Pre-Workshop Symposium

First Language Acquisition Studies Based on Theoretical Linguistics
Akari Ohba
University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa & Meiji Gakuin University

In this presentation, I discuss what contributions first language acquisition research provides to the field of linguistics by explicating two big questions. The first is the so-called learnability problem: how do children come to know aspects of language that do not seem to be learnable through input or observation? The second is children’s differing behavior from adults: when children behave differently from adults in production or comprehension, what is(are) the source(s) of the difference? Do children lack adult-like knowledge, or does their non-adult-like performance come from some other factors?

I then consider whether knowing about first language acquisition can benefit the study of third language acquisition. One central issue in the field of third language acquisition is what role previously-learned linguistic knowledge plays in the development of L3-Interlanguage. We cannot directly connect first language acquisition to third language acquisition ignoring the existence of the second language, but when we think about third language acquisition by children, it is crucial to ascertain their present knowledge state within their first (and second) language acquisition processes. I welcome feedback from the specialists in third language acquisition in attendance.

On the Role of Universal Grammar in L2 Acquisition
Takayuki Kimura
Utsunomiya University

It has been acknowledged that Universal Grammar (UG) plays a crucial role in L2 acquisition, aiding learners in acquiring syntax (see, e.g., Hawkins, 2019; White, 2003 for a comprehensive review). However, beyond the binary question of UG accessibility (e.g., Bley-Vroman et al., 1986; Johnson & Newport, 1991; Schwartz & Sprouse, 1994, 1996), our understanding of its specific roles in L2 acquisition remains limited. Moreover, couched within the Minimalist Program (Chomsky, 1995, 2000, 2001), it has been argued the reassembly of syntactic features, particularly uninterpretable features, presents a challenge for L2 learners, although this feature reassembly problem can in principle be resolved over time (likely with assistance by UG) (Lardiere, 2008, 2009). However, since the evidence of an uninterpretable feature in a given structure is too subtle and abstract to identify in the input (e.g., violations of locality conditions, scope interactions, crossover constraints), it seems implausible that L2 learners would recognize such evidence and associate it with the presence of appropriate uninterpretable features (see Hawkins & Hattori, 2006; Tsimpli & Dimitrakopolou, 2007 for the Representational Deficit view). Then, we need to (re)consider whether and how uninterpretable features in the target language are acquired and what UG does in this process under such poverty-of-the-stimulus.

Against this background, I will investigate in this talk the role of UG in L2 acquisition through studies on the acquisition of English syntax, focusing on the acquisition and reassembly of uninterpretable features by Japanese-speaking learners. I will propose, based on my work on the acquisition/reassembly of an uninterpretable feature triggering wh-movement by Japanese-speaking learners of English (Kimura, 2022; Kimura & Wakabayashi, 2024), that UG guides L2 learners towards fully acquiring and reassembling uninterpretable features by revising misanalyses that stem from their analysis of the input and their L1 grammar. My contention is twofold: i) UG does not immediately eliminate UG-violating interlanguage-specific rules, and ii) UG works to revise such misanalyses, enabling their accommodation under sanction of UG. This perspective on the role of UG in L2 acquisition aligns with a classical viewpoint proposed by Sharwood-Smith (1988a, b) and warrants reexamination from a Minimalist standpoint. Additionally, I will explore implications for the acquisition of L3 syntax.

Linguistics-based Artificial Language Acquisition Studies
Junya Fukuta & Shigenori Wakabayashi
Chuo University

Language acquisition research using semi-artificial languages (SAL) is gaining attention in the recent literature for its various advantages. By using a semi-artificial language, researchers are, for example, free to create carefully tailored rules for the language (Williams, 2005) and are able to adjust characteristics of the input (e.g., frequency, distributional skewness, and so on; Casenhiser & Goldberg, 2005). Then, with various factors under control, one can observe the genuine initial state of L2 acquisition.

Previous SAL-based research has been conducted as follows. First, a SAL containing two or more specific rules is created, and learners engage in training in the use of that artificial language. In doing so, one rule is overtly and explicitly taught; the other is not. During the testing phase, learners are tested on their knowledge of the rule that is not explicitly taught. This allows researchers to investigate whether the learner was able to tacitly acquire knowledge from the input obtained during the training phase.

This line of research has focused primarily on how statistical learning occurs as researchers adjust the distributional properties of the input. Thus, the discussion has centered on unconscious language acquisition that occurs bottom-up from the input. We propose that SAL can also be productively used to test linguistic theory. Fukuta et al. (2024) used SAL to test whether the initial state for L2 artificial language learners adheres to the universal constraints advocated by linguistic theory. This methodology is fully applicable to L3 acquisition.

In our presentation, we would like to present an overview of the experiments performed by Fukuta et al. (2024) and discuss the potential implications for the use of this paradigm in L3 research.