DO - 10.1191/026765801680191497

M3 - Journal article

VL - 17

SP - 213

EP - 247

JO - Second Language Research

JF - Second Language Research

SN - 1477-0326

IS - 3

ER -