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How Known Constructions Influence the Acquisition of Other Constructions: The German Passive and Future Constructions.
- Source :
-
Cognitive Science . Nov2006, Vol. 30 Issue 6, p995-1026. 32p. 6 Charts, 11 Graphs. - Publication Year :
- 2006
-
Abstract
- This article suggests evidence for and reasons why prior acquisition may either facilitate or inhibit acquisition of a new construction. It investigates acquisition of the German passive and future constructions which contain a lexical verb with either the auxiliary sein "to be" or werden "to become," and are related through these to potential supporting constructions. We predicted that a supported construction should be acquired earlier, faster, and unusually rapidly. An inhibited construction should show an extended depressed usage. We analyzed a dense corpus of a German boy between 2;0 and 5;0. He acquired the sein- before the werden-passive. The former was supported by his prior acquisition of the sein copula, whereas the werden-passive itself supported one werden copula construction. He acquired the werden-future extremely slowly due to the hindrance of a semantically identical construction. These results fit with an emergentist approach in which apparently "sudden" acquisition is still due to gradual learning mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 03640213
- Volume :
- 30
- Issue :
- 6
- Database :
- Academic Search Index
- Journal :
- Cognitive Science
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 23167852
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1207/s15516709cog0000_61