Crosslinguistic influence at the syntax proper: Interrogative subject–verb inversion in heritage Spanish

This study examines the potential effects of crosslinguistic influence in the acquisition of subject–verb inversion in Spanish matrix and embedded wh-questions among Spanish heritage language learners living in the United States. The results from an acceptability judgment task and a written producti...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inThe international journal of bilingualism : cross-disciplinary, cross-linguistic studies of language behavior Vol. 17; no. 1; pp. 71 - 96
Main Author Cuza, Alejandro
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published London, England SAGE Publications 01.02.2013
Sage Publications Ltd. (UK)
Sage Publications Ltd
Subjects
Acceptability
Bilingualism
Computer software industry
Family Environment
Followup Studies
Generative Grammar
Grammar
Grammatical subject
Heritage Language
Hypotheses
Judgment
Language Acquisition
Language Dominance
Language instruction
Linguistics
Longitudinal studies
Native Language
Nouns
Pragmatics
Pragmatism
Questions
Romance Languages
Second Language Learning
Semantics
Semiotics
Spanish
Spanish as a Second Language Learning
Spanish language
Syntactic Processing
Syntax
Transfer
Verbs
Wh Phrases
Young Children
France
United States
United States > US
interface hypothesis
crosslinguistic influence
subject–verb inversion
Spanish heritage speakers
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Summary:This study examines the potential effects of crosslinguistic influence in the acquisition of subject–verb inversion in Spanish matrix and embedded wh-questions among Spanish heritage language learners living in the United States. The results from an acceptability judgment task and a written production task administered to 17 US-born heritage speakers indicate crosslinguistic influence effects. The effects are more evident with embedded interrogatives than with matrix questions. A follow-up study with the heritage speakers also shows less inversion behavior with embedded questions in oral production but higher performance levels than in written production. The findings are discussed in relation to interface vulnerability approaches and current debates on the selective nature of crosslinguistic influence in L2 and bilingual development.
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ISSN:1367-0069
1756-6878
DOI:10.1177/1367006911432619