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Parametric Approaches to Cross-Linguistic Variation and Child Language Acquisition
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Parametric Approaches to Cross-Linguistic Variation and Child Language Acquisition

A special issue of Languages (ISSN 2226-471X).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 December 2023) | Viewed by 2600

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. William Snyder

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Linguistics, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269-1145, USA
Interests: language acquisition; comparative syntax; syntax–semantics interface; neurolinguistics

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

It is our pleasure to announce a call for papers on parametric approaches to cross-linguistic variation and child language acquisition. By “parametric”, we mean any approach in which the points of grammatical variation across languages are taken to be (i) abstract (i.e., affecting multiple, superficially distinct surface constructions) and (ii) restricted to a limited number of discrete options. This definition is deliberately broad. Our intent is to encompass approaches, for example, that attribute syntactic variation to differences in the abstract features of functional heads, or that capture phonological variation in terms of differences in the ranking of violable constraints. In any such approach to grammar, a proposal about a point of grammatical variation can yield strong, testable predictions both about the patterns of attested cross-linguistic variation, and about the time course and mechanisms of child language acquisition. Yet, it is still somewhat exceptional when researchers bring together considerations of cross-linguistic variation with the testing of acquisitional predictions. This Special Issue is intended to showcase efforts of this kind.

All theoretical and methodological frameworks are welcome. Comparative analyses (of how different theoretical or methodological approaches address parametric variation in grammar) are especially welcome.

We request that, prior to submitting a manuscript, interested authors submit a proposed title and an abstract of 400–600 words that summarizes their intended contribution to the Guest Editor ([email protected]) or to the Languages Editorial Office ([email protected]). Abstracts will be reviewed by the Guest Editor for the purpose of ensuring proper fit within the scope of the Special Issue. Full manuscripts will undergo double-blind peer review.

Prof. Dr. William Snyder 
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Languages is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • child language acquisition
  • principles and parameters
  • cross-linguistic variation
  • syntax
  • semantics
  • phonology
  • morphology

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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22 pages, 2720 KiB  
Article
On the Representation of Implicit Arguments in Child Grammar: Short Passives in Mandarin and English
by Minqi Liu, Victoria Mateu and Nina Hyams
Languages 2024, 9(7), 236; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages9070236 - 27 Jun 2024
Viewed by 1005
Abstract
In this paper, we investigate whether Mandarin short passives contain an implicit external argument (EA; such as an agent or experiencer). Syntactic tests yield inconclusive results in Mandarin. We employ intervention effects as a diagnostic tool and demonstrate that, unlike English, Mandarin short [...] Read more.
In this paper, we investigate whether Mandarin short passives contain an implicit external argument (EA; such as an agent or experiencer). Syntactic tests yield inconclusive results in Mandarin. We employ intervention effects as a diagnostic tool and demonstrate that, unlike English, Mandarin short passives do not syntactically project an implicit EA. Our findings are based on spontaneous language data from the CHILDES corpora, encompassing 1182 children aged 2–6 years, and experimental data from 78 Mandarin-speaking children aged 3–6 years. This cross-linguistic structural difference explains the earlier acquisition of short passives in Mandarin compared to English and also raises a learnability question, which we briefly address: how do children know to project an implicit EA or not in their language? Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Parametric Approaches to Cross-Linguistic Variation and Child Language Acquisition)
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Review

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31 pages, 765 KiB  
Review
The Setting of the Null Subject Parameters across (Non-)Null-Subject Languages
by Karina Bertolino
Languages 2024, 9(8), 276; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages9080276 - 15 Aug 2024
Viewed by 774
Abstract
This article explores a learning model for acquiring a variety of null and non-null-subject languages (i.e., consistent, partial, semi and non-null-subject languages). This model builds upon a version of the Null Subject Parameter(s) based on the “Borer-Chomsky Conjecture” (BCC), which assumes that the [...] Read more.
This article explores a learning model for acquiring a variety of null and non-null-subject languages (i.e., consistent, partial, semi and non-null-subject languages). This model builds upon a version of the Null Subject Parameter(s) based on the “Borer-Chomsky Conjecture” (BCC), which assumes that the presence or absence of a D(definiteness)-feature in different functional heads, together with EPP (Extended projection principle) related features, account for the distributions of null subjects in a complex typology of (non-)null-subject languages. This BCC-based learning model assumes the hypothesis that children, in order to learn the pattern of null subjects in their language, need to look at the morphology of functional elements. By reviewing acquisition studies, I examine whether the model is compatible with the data. I argue that there is no evidence of parameter missetting in any of the languages examined, and that children’s early sensitivity to functional elements suggests that the BCC-based learning model is a suitable theory for the acquisition of null subjects. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Parametric Approaches to Cross-Linguistic Variation and Child Language Acquisition)
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