http://slr.sagepub.com Second Language Research RSS feed -- current issue October 2009 Second Language Research 0267-6583 http://slr.sagepub.com:80/icons/banner/title.gif http://slr.sagepub.com http://slr.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/25/4/427?rss=1 Previous studies, including Duffield and Matsuo (2001; 2002; 2009), have demonstrated second language learners’ overall sensitivity to a parallelism constraint governing English VP-ellipsis constructions: like native speakers (NS), advanced Dutch, Spanish and Japanese learners of English reliably prefer ellipsis clauses with structurally parallel antecedents over those with non-parallel antecedents. However, these studies also suggest that, in contrast to English native speakers, L2 learners’ sensitivity to parallelism is strongly influenced by other non-syntactic formal factors, such that the constraint applies in a comparatively restricted range of construction-specific contexts. This article reports a set of follow-up experiments — from both computer-based as well as more traditional acceptability judgement tasks — that systematically manipulates these other factors. Convergent results from these tasks confirm a qualitative difference in the judgement patterns of the two groups, as well as important differences between theoreticians’ judgements and those of typical native speakers. We consider the implications of these findings for theories of ultimate attainment in second language acquisition (SLA), as well as for current theoretical accounts of ellipsis.

]]> Wed, 11 Nov 2009 04:06:49 PST info:doi/10.1177/0267658309349425 4 25 467 2009-10-01 427 Articles http://slr.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/25/4/469?rss=1 There has been considerable research that investigates whether reflexives in interlanguage grammars (ILGs) are constrained by Principle A of the Binding Theory. These earlier studies focused on the role of sentence type, including both finite and non-finite test sentences; they did not examine the role of antecedent type, namely distinguishing between quantified antecedents and referential antecedents in the test sentences. This study explores Chinese learners’ acquisition of the locality constraints on the binding of English reflexives from a developmental perspective, focusing both on the role of sentence type and the role of antecedent type. A story-based truth-value judgment task was administered to three proficiency levels of Chinese-speaking learners of English. It was found that the finite/non-finite asymmetry in the learners’ long-distance (LD) judgments was strongest for the intermediate participants but much weaker for the beginners and advanced participants; the referential/ quantified asymmetry in the learners’ LD judgments was strongest for the advanced participants but much weaker for the beginners and intermediate participants. Implications of these findings are discussed.

]]> Wed, 11 Nov 2009 04:06:50 PST info:doi/10.1177/0267658309349435 4 25 491 2009-10-01 469 Articles http://slr.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/25/4/493?rss=1 Two recent books provide varied resources for exploring ethical issues in the social sciences. Reflection on ethical issues aims to sensitize scholars to a range of consequences of their research, and to scholars’ responsibilities to their discipline, their colleagues, and the public. This review article assesses the utility of these texts (and of other materials available in print and online) to research on second language acquisition.

]]> Wed, 11 Nov 2009 04:06:50 PST info:doi/10.1177/0267658309349676 4 25 511 2009-10-01 493 Articles http://slr.sagepub.com/cgi/reprint/25/4/512?rss=1 Wed, 11 Nov 2009 04:06:50 PST info:doi/10.1177/0267658309348336 4 25 512 2009-10-01 512 Articles