Chapter 6
Developing morpho-syntax in non-configurational languages
A comparison between Russian L2 and Italian L2
Within the Processability Theory (PT) framework, the Topic Hypothesis (Pienemann et al., 2005) and its recent reformulation as
the Prominence Hypothesis (Bettoni & Di Biase,
2015) have contributed substantially to explaining syntactic development in
non-configurational languages, adding an important discourse-pragmatic component. However,
the role of morphological development cannot be ignored, because in this type of languages
it is morphology that constructs syntactic relations (Nordlinger, 1998). This chapter will look at syntactic development by attempting to
incorporate both morphological and discourse-pragmatic factors in a way that is consistent
with the predictions of PT’s Prominence Hypothesis. Specifically, I will look at the
development of morpho-syntax in Russian L2 and Italian L2 – two languages located towards
the less configurational end of the typological spectrum, the former more dependent-marking,
the latter more head-marking.
Article outline
- 1.Introduction
- 2.Marked word orders in Russian and Italian
- 3.The developmental hypotheses
- 4.Empirical evidence
- 5.Conclusion
-
Notes
-
References
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Cited by (3)
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Kawaguchi, Satomi, Bruno Di Biase & Yumiko Yamaguchi
Keßler, Jörg‐U. & Anke Lenzing
2022.
Grammar in Foreign and Second Language Classes. In
The TESOL Encyclopedia of English Language Teaching,
► pp. 1 ff.
![DOI logo](//benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
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