Ultimate Attainment in Second Language Acquisition: A Case Study

by Lardiere; Donna

• ISBN13: 9780805834567
• ISBN10: 0805834567
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2006-09-06
• Publisher: Routledge

Summary

The first book-length treatment of its type,Ultimate Attainment in Second Language Acquisitionis a case study with a solid theoretical grounding that examines the language of an immigrant learner of English, and thereby presents a much needed understanding of the linguistic competence of second language speakers. Based on longitudinal data collected over a period of 16 years, this clear and accessible presentation is well-grounded in linguistic theory and in second language acquisition research issues. Author Donna Lardiere presents the narrative of Patty, an adult Chinese immigrant learner of English, who achieves native-like proficiency in some areas of her English idiolect, although reaches a plateau in her language acquisition, known as the concept of fossilization. By addressing this concept, a central idea in second language acquisition research, Lardiere fills a void in existing literature. Individual chapters focus on Patty's end state knowledge of grammatical areas of finiteness, past-tense marking, word order, wh-movement and relativization, passivization, number marking, and use of determiners. Important topics discussed throughout the book include: *learner variability in production; *case study methodology; *the roles of motivation and prior language (L1) knowledge; and *sensitivity to input in circumscribing ultimate attainment in adult second language acquisition. Ultimate Attainment in Second Language Acquisitionis intended for anyone whose research is in the areas of second language acquisition, language acquisition, theoretical, applied, or developmental linguistics. It is also appropriate for graduate level students of TESOL and teachers who work with more advanced learners of foreign languages.

Author Biography

Donna Lardiere, Associate Professor of Linguistics at Georgetown University

Table of Contents

Preface	p. vii
Some Preliminary Issues In Adult L2 Ultimate Attainment	p. 1
Sorting Through Some Terminology	p. 2
What Can a 'Fossilized' End-State Grammar Tell Us About the Language Faculty?	p. 5
Why a Case Study?	p. 10
Why Study Patty?	p. 15
A Note On the Data	p. 16
A Note On the Role of Linguistic Theory In This Study	p. 18
Goals and Outline	p. 19
Introducing Patty	p. 21
Some Background Information About Patty	p. 21
On The Role of Motivational and Affective Factors	p. 31
Knowledge of Finiteness	p. 48
Defining Finiteness	p. 49
Considering the Input: Kinds of Evidence for Finiteness	p. 50
Knowledge of Finiteness in SLA	p. 65
Finiteness In an End-State L2 Grammar: Patty	p. 73
The Acquisition of Past Tense	p. 94
What Does Patty Typically Mark for Past Tense?	p. 95
Some Possible Factors Affecting Past-Tense Marking	p. 102
So What is [[plus-minus]Past] in English, Anyway, and What Does Past-Tense Marking Mark?	p. 124
Alternative Kinds of LI Influence in Acquiring Past-Tense Marking	p. 132
Incorrect Past-Tense Marking	p. 135
Conclusion	p. 137
Clausal Word Order and Movement	p. 140
Verb Raising	p. 140
Wh-Movement	p. 153
Relative Clauses	p. 159
Passives	p. 174
Nominal Phrases	p. 180
Possession in DPs	p. 181
Plural Marking	p. 184
Article Usage	p. 189
An Interaction of DP Features: Definiteness and Number	p. 199
Conclusions	p. 203
Overview of the Data from Patty	p. 203
The Role of the L1 in Accounting for Divergent L2 Outcomes	p. 205
Variability and Sensitivity to Input in Adult Language Acquisition	p. 229
A Different Goal?	p. 234
Postscript	p. 237
References	p. 239
Author Index	p. 261
Subject Index	p. 267
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