A aquisição de sujeitos nulos em português L2 (The acquisition of null subjects in L2 portuguese)

Ana Madeira; Maria Francisca Xavier; Maria de Lourdes Crispim

doi:10.22481/el.v7i2.1095

Authors

Ana Madeira New University of Lisbon (UNL/Portugal) http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9870-007X
Maria Francisca Xavier New University of Lisbon (UNL/Portugal) http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9460-5574
Maria de Lourdes Crispim New University of Lisbon (UNL/Portugal) http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3077-1976

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.22481/el.v7i2.1095

Keywords:

Acquisition, Agreement, Second language, Null subject, Transfer

Abstract

This study aims to investigate the L2 acquisition, by learners of L2 European Portuguese at different levels of proficiency, of the morphosyntactic properties associated with a positive value of the null subject parameter, as well as of the discourse-pragmatic properties which determine the distribution of null and overt subjects, whilst simultaneously seeking to establish the role of the learners’ native language in the acquisition of these properties. The study is based on production data and on data obtained from a preference judgement task. The results indicate that the morphosyntactic properties are acquired early, which constitutes evidence of parametric (re)setting, although some differences are observed between speakers of different L1s regarding the pace of development of these properties. As for the discourse-pragmatic properties, their acquisition is shown to be difficult, particularly for speakers of non-null subject languages.
KEYWORDS: Acquisition. Agreement. Second language. Null subject. Transfer.

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Author Biographies

Ana Madeira, New University of Lisbon (UNL/Portugal)

Ana Madeira é Professora do Departamento de Linguística da Faculdade de Ciências Sociais e Humanas da Universidade Nova de Lisboa e investigadora do Centro de Linguística da Universidade Nova de Lisboa. É responsável pelo projecto “Morfologia e Sintaxe na Aquisição de L2” e tem participado em diversos projectos sobre o ensino/aprendizagem do português língua não materna. Desenvolve investigação nos domínios da sintaxe e aquisição de língua segunda.

Maria Francisca Xavier, New University of Lisbon (UNL/Portugal)

Maria Francisca Xavier é Professora Associada no Departamento de Linguística da Faculdade de Ciências Sociais e Humanas da Universidade Nova de Lisboa, com agregação em Linguística Portuguesa - Linguística Comparada - e investigadora do Centro de Linguística da mesma universidade. Desenvolve investigação no âmbito do léxico e da morfossintaxe relativamente aos processos de aquisição/aprendizagem de língua não materna, de variação e mudança linguísticas, em particular, do português e do inglês.

Maria de Lourdes Crispim, New University of Lisbon (UNL/Portugal)

Maria De Lourdes Crispim é Professora Associada no Departamento de Linguística da Faculdade de Ciências Sociais e Humanas da Universidade Nova de Lisboa, presidente da Comissão Directiva do Centro de Linguística da Universidade Nova de Lisboa (CLUNL) e responsável pelos cursos intensivos anuais de Português, língua estrangeira. Desenvolve investigação nos domínios do português medieval e do português, língua não materna.

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