The following paper compares and contrasts three different studies in order to investigate, whether grammatical gender agreement in heritage speakers involves incomplete acquisition, and if so, how gender agreement is affected by this and other factors like age of onset and context of acquisition. The papers by Montrul, Foote, & Perpiñán (2008) and Alarcón (2011) analyse Spanish heritage speakers, whereas the study by Polinsky (2008) focuses on American Russian heritage speakers. In this paper, all three studies are analysed in order to compare the participants, the procedure and the specific results concerning grammatical gender under incomplete acquisition across different languages. The analysis of the papers is followed by a general discussion of their main outcome. In the end, I will conclude the overall results and provide an outlook.
Table of Contents
1. Abstract
2. Introduction
3. Study I
3.1 Participants
3.2 Experiment I
3.2.1 Task and Materials
3.2.2 Results
3.3 Experiment II
3.3.1 Task and Materials
3.3.2 Results
3.4 Experiment III
3.4.1 Task and Material
3.4.2 Results
3.5 Discussion
4. Study II
4.1 Participants
4.2 Experiment I
4.2.1 Task and Materials
4.2.2 Results
4.3 Experiment II
4.3.1 Task and Materials
4.3.2 Results
4.4 Discussion
5. Study III
5.1 Participants
5.2 Experiment I
5.2.1 Task and Materials
5.2.2 Results
5.3 Experiment II
5.3.1 Task and Materials
5.3.2 Results
5.4 Discussion
6. General Discussion
7. Conclusion
Research Objectives and Core Themes
The primary objective of this paper is to investigate whether grammatical gender agreement in heritage speakers is a consequence of incomplete acquisition, and how various factors such as age of onset and context of acquisition influence this process across different languages.
- Analysis of incomplete acquisition in heritage language speakers.
- Comparison of grammatical gender agreement performance across Spanish and American Russian heritage speakers.
- Evaluation of L2 learners versus heritage speakers regarding explicit and implicit linguistic knowledge.
- Assessment of the role of age of onset and language input quality in linguistic development.
- Identification of error patterns in oral production versus written comprehension tasks.
Excerpt from the Book
3. Study I
The first research paper I am going to analyse is the study 'Gender Agreement in Adult Second Language Learners and Heritage Speakers: The Effects of Age and Context of Acquisition' by Silvina Montrul. The aim of the study is to gain knowledge about gender agreement in Spanish noun phrases. The main question is whether there is an advantage for heritage speakers due to age of onset of bilingualism. Furthermore the author intends to clarify whether there are differences in the overall written comprehension and oral production of gender agreement in noun phrases between adult L2 learners and Spanish heritage speakers. If the L2 learners and the heritage speakers produce gender agreement errors, another aim would be to find out what kind of error patterns in terms of gender, domain of agreement and noun ending they are producing and where they differ from each other (Montrul et al., 2008).
Summary of Chapters
1. Abstract: Provides an overview of the comparative analysis of three studies regarding grammatical gender agreement and incomplete acquisition.
2. Introduction: Defines core concepts such as heritage language, incomplete acquisition, and the factors influencing linguistic competence.
3. Study I: Examines Montrul’s study on Spanish heritage speakers and L2 learners, focusing on age of onset and task performance.
4. Study II: Analyzes Alarcón’s replication and expansion of Montrul’s research on gender agreement in Spanish.
5. Study III: Investigates Polinsky’s study on American Russian heritage speakers and their noun categorization abilities.
6. General Discussion: Synthesizes findings from all three studies to address the overarching research questions regarding gender agreement and acquisition.
7. Conclusion: Summarizes the final insights, confirming that incomplete acquisition affects gender agreement and suggesting directions for future research.
Keywords
Heritage Speakers, Incomplete Acquisition, Grammatical Gender Agreement, Spanish, American Russian, L2 Learners, Language Input, Age of Onset, Oral Production, Written Comprehension, Missing Surface Inflection Hypothesis, Noun Categorization, Linguistic Competence, Bilingualism.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research paper?
The paper examines the phenomenon of incomplete acquisition in heritage speakers, specifically looking at how grammatical gender agreement is affected by factors such as age of onset and acquisition context.
Which languages are analyzed in the study?
The study primarily focuses on Spanish heritage speakers and L2 learners, and includes a comparative analysis of American Russian heritage speakers.
What is the main research question?
The paper investigates whether incomplete acquisition is responsible for errors in grammatical gender agreement and whether factors like the age of first exposure significantly influence the outcome.
Which scientific methods are employed?
The paper utilizes a comparative literature review of three specific experimental studies, analyzing their procedures, results from oral and written tasks, and the authors' theoretical frameworks.
What topics are covered in the main body of the paper?
The main body evaluates individual experimental studies (Montrul, Alarcón, and Polinsky), comparing their methodologies, participant demographics, and findings regarding gender assignment and morphological processing.
What are the characterizing keywords of the work?
Key terms include Incomplete Acquisition, Heritage Speakers, Grammatical Gender Agreement, Bilingualism, and L2 Learners.
How do heritage speakers compare to L2 learners in these studies?
The studies show that while both groups display errors, their performance varies significantly based on whether the task involves written comprehension or oral production, often linked to their distinct modes of acquisition.
Why is the "age of onset" considered a critical factor?
Age of onset is argued to be a significant predictor of whether a speaker achieves native-like proficiency, as early exposure in a naturalistic home setting differs from later, classroom-based L2 acquisition.
What is the conclusion regarding gender agreement?
The author concludes that incomplete acquisition is a major factor in gender agreement errors, with heritage speakers often showing systematic rather than random error patterns.
What is the significance of the "Missing Surface Inflection Hypothesis" mentioned?
This hypothesis is used to explain why participants may have underlying knowledge of gender but struggle with performance or output, particularly in oral production tasks.
- Quote paper
- M.Ed. Timmy Paul (Author), 2017, The Effects of Incomplete Acquisition on Grammatical Gender Agreement in Heritage Speakers, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1169261
