19 International Symposium on Theoretical and Applied Linguistics ...

G E N E R A L S E S S I O N
Probing the initial L2 state: a case study
1 Eleni Agathopoulou & 2 Despina Papadopoulou
1&2 Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
1 agatho@enl.auth.gr & 2 depapa@lit.auth.gr
In this presentation we report on findings from a beginner learner of Greek as a second language (L2).
Our research question regards the nature of the initial L2 state within the Universal Grammar
framework. There are mainly three theories that concern us here. According to Vainikka &
Young-Scholten’s (<strong>19</strong>94, <strong>19</strong>96) ‘Minimal Trees’ hypothesis or Vainikka & Young-Scholten’s (2006)
‘Organic Grammar’, only lexical categories, for example Verb, Noun and Adjective, exist at the very
early state of interlanguage. On the other hand, in Schwartz and Sprouse’s (<strong>19</strong>94, <strong>19</strong>96) ‘Full
Transfer/Full Access’ hypothesis, all categories from the learner’s L1 are instantiated at the initial L2
state, which implies also grammatical categories, such as D(eterminer), I(nflection) and
C(omplementizer). Last, Bhatt & Hancin-Bhatt’s (2002) ‘Structural Minimality’ hypothesis postulates
that only the grammatical category C is absent at the initial L2 state.
To probe these theories, we administered a battery of tasks to an Italian-English bilingual adult who
had spent a short time in Greece at the time of testing. Specifically, our informant performed three oral
production tasks (sentence repetition, story telling and picture elicitation) and three written tasks
(grammaticality judgments, a cloze-test and a multiple choice test). The grammatical categories aimed
at were the following: (a) articles, (b) nominal and verbal agreement, and (c) complementizers.
In the written tasks the informant’s performance was quite successful regarding all investigated
categories. Similar results were obtained from the oral production tasks, excepting some realizations
of the C category. Also, there were problems with respect to gender agreement between nouns and
adjectives; still, this occurred only in the picture-elicitation task, where there were no clues regarding
the noun’s gender.
Based on these results, we tentatively suggest that the grammatical categories D, I and C are
instantiated in the very early interlanguage, which complies with the ‘Full Transfer/Full Access’
hypothesis. Last, considering variability of performance across tasks, we speculate on what type of
test may better elucidate the elusive character of the initial L2 state.
References
Bhatt R.M. & Hancin-Bhatt B. 2002. Structural Minimality, CP and the initial state in second language acquisition.
Second Language Research 18(4): 348-92.
Schwartz B.D. & Sprouse R.A. <strong>19</strong>94. Word order and nominative case in non-native language acquisition: A
longitudinal study of (L1 Turkish) German Interlanguage. In T. Hoekstra & B.D. Schwartz (eds), Language
acquisition studies in generative grammar: Papers in honor of Kenneth Wexler from the <strong>19</strong>91 GLOW
workshops. Amsterdam: Benjamins, 317-68.
Schwartz B.D. & Sprouse R.A. <strong>19</strong>96. L2 cognitive states and the Full Transfer/Full Access model. Second
Language Research 12(1): 40-72.
Vainikka A. & Young-Scholten M. <strong>19</strong>94. Direct Access to X’ Theory. Evidence from Korean and Turkish Adults
Learning German. In T. Hoekstra & B. D. Schwartz Language Acquisition Studies in Generative Grammar.
Amsterdam: Benjamins, 264-316.
Vainikka A. & Young-Scholten M. <strong>19</strong>96. Gradual development of L2 phrase structure. Second Language
Research 12(1): 7-39.
Introducing a foreign language at primary level:
Benefits or lost opportunities? The case of Greece.
1 Thomai Alexiou & 2 Marina Mattheoudakis
1&2 Aristotle University Thessaloniki
1 t_alexiou@hotmail.com, 2 marmat@enl.auth.gr
Foreign language instruction into Greek primary schools was introduced in <strong>19</strong>87. Initially, this was
implemented for the last three years of primary education, with most schools offering English. In <strong>19</strong>91,
English became the compulsory foreign language in all schools and more recently, in 2003, English
has been extended to the last four years of primary education. The syllabus, as well as the textbooks
used in primary schools are state-approved and followed by all state school teachers. An interesting
and rather unique feature of the Greek foreign language education is that there is a thriving private
sector of foreign language institutes which provides intensive foreign language tuition to students as
young as 8 years old or even younger. Therefore, exposure to the English language may vary
according to learners’ background and often their parent’s socio-economic status (Mattheoudakis &
Alexiou, forthcoming). Due to several factors relating to students’ tutorial schooling, e.g., differences in
<strong>19</strong> th ISTAL 3