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Current Perspectives on Generative SLA - Processing, Influence, and Interfaces: Selected proceedings of the 16th Generative Approaches to Second Language Acquisition Conference
Edited by Marta Velnić, Anne Dahl and Kjersti Faldet Listhaug
[Language Acquisition and Language Disorders 70] 2024
► pp. 290–313

Chapter 12
There isn’t a problem with indefinites in existential constructions in L2-English

| University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
| National Chengchi University
This is an exploratory study of how both native English speakers and L1-Mandarin L2-English learners judge different types of indefinites in both existential there-constructions and copular constructions with an indefinite subject. Unlike English, Mandarin lacks an a/one distinction, has two different types of existential constructions, and lacks numeral partitives. It is argued that target differentiation among indefinite types and syntactic constructions presents a Poverty of the Stimulus problem. Learners are found to overcome this problem: while there is limited evidence of L1-transfer from Mandarin to English, the learners largely exhibit the same patterns as native speakers in an acceptability judgment task. It is argued that a universal Gricean principle helps learners acquire the a/one distinction.
Keywords: existential constructions, indefinites, Gricean principles, Mandarin, English
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Background: Existential constructions and indefinite types
    • 2.1Existential constructions and types of indefinites in English
    • 2.2Existential constructions and types of indefinites in Mandarin
    • 2.3Study motivation and research questions
  • 3.Methodology
    • 3.1Participants
    • 3.2AJT format
    • 3.3Predictions
  • 4.Results
    • 4.1NS-L2 analyses
    • 4.2Proficiency effects
  • 5.Discussion
  • 6.Conclusion
  • Notes
  • References
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