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Acquisition strategies in a first and second language: are they the same?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 February 2009

Jacquelin Cain ,
Marcia Weber-Olsen  and
Rosslyn Smith
Jacquelin Cain
Affiliation:
Lubbock Independent School District
Marcia Weber-Olsen*
Affiliation:
California State University, Stanislaus
Rosslyn Smith
Affiliation:
Texas Tech University
*
Department of Communication Studies, California State University, Stanislaus, Turlock, CA 95380, USA.
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Abstract

Will adults whose native language is English and children whose native language is Spanish follow the same strategies in acquiring the category of noun gender and its functions in Spanish? This investigation shows that there are significant differences in first- and second-language acquisition. Performance on five tasks eliciting responses containing gender agreement was measured for two groups. Results suggest that there is a developmental progression in acquisition of noun gender for both groups. Nevertheless, on tasks containing grammatical and/or semantic conflict, even the linguistically least-experienced adults reflected correct, adult-like strategies for Spanish gender agreement, whereas only the oldest children performed in this manner.

Type
Articles
Information
Journal of Child Language , Volume 14 , Issue 2 , June 1987 , pp. 333 - 352
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1987

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