First Language Acquisition in Spanish: A Minimalist Approach to Nominal Agreement

Hardback

Main Details

Title First Language Acquisition in Spanish: A Minimalist Approach to Nominal Agreement
Authors and Contributors      By (author) Gilda Socarras
SeriesContinuum Studies in Theoretical Linguistics
Physical Properties
Format:Hardback
Pages:240
Dimensions(mm): Height 234,Width 156
ISBN/Barcode 9781441134080
ClassificationsDewey:401.93
Audience
Professional & Vocational

Publishing Details

Publisher Continuum Publishing Corporation
Imprint Continuum Publishing Corporation
Publication Date 16 June 2011
Publication Country United States

Description

This book provides new insights into the acquisition of functional categories in child language. Operating within the Minimalist Framework (Chomsky 1995) it examines in particular the availability of Determiner Phrases in the grammar of young children acquiring Spanish as a first language. The analysis reveals an interaction in child grammar around the production of bare nominals, proto-determiners and full determiner phrases. Socarras performs both qualitative and quantitative analyses to point to a link between the development stages children go through, and the occurrence of these elements in their speech. The work goes on to address the language acquisition debate between the continuity and discontinuity hypotheses, aligning the findings with a conclusion on how best to organise the theory.

Author Biography

Gilda M. Socarras is an Assistant Professor of Spanish Linguistics at Auburn University, USA.