Wh-Islands in L2 Spanish and L2 English: A Poverty of the Stimulus and Data Assessment

  • Iván Ortega-Santos University of Memphis [United States]
  • Lara Reglero Florida State University [United States]
  • Jon Andoni Franco Elorza University of Deusto [Spain]
Keywords: wh-islands, L2 acquisition, data assessment, poverty of the stimulus, experimental syntax

Abstract

This paper sheds light on the acquisition of wh-islands in L2 English spoken by native speakers of Spanish and L2 Spanish spoken by native speakers of English as well as on the distribution of wh-islands in L1 Spanish. A grammaticality judgment task with a 7-point Likert scale provides evidence that wh-island effects are present in L1 and L2 Spanish as well as L1 and L2 English. The L1 Spanish facts challenge the received view of wh-islands in this language, in keeping with recent developments which show that islands are more widely attested across languages than previously thought. These facts also highlight the dialogue between L2 research and replication studies thanks to the use of native control groups.

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Published
2018-12-21
How to Cite
Ortega-Santos, I., Reglero, L., & Franco Elorza, J. A. (2018). Wh-Islands in L2 Spanish and L2 English: A Poverty of the Stimulus and Data Assessment. Fontes Linguae Vasconum, (126), 435-471. https://doi.org/10.35462/FLV126.7