Structure-building trigger model: adult L2 learners scan input for cues but use different triggers than children¶

Theory · All theories
Evidence · 2 claims (1 for, 1 against) · 2 studies (1 review, 1 theoretical), q1–q2 · 0 of 2 report an effect size · 2 claims rest on one study

Description¶

Vainikka and Young-Scholten's structure-building approach holds that adult L2 learners, like children, scan the input for cues in three UG-related steps: a head projects a maximal projection, then complement and specifier positions are posited on positive evidence. L1 transfer applies only at the start, with learners initially projecting a VP whose headedness matches their L1. However, "While adults go through the same three steps given 'above, they seem unable to makeuse of the same elements as triggers.Rather, they make use of free inflectional morphemes", whereas children use clitic-like unstressed inflectional elements.

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

• Triggers must be robust in the input
• A functional projection with no morphosyntactic evidence in the input cannot be posited

Constraints¶

• Adult learners show problems with CP/V2 in German, suggesting the proposed free-morpheme trigger for CP may fail, unlike clitics for children

Target Learners¶

• adult second language learners of German

Target Learning Objectives¶

• development of syntactic structure in L2 interlanguage grammars

Claims¶

• Mental representation is not amenable to direct explicit instruction because UG and parsers operate only on input data [+W]
• A 1999 conference paper reports, citing White (1991) and Schwartz and Gubala-Ryzak (1992), that explicit negative evidence on English adverb placement produced only superficial change in French learners [-W]

Related Theories¶

• Two-faces framework: language acquisition as distinct mental representation and skill components
• Swain's output hypothesis

Examples¶

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Key Sources¶

• Young-Scholten, M. (1999). Focus on Form and Linguistic Competence: Why Krashen Is Still Right about Acquisition. Paper presented at AAAL, Stamford. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED432919