Parameter Setting in Language Acquisition

Contents......Page 6
Acknowledgments......Page 10
1 Introduction......Page 14
2.2 A historical perspective......Page 18
2.3.1 Introduction......Page 21
2.3.2 Micro-parameters......Page 22
2.3.3 Macro-parameters......Page 23
2.4 Parameters and language change......Page 25
2.5 Parameters and pidgin/creole languages......Page 27
2.6 Computational perspective......Page 29
2.7 Neurolinguistic perspective......Page 31
2.8 Challenges to parameter-setting theory......Page 33
2.8.1 Universal Grammar and cognition......Page 34
2.8.2 The Critical Period Hypothesis......Page 35
2.9 Concluding remarks......Page 39
Notes......Page 40
3.1 Introduction......Page 42
3.1.1 The Maturation Hypothesis......Page 43
3.1.2 The Continuity Hypothesis......Page 47
3.1.3 Reconciling the Maturation Hypothesis and the Continuity Hypothesis......Page 50
3.1.4 Relevance to parameter setting......Page 52
3.2 Is there a triggering problem?......Page 54
3.3.1 Unanswered questions......Page 56
3.3.2 Degrees of learnability and exposure......Page 57
3.3.3 Hints from creole languages and language change......Page 58
3.3.4 Triggers as cues......Page 59
3.3.5 Triggers as structures......Page 61
3.4.1 Positive evidence versus negative evidence......Page 63
3.4.2 The Subset Principle......Page 66
3.4.3 Initial setting......Page 68
3.4.4 How early are parameters set?......Page 72
3.4.5 Parameter ordering......Page 74
3.5 (Re)setting parameters in adult second language acquisition......Page 75
3.6 A non-parametric approach to adult second language acquisition......Page 79
3.7 Concluding remarks......Page 81
Notes......Page 82
4.2 Defining a parameter......Page 84
4.3 Phonological parameters......Page 86
4.4.1 Webelhuth (1992)......Page 89
4.4.2 Juffs (1993)......Page 90
4.6 Syntactic parameters......Page 91
4.7 Null subject parameter......Page 93
4.7.3 Expletives......Page 98
4.7.5 French as a null subject language......Page 99
4.8 Verb movement parameter......Page 100
4.8.1 Negation placement......Page 101
4.8.2 Adverb placement......Page 102
4.8.4 Inverted questions......Page 103
4.8.5 Theoretical issues......Page 104
4.8.6 What triggers verb movement?......Page 105
4.9 Learnability implications......Page 107
4.10 Concluding remarks......Page 108
Notes......Page 109
5.1 Introduction......Page 112
5.1.1 Language data and syntactic theory......Page 113
5.1.2 Methodological concerns......Page 114
5.2.2 Second language acquisition studies......Page 117
5.3.1 First language acquisition studies......Page 120
5.3.2 Second language acquisition studies......Page 122
5.3.3 Studies related to verb movement......Page 130
5.4 Concluding remarks......Page 132
Notes......Page 133
6.1 Introduction......Page 136
6.2 Binarity and parameters......Page 137
6.2.1 Examples of binary parameters......Page 138
6.2.2 Examples of multi-valued parameters......Page 141
6.3.1 Phonological parameters......Page 143
6.3.2 Verb movement phenomena......Page 144
6.3.3 Binding theory......Page 149
6.3.4 Null subject phenomena......Page 150
6.4.1 Theoretical considerations......Page 156
6.4.2 Empirical evidence......Page 158
6.5.1 Theoretical considerations......Page 161
6.5.2 Empirical evidence......Page 164
6.6 Concluding remarks......Page 166
Notes......Page 170
7 Conclusion......Page 172
Note......Page 175
Appendix: Languages exhibiting null subjects/arguments......Page 176
Bibliography......Page 178
K......Page 218
P......Page 219
Y......Page 220
C......Page 221
H......Page 222
M......Page 223
S......Page 224
Z......Page 225