This study examines cross-linguistic influence (CLI) in the acquisition of embedded "wh"-questions in L3 English in German-dominant heritage speakers (HSs) of Italian. Specifically, we investigate whether a higher proficiency in the heritage language Italian increases the potential for CLI from that language. To this end, 21 adult-aged…

Heritage language (HL) speakers seem to diverge from monolingual speakers in the acquisition of syntax-discourse interface phenomena. However, most of the studies reporting this finding do not make any distinction between different types of syntax-discourse interface structures. Therefore, it is an open question whether these structures are…

The present study explores the initial stages of incidental acquisition of two grammatical properties of verbs (subcategorization and [ir]regularity) during reading in first language (L1) and second language (L2) German using an adjusted self-paced reading paradigm. The results indicate that L1 speakers are superior to L2 speakers in the…

A contrastive analysis investigating points of interference experienced by native speakers of German learning Russian. Special attention is given to aspect. (Text is in German.) (TL)

In the experiments outlined in this article, the authors investigate lexical access processes in language production. In their earlier work, T. Pechmann and D. Zerbst (2002) reported evidence for grammatical category constraints in a picture-word interference task. Although grammatical category information was not activated when subjects produced…

Discusses the various problems arising in teaching the German pronoun (and expletive) "es" ("it") to Rumanians. There is no universally usable correspondence to "es" in Rumanian, where it is sometimes lacking, with the subject absent in either the deep structure or the surface structure. (IFS/WGA)

Suggests that the Contrastive Analysis Hypothesis (CAH) be revised to incorporate a notion of degree of difficulty which corresponds to the notion of typological markedness. (Author/CFM)

This article investigates verb placement, especially Verb second (V2), in post-puberty second language (L2) learners of two closely related Germanic V2 languages: Swedish and German. Hakansson, "et al." (2002) have adduced data from first language (L1) Swedish-speaking learners of German in support of the claim that the syntactic property of V2…

On the basis of German compositions written by second- and third-year English students, with specific reference to the placement of "nicht," it is shown that performance is affected by the mother tongue, but also by the level of experience in using the target language. (Text is in German.) (IFS/WGA)

Comments upon phonological, grammatical-syntactic, and lexical interference phenomena affecting the German learner of English, their causes and effects. Similarities between such phenomena in the two languages cause more difficulties than contrasts do. There is greater danger of under-differentiation than of over-differentiation. (Text is in…

Based on a lecture given at the Second International Conference of Applied Linguistics at Cambridge, England- September 1969. (DS)

Focuses on the learner's problems in producing the correct grammatical gender for a given noun in German. Discusses the complexity of gender assignment and the lengthy process of acquisition of gender. Examines error patterns made by English students of German. (Author/LMO)