In this study, we explore native and non-native syntactic processing, paying special attention to the language distance factor. To this end, we compared how native speakers of Basque and highly proficient non-native speakers of Basque who are native speakers of Spanish process certain core aspects of Basque syntax. Our results suggest that…

Investigates whether native speakers of Korean learning English develop Knowledge of the holism effect in the English locative and knowledge of the narrow constraints. Results suggest that when given a ground-object structure, both learners and English native speakers preferentially chose a ground-holism picture. (Author/VWL)

Two experiments examine the effects of the native language on the second language acquisition argument structure. The linguistic focus is on agentive verbs of directed motion and change-of-state verbs in Spanish and English. Examined whether Spanish and Turkish learners of English undergeneralize the transitivity alternation with manner of motion…

Describes how Turkish and Morrocan adults acquire Dutch possessive clauses in which the verb "have" expresses the possessive relationship. The acquisition process is explained within the framework of recent generative theory on which "have-clauses are assumed to be popular locative constructions. (Author/VWL)

A contrastive analysis clarifies the differences in the formation of English and Persian verbs through examination of language differences in person, tense, phase, aspect, mode, voice, and status. (27 references) (CB)

Demonstrates that the acquisition of English reflexives by Chinese, Japanese, and Korean learners is not a valid test for parameter resetting in second-language learning, because English reflexives share the same setting as phrasal reflexives in Chinese, Japanese, and Korean. (23 references) (MDM)

Discusses the difficulties in learning the English verbs "do" and "make" by second-language learners, and compares the use of these verbs with the German "tun" and "machen" and the Dutch "doen" and "maken." It is suggested that to reach valid conclusions in contrastive linguistics, it is necessary to consider the diachronic dimension. (21…

Investigates the acquisition of temporality in English by Korean speakers over a period of 24 months. Temporality is examined from two perspectives: the expression of past-time events and semantic aspect and verb morphology. Results are discusses. (Author/VWL)

This paper examines problems with description of the canonical passive construction, noting how new terminology facilitates consideration of a particular approach to frequency asymmetry. It compares the canonical passive construction in Arabic and English as examples of genetically unrelated languages, referring to other languages where…

Reports on a test of the validity of Pienemann's processability theory, which predicts that certain morphological and syntactic phenomena are acquired in a fixed sequence. Tests whether these phenomena appear in this predicted hierarchical order in Danish, Swedish, and Norwegian second language learners. (Author/VWL)

Examined effect of word class (nouns vs. verbs) on second language pronunciation accuracy of Korean-English adult bilinguals whose age of arrival in the United States ranged from 6 to 23 years. Transcriptions of their productions of English indicated they were more accurate in pronouncing verbs than nouns and were more accurate in detecting…

Identifies a variable context in the use of two Galician verb forms and three Spanish verb forms used in Galician with identical modal, temporal, and aspectual values: the simple past indicative. Shows that this variation is constrained by linguistic factors, specifically pragmatic ones. (Author/VWL)

A contrastive analysis of Hebrew and English dress and cooking verbs and their noun/object collocations supports a series of generalizations about second-language learning and reveals that psychosociolinguistic and situational factors influence the behavior of both native and foreign users of language. (Author/CB)

Reports on a morpheme study conducted with learners of English as a foreign language in Poland which found some similarities between foreign- and second-language accuracy in orders of morphemes. (Author/CB)

This experimental study on English, Spanish, and Turkish as second languages investigates the interaction of universal principles and first language knowledge in interlanguage grammars by focusing on verbs that participate in the causative/inchoative alternation. (Author/VWL)