SECOND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION OF WH-MOVEMENT BY MACEDONIAN LEARNERS OF ENGLISH

• Main Author: Sonja KITANOVSKA-KIMOVSKA
• Format: Article
• Language: deu
• Published: University of Pitesti 2013-11-01
• Series: Studii de gramatică contrastivă
• Subjects: wh-movement; multiple wh-questions; extraction of wh-islands
• Online Access: http://studiidegramaticacontrastiva.info/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/Kitanovska.pdf

The overall aim of this paper is to test the strong predictions of the Full Transfer/Full Access Hypothesis of second language acquisition. The general question addressed by the study is whether there is full transfer from the first language (L1) when it comes to functional projections and their parameters and whether there is parameter resetting in the process of second language acquisition (L2A). More specifically, this paper addresses the issue of wh-movement in Macedonian and English and its acquisition by Macedonian learners of English. Within the framework of the Principles and Parametres theory, it provides a description of multiple wh-movement and extraction out of wh-islands in English and Macedonian, putting special emphasis on the differences that hold between the two languages. These are then used as a basis for studying the acquisition of wh-movement in English as an L2 by learners whose mother tongue is Macedonian. An experiment has been conducted among learners at different proficiency levels to test their knowledge of wh-movement in English as well as the constraints that are at play. The results are revealing of an acquisitional pattern and show that the predictions of the Full Transfer/Full Access Hypothesis have been fulfilled and its claims confirmed.