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Two textbook representations of second language acquisition and Universal Grammar: ‘access’ and ‘constraint’

Boston College, thomasm{at}bc.edu

Two textbooks written by Lydia White, one published in 1989 and the other in 2003, introduce generative research on second language acquisition and evaluate existing proposals about the role of Universal Grammar. Comparison of the two texts provides an opportunity to examine some of the conventions the field uses in representing itself to a novice readership. It also brings to light certain aspects of the field’s development during a 14- year interval. A point of particular interest is that this interval spans a shift in the language commonly used to pose questions about the relationship of Universal Grammar to second language acquisition, from the metaphor of ‘access’ to the metaphor of ‘constraint’.

Second Language Research, Vol. 19, No. 4, 359-376 (2003)
DOI: 10.1191/0267658303sr229oa


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