Cross Currents in Second Language Acquisition and Linguistic Theory

The term “crosscurrent” is defined as “a current flowing counter to another.” This volume represents crosscurrents in second language acquisition and linguistic theory in several respects. First, although the main currents running between linguistics and second language acquisition have traditionally flowed from theory to application, equally important contributions can be made in the other direction as well. Second, although there is a strong tendency in the field of linguistics to see “theorists” working within formal models of syntax, SLA research can contribute to linguistic theory more broadly defined to include various functional as well as formal models of syntax, theories of phonology, variationist theories of sociolinguists, etc. These assumptions formed the basis for a conference held at Stanford University during the Linguistic Institute there in the summer of 1987. The conference was organized to update the relation between second language acquisition and linguistic theory. This book contains a selection of (mostly revised and updated) papers of this conference and two newly written papers.

Table of Contents:
1. Preface; 2. I. Overview; 3. Second language acquisition: litmus test for linguistic theory? (by Huebner, Thom); 4. Recent trends in syntactic theory (by Sells, Peter); 5. Typology/universals and second language acquisition (by Greenberg, Joseph H.); 6. II. From Theories to Hypothesis Testing; 7. Prosodic phonology: second language acquisition data as evidence in theoretical phonology (by Vogel, Irene); 8. Natural morphology: the organization of paradigms and language acquisition (by Bybee, Joan L.); 9. Typological text analysis: tense and aspects in creoles and second languages (by Myhill, John); 10. Relational grammar: L2 learning and the components of L1 knowledge (by Rosen, Carol); 11. Government-binding: parameter-setting in second language acquisition and implications for theoretical linguistics (by Klein, Wolfgang); 12. Functionalist linguistics: discourse structure and language processing in second language acquisition (by Cooreman, Ann); 13. Variation theory: implicational scaling and critical age limits in models of linguistic variation, acquisition and change (by Rickford, John R.); 14. III. From Data to Model Building; 15. Perception and production: the relevance of phonetic input to L2 phonological learning (by Flege, James Emil); 16. The teaching of intonation: classroom experiences to theoretical models (by Cessaris, Ann C.); 17. Developmental sequences: the emergence of aspect marking in second language acquisition (by Andersen, Roger W.); 18. Cross-generational bilingualism: theoretical implications of language attrition (by Silva-Corvalan, Carmen); 19. Modality and second language learning: a challenge for linguistic theory (by Dittmar, Norbert); 20. Narrative and description: temporal reference in second language acquisition (by Stutterheim, Christiane von); 21. Cross-linguistic comparisons: organizational principles in learner languages (by Perdue, Clive); 22. IV. Conclusions; 23. Currents between second language acquisition and linguistic theory (by Ferguson, Charles A.)