RESEARCH INTERESTS
First language acquisition
Bilingualism
Acquisition of syntax, pragmatics and lexicon
Minority languages
Italian Dialects
Language policy
PhD THESIS
‘Input and dominance in bilingual first language acquisition’
This thesis investigates the development of the minority language in early bilingual language acquisition and it is based on longitudinal and experimental data from 4 Italian-English bilingual children from 1 to 3 years of age. The purpose of this study is twofold: firstly, to present a model created to measure different input variables and make predictions on the child’s linguistic development. Secondly, to determine whether there is a relationship between input, dominance and the acquisition of new information structure. The hypothesis is that children might experience difficulty acquiring a structure that is not available in their dominant language and that might appear to be optional in their weaker language. Two models are designed. The first model measures the parents’ input, considering both quantitative and qualitative factors. The second model assesses the children’s linguistic development on the basis of the distinction between dominant and non-dominant language. The results show that both the quantitative and qualitative nature of the input influence the child’s linguistic development. The findings also suggest that linguistic properties at the interface between syntax and pragmatics can represent a problem for children who develop Italian as a non-dominant language.
First language acquisition
Bilingualism
Acquisition of syntax, pragmatics and lexicon
Minority languages
Italian Dialects
Language policy
PhD THESIS
‘Input and dominance in bilingual first language acquisition’
This thesis investigates the development of the minority language in early bilingual language acquisition and it is based on longitudinal and experimental data from 4 Italian-English bilingual children from 1 to 3 years of age. The purpose of this study is twofold: firstly, to present a model created to measure different input variables and make predictions on the child’s linguistic development. Secondly, to determine whether there is a relationship between input, dominance and the acquisition of new information structure. The hypothesis is that children might experience difficulty acquiring a structure that is not available in their dominant language and that might appear to be optional in their weaker language. Two models are designed. The first model measures the parents’ input, considering both quantitative and qualitative factors. The second model assesses the children’s linguistic development on the basis of the distinction between dominant and non-dominant language. The results show that both the quantitative and qualitative nature of the input influence the child’s linguistic development. The findings also suggest that linguistic properties at the interface between syntax and pragmatics can represent a problem for children who develop Italian as a non-dominant language.