Aquesta tesi explora l'adquisició no-nativa de les propietats del subjecte gramatical en l'anglès i el castellà de nens i adults castellanoparlants i angloparlants, els quals no resideixen en el país de la L2, i contribueix així a la recerca en aquest camp amb noves dades i descobriments.En un enfocament teòric generativista cap a la L2, els efectes de la GU en el desenvolupament no-natiu del subjecte en nens i adults, l'existència d'efectes de transferència de la L1 i el "cluster" de propietats del tradicional Paràmetre del Subjecte Nul romanen sense resoldre's is han de ser analitzats d'acord amb les propostes teòriques més recents. L'estudi es realitza mitjançant dades transversals obtingudes a partir d'experiments de comprensió en nens i adults en dos contextos d'adquisició diferents. L'L2A infantil s'examina en un context d'immersió d'una escola americana a Barcelona i d'una escola espanyola a Londres i l'L2A adulta s'analitza en un context de classe institucional. S'utilitza el mateix mètode experimental pels nens i pels adults: judicis de gramaticalitat i tasques de coerció pels informants de L2 anglès i judicis de gramaticalitat i tasques de preferència pels informants de L2 castellà. No obstant, s'ha utilitzat una versió oral dels experiments pels grups de nens més petits. En el cas de la L2 infantil s'ha analitzat tres grups d'edat per cada llengua i en el cas dels adults tres grups de nivell per llengua, ambdós acompanyats dels seus grups monolingües de control corresponents.La tesi s'estructura al voltant de sis preguntes de recerca, les respostes de les quals representen els descobriments més rellevants:1. L'estadi inicial de la L2 està caracteritzat per la "clustered" transferència de les propietats del subjecte associades amb els valors paramètrics de la L1?2. El desenvolupament de la L2 està caracteritzat per la "clustered" adquisició de les propietats del subjecte associades amb els valors paramètrics de la L2?3. Quines implicacions teòriques es deriven dels resultats d'aquest estudi per les teories de L2A "Partial/Full Transfer" i "Partial/Full UG Access" ?4. Podem mantenir el mateix enfocament teòric cap a L2A per nens i adults?5. Podem mantenir el concepte tradicional de "Paràmetre del Subjecte Nul" entès com a la L1 en la L2?6. Hi ha efectes de direccionalitat d'adquisició entre L2 anglès (per castellanoparlants) i L2 castellà (per angloparlants)?Les dades indiquen presència de "clustered" transferència de les propietats del subjecte des de la L1 en la L2 anglès i castellà de nens i adults. No obstant, la "clustered" adquisició de les propietats del subjecte en la L2 només la trobem en la L2 anglès i castellà dels nens, ja que en els adults, el desenvolupament de la L2 no presenta refixació del tret de la L1 al valor del tret de la L2 i per tant no presenta efectes de "clustering". Pel que fa al desenvolupament del subjecte, els resultats d'aquesta tesi donen suport a la teoria de Full UG Access i Full L1 Transfer (Schwartz and Sprouse, 1996; Schwartz, 1998, 2003, 2004) pel que fa a L2A en els nens, mentre que els resultats dels adults donen suport a la teoria de Partial UG Access i Full L1 Transfer per la L2A adulta (Liceras, 1996, 1998, 2003; Liceras and Díaz, 1999; Hawkins and Chan, 1997 and Tsimpli and Roussou, 1991). Un descobriment final de la tesi fa referència a l'existència d'efectes de direccionalitat d'adquisició, és a dir, el fet que tant en L2A infantil com adulta, les propietats del subjecte s'adquireixen abans en la L2 castellà (pels angloparlants) que en la L2 anglès (pels castellanoparlants), encara que, en el cas dels nens, les diferències són significatives i propiciades lingüísticament, mentre que en el cas dels adults, les diferències responen a causes no lingüístiques.En definitiva, aquesta tesi presenta un estudi complet i bidireccional de les propietats sintàctiques i discursives del subjecte tradicionalment associades al "Paràmetre del Subjecte Nul" i en determina la seva relació i rellevància en el desenvolupament de la L2. / The present study explores the non-native English and Spanish acquisition of subject properties in Spanish and English-speaking children and adults who are not in the L2-speaking country and thus contributes to the amount of research produced in the field by providing new data and findings. Under a Generative Grammar approach to L2A, the effects of UG in subject development in both child and adult L2A, the existence of L1 Transfer effects and the cluster of properties of the traditional Null Subject Parameter in L2A remain unresolved and need to be analysed under more recent theoretical proposals. The study will be carried out by means of cross-sectional data obtained through comprehension experimental tasks conducted on children and adults in two different acquisition contexts. Child L2A is examined in an immersion context of an American school in Barcelona and a Spanish school in London and adult L2A is explored in an institutional classroom setting. The same experimental method will be used for both children and adults, although an oral version of the task will be provided to the youngest groups of informants, namely grammaticality judgement and correction tasks for L2 English informants and grammaticality judgement and preference tasks for L2 Spanish informants. Three age groups per language in the case of child L2A and three level groups per language in the case of adult L2A together with their corresponding control monolingual groups will be tested.The thesis is guided by and built around six research questions, whose answers represent its major findings:1. Is the L2 initial state characterised by clustered transfer of subject properties associated with L1 parameter values?2. Is L2 development characterised by clustered acquisition of subject properties associated with the L2 parameter values?3. What are the theoretical implications of the results of the present research for the Partial/Full Transfer and Partial/Full UG Access positions to L2A?4. Can the same theoretical approach to L2A be maintained for both children and adults?5. Can the notion of "Null Subject Parameter" as in L1A be maintained in L2A?6. Are there any directionality of acquisition differences between English L2A (by Spanish speakers) and Spanish L2A (by English speakers)?Our data reveal that clustered L1 Transfer of the subject properties examined is present in both child and adult L2 English and Spanish. Yet clustered acquisition of L2 subject properties is only found in child L2 English and Spanish, as adult L2 English and Spanish development indicates no resetting of the L1 to the L2 feature value and hence absence of any clustering effects. As far as subject development is concerned, the results of this thesis generally give support to a Full UG Access and Full L1 Transfer position (Schwartz and Sprouse, 1996; Schwartz, 1998, 2003, 2004) for child L2A, whereas results from adult L2A point towards a Partial UG Access and Full L1 Transfer approach to adult L2A (Liceras, 1996, 1998, 2003; Liceras and Díaz, 1999; Hawkins and Chan, 1997 and Tsimpli and Roussou, 1991). A final finding relates to the observation of "directionality of acquisition effects", namely the fact that both in child and adult L2, subject properties are acquired earlier in L2 Spanish (by English speakers) than in L2 English (by Spanish speakers), although in the case of child L2A, differences are significant and linguistically motivated, whereas in the case of adult L2A, differences respond to non-linguistic factors.On the whole, the present thesis provides a thorough and bi-directional syntactic and discursive study of all the subject properties traditionally associated with the Null Subject Parameter and determines their relationship and relevance in L2 development.

No description available.

Através desta pesquisa, investigamos efeitos de atrito linguístico (influência da L2 sobre a L1), a partir da produção da vogal átona final /e/ por porto-alegrenses (RS, Brasil), aprendizes de Espanhol como Segunda Língua (L2). Com este propósito, analisamos a produção desta vogal em ambas as línguas dos aprendizes, verificando, mais especificamente, seus padrões acústicos (os valores de F1 e F2, que dizem respeito à altura e à anterioridade da língua, respectivamente, bem como os valores de duração absoluta e relativa) em comparação à produção de monolíngues de Espanhol (variedade de Montevidéu/Uruguai) e de Português Brasileiro (variedade de Porto Alegre – RS/Brasil). Portanto, contamos com três grupos distintos de participantes: (a) um grupo de monolíngues falantes de Espanhol (Grupo Controle 1); (b) um grupo de monolíngues do Português Brasileiro, nativos da grande Porto Alegre/RS (Grupo Controle 2); e (c) um grupo de aprendizes avançados de Espanhol como L2 (Grupo Experimental). Levantamos as seguintes hipóteses de pesquisa: (i) haverá diferença significativa nos valores das frequências formânticas (F1 e F2) e no padrão duracional das produções vocálicas entre as línguas dos bilíngues (Português/L1 e Espanhol/L2), sendo que a vogal /e/ em Espanhol/L2 será mais baixa (menor F1 – em Bark), mais anterior (menor F2 – em Bark) e mais longa (duração absoluta e relativa) do que em Português/L1 (CÂMARA Jr., 1970; CALLOU, MORAES, LEITE, 1996, 2002; VIEIRA, 2002; BISOL, 2003; BATTISTI & VIEIRA, 2005; REAL ACADEMIA ESPAÑOLA, 2011; SILVA, 2012; SANTOS, RAUBER, 2016; PEREYRON, 2017); (ii) não haverá diferença significativa, no que diz respeito aos padrões acústicos de F1, F2 e duração (absoluta e relativa), entre a vogal átona final /e/ do Espanhol, produzida pelos bilíngues de nível avançado na L2, e a produzida pelos monolíngues de Espanhol; e (iii) haverá diferença significativa entre os valores de F1, de F2, de duração absoluta e de duração relativa entre a vogal átona final /e/ do PB produzida pelos bilíngues e a sua contraparte produzida pelos monolíngues de PB, pois a vogal átona final /e/ dos bilíngues será mais baixa (menor F1), mais anterior (menor F2) e mais longa do que a dos monolíngues de PB (CALLOU, MORAES, LEITE, 1996, 2002; SILVA, 2012; SANTOS, RAUBER, 2016; PEREYRON, 2017; SCHERECHEWSKY, ALVES, KUPSKE, no prelo). Os dados foram obtidos através de Tarefas de Leitura, nas quais foi solicitado que o participante lesse, em voz alta, 24 frases-veículo que continham os estímulos a serem analisados. Os grupos de monolíngues realizaram apenas a Tarefa de Leitura correspondente à sua Língua Materna (L1), e o grupo de aprendizes realizou uma Tarefa de Leitura em cada língua (Português e Espanhol). Os resultados indicaram que os bilíngues distinguem, em suas produções, a vogal átona final /e/ entre a L1 (Português) e a L2 (Espanhol), embora não tenham desenvolvido o padrão acústico de altura e anterioridade/posterioridade na L2. Além disso, em relação à L1, as produções vocálicas dos bilíngues, estatisticamente, não se diferenciam das dos monolíngues de PB. Entretanto, individualmente, alguns bilíngues apontam sinais de atrito linguístico em altura e anterioridade/posterioridade vocálica. Portanto, a partir das análises dos sistemas de Língua Materna (L1) e Segunda Língua (L2) do grupo de aprendizes, discutimos o que nossos resultados podem sugerir sobre a dinamicidade nas produções dos bilíngues e a possibilidade de atrito linguístico em ambiente de L2 não-dominante, partindo da concepção de Língua como um Sistema Adaptativo Complexo (cf. GONÇALVES et al., 1995; BECKNER et al., 2009; ALBANO, 2012). / In this study, we investigate the occurrence of language attrition (L2-L1 influence) in the production of the word-final unstressed vowel /e/ by speakers from the city of Porto Alegre (RS, Brazil), learners of Spanish as a Second Language (L2). Departing from this goal, we analyze this vowel in the two language systems produced by these learners. We verify their acoustic patterns (F1 and F2, as well as absolute and relative durations) in comparison to the vowels produced by Brazilian Portuguese monolinguals (from the city of Porto Alegre - Brazil) and Spanish monolinguals (from the city of Montevideo – Uruguay). Therefore, three groups of participants took part in this study: (a) Spanish monolinguals (Control Group 1); (b) Brazilian Portuguese monolinguals (Control Group 2); and (c) a group of Brazilian learners of Spanish showing an advanced level of proficiency (Experimental Group). We hypothesize that (i) there will be significant differences in F1, F2 and (absolute and relative) durational values between the two languages of the bilingual participants (L1: Portuguese, L2: Spanish), as the final vowel /e/ in L2 Spanish will be lower (lower F1 Bark value), more fronted (lower F2 Bark value) and longer (both in absolute and relative values) than in L1 Portuguese (CÂMARA Jr., 1970; CALLOU, MORAES, LEITE, 1996, 2002; VIEIRA, 2002; BISOL, 2003; BATTISTI & VIEIRA, 2005; REAL ACADEMIA ESPAÑOLA, 2011; SILVA, 2012; SANTOS, RAUBER, 2016; PEREYRON, 2017); (ii) there will not be significant differences in the production of word-final unstressed /e/ in Spanish, in terms of formant frequencies (F1 and F2 values) and duration (absolute and relative values), between the productions by the L2 leaners and the native speakers of Spanish; (iii) there will be significant differences, in terms of formant frequencies (F1 and F2 values) and duration (absolute and relative values), in the productions in Brazilian Portuguese by monolinguals and L2 leaners of Spanish, as the vowels produced by the latter will be lower (lower F1 value), more fronted (lower F2 value) and longer than those produced by the monolinguals (CALLOU, MORAES, LEITE, 1996, 2002; SILVA, 2012; PEREYRON, 2017; SANTOS, RAUBER, 2016; SCHERECHEWSKY, ALVES, KUPSKE, in press). The data were collected through a reading task, in which participants were asked to read 24 carrier sentences with the target words. The two Control Groups sat for one of the tasks only, while the L2 learners took part in both tasks (Portuguese and Spanish). Our results show that the L2 leaners are able to produce a difference between Brazilian Portuguese (L1) /e/ and Spanish (L2) /e/, even though the target L2 pattern has not been fully developed. As for the L1 productions, significant differences between monolinguals and bilinguals have not been found. However, when analyzed individually, some learners show some signs of language attrition in their F1 and F2 values. This considered, by analyzing these participants’ L1 and L2 systems individually, we discuss the possibility of language attrition in an L2 non-dominant environment, as we provide support to a view of language as a Complex, Adaptive System.

Através desta pesquisa, investigamos efeitos de atrito linguístico (influência da L2 sobre a L1), a partir da produção da vogal átona final /e/ por porto-alegrenses (RS, Brasil), aprendizes de Espanhol como Segunda Língua (L2). Com este propósito, analisamos a produção desta vogal em ambas as línguas dos aprendizes, verificando, mais especificamente, seus padrões acústicos (os valores de F1 e F2, que dizem respeito à altura e à anterioridade da língua, respectivamente, bem como os valores de duração absoluta e relativa) em comparação à produção de monolíngues de Espanhol (variedade de Montevidéu/Uruguai) e de Português Brasileiro (variedade de Porto Alegre – RS/Brasil). Portanto, contamos com três grupos distintos de participantes: (a) um grupo de monolíngues falantes de Espanhol (Grupo Controle 1); (b) um grupo de monolíngues do Português Brasileiro, nativos da grande Porto Alegre/RS (Grupo Controle 2); e (c) um grupo de aprendizes avançados de Espanhol como L2 (Grupo Experimental). Levantamos as seguintes hipóteses de pesquisa: (i) haverá diferença significativa nos valores das frequências formânticas (F1 e F2) e no padrão duracional das produções vocálicas entre as línguas dos bilíngues (Português/L1 e Espanhol/L2), sendo que a vogal /e/ em Espanhol/L2 será mais baixa (menor F1 – em Bark), mais anterior (menor F2 – em Bark) e mais longa (duração absoluta e relativa) do que em Português/L1 (CÂMARA Jr., 1970; CALLOU, MORAES, LEITE, 1996, 2002; VIEIRA, 2002; BISOL, 2003; BATTISTI & VIEIRA, 2005; REAL ACADEMIA ESPAÑOLA, 2011; SILVA, 2012; SANTOS, RAUBER, 2016; PEREYRON, 2017); (ii) não haverá diferença significativa, no que diz respeito aos padrões acústicos de F1, F2 e duração (absoluta e relativa), entre a vogal átona final /e/ do Espanhol, produzida pelos bilíngues de nível avançado na L2, e a produzida pelos monolíngues de Espanhol; e (iii) haverá diferença significativa entre os valores de F1, de F2, de duração absoluta e de duração relativa entre a vogal átona final /e/ do PB produzida pelos bilíngues e a sua contraparte produzida pelos monolíngues de PB, pois a vogal átona final /e/ dos bilíngues será mais baixa (menor F1), mais anterior (menor F2) e mais longa do que a dos monolíngues de PB (CALLOU, MORAES, LEITE, 1996, 2002; SILVA, 2012; SANTOS, RAUBER, 2016; PEREYRON, 2017; SCHERECHEWSKY, ALVES, KUPSKE, no prelo). Os dados foram obtidos através de Tarefas de Leitura, nas quais foi solicitado que o participante lesse, em voz alta, 24 frases-veículo que continham os estímulos a serem analisados. Os grupos de monolíngues realizaram apenas a Tarefa de Leitura correspondente à sua Língua Materna (L1), e o grupo de aprendizes realizou uma Tarefa de Leitura em cada língua (Português e Espanhol). Os resultados indicaram que os bilíngues distinguem, em suas produções, a vogal átona final /e/ entre a L1 (Português) e a L2 (Espanhol), embora não tenham desenvolvido o padrão acústico de altura e anterioridade/posterioridade na L2. Além disso, em relação à L1, as produções vocálicas dos bilíngues, estatisticamente, não se diferenciam das dos monolíngues de PB. Entretanto, individualmente, alguns bilíngues apontam sinais de atrito linguístico em altura e anterioridade/posterioridade vocálica. Portanto, a partir das análises dos sistemas de Língua Materna (L1) e Segunda Língua (L2) do grupo de aprendizes, discutimos o que nossos resultados podem sugerir sobre a dinamicidade nas produções dos bilíngues e a possibilidade de atrito linguístico em ambiente de L2 não-dominante, partindo da concepção de Língua como um Sistema Adaptativo Complexo (cf. GONÇALVES et al., 1995; BECKNER et al., 2009; ALBANO, 2012). / In this study, we investigate the occurrence of language attrition (L2-L1 influence) in the production of the word-final unstressed vowel /e/ by speakers from the city of Porto Alegre (RS, Brazil), learners of Spanish as a Second Language (L2). Departing from this goal, we analyze this vowel in the two language systems produced by these learners. We verify their acoustic patterns (F1 and F2, as well as absolute and relative durations) in comparison to the vowels produced by Brazilian Portuguese monolinguals (from the city of Porto Alegre - Brazil) and Spanish monolinguals (from the city of Montevideo – Uruguay). Therefore, three groups of participants took part in this study: (a) Spanish monolinguals (Control Group 1); (b) Brazilian Portuguese monolinguals (Control Group 2); and (c) a group of Brazilian learners of Spanish showing an advanced level of proficiency (Experimental Group). We hypothesize that (i) there will be significant differences in F1, F2 and (absolute and relative) durational values between the two languages of the bilingual participants (L1: Portuguese, L2: Spanish), as the final vowel /e/ in L2 Spanish will be lower (lower F1 Bark value), more fronted (lower F2 Bark value) and longer (both in absolute and relative values) than in L1 Portuguese (CÂMARA Jr., 1970; CALLOU, MORAES, LEITE, 1996, 2002; VIEIRA, 2002; BISOL, 2003; BATTISTI & VIEIRA, 2005; REAL ACADEMIA ESPAÑOLA, 2011; SILVA, 2012; SANTOS, RAUBER, 2016; PEREYRON, 2017); (ii) there will not be significant differences in the production of word-final unstressed /e/ in Spanish, in terms of formant frequencies (F1 and F2 values) and duration (absolute and relative values), between the productions by the L2 leaners and the native speakers of Spanish; (iii) there will be significant differences, in terms of formant frequencies (F1 and F2 values) and duration (absolute and relative values), in the productions in Brazilian Portuguese by monolinguals and L2 leaners of Spanish, as the vowels produced by the latter will be lower (lower F1 value), more fronted (lower F2 value) and longer than those produced by the monolinguals (CALLOU, MORAES, LEITE, 1996, 2002; SILVA, 2012; PEREYRON, 2017; SANTOS, RAUBER, 2016; SCHERECHEWSKY, ALVES, KUPSKE, in press). The data were collected through a reading task, in which participants were asked to read 24 carrier sentences with the target words. The two Control Groups sat for one of the tasks only, while the L2 learners took part in both tasks (Portuguese and Spanish). Our results show that the L2 leaners are able to produce a difference between Brazilian Portuguese (L1) /e/ and Spanish (L2) /e/, even though the target L2 pattern has not been fully developed. As for the L1 productions, significant differences between monolinguals and bilinguals have not been found. However, when analyzed individually, some learners show some signs of language attrition in their F1 and F2 values. This considered, by analyzing these participants’ L1 and L2 systems individually, we discuss the possibility of language attrition in an L2 non-dominant environment, as we provide support to a view of language as a Complex, Adaptive System.

Através desta pesquisa, investigamos efeitos de atrito linguístico (influência da L2 sobre a L1), a partir da produção da vogal átona final /e/ por porto-alegrenses (RS, Brasil), aprendizes de Espanhol como Segunda Língua (L2). Com este propósito, analisamos a produção desta vogal em ambas as línguas dos aprendizes, verificando, mais especificamente, seus padrões acústicos (os valores de F1 e F2, que dizem respeito à altura e à anterioridade da língua, respectivamente, bem como os valores de duração absoluta e relativa) em comparação à produção de monolíngues de Espanhol (variedade de Montevidéu/Uruguai) e de Português Brasileiro (variedade de Porto Alegre – RS/Brasil). Portanto, contamos com três grupos distintos de participantes: (a) um grupo de monolíngues falantes de Espanhol (Grupo Controle 1); (b) um grupo de monolíngues do Português Brasileiro, nativos da grande Porto Alegre/RS (Grupo Controle 2); e (c) um grupo de aprendizes avançados de Espanhol como L2 (Grupo Experimental). Levantamos as seguintes hipóteses de pesquisa: (i) haverá diferença significativa nos valores das frequências formânticas (F1 e F2) e no padrão duracional das produções vocálicas entre as línguas dos bilíngues (Português/L1 e Espanhol/L2), sendo que a vogal /e/ em Espanhol/L2 será mais baixa (menor F1 – em Bark), mais anterior (menor F2 – em Bark) e mais longa (duração absoluta e relativa) do que em Português/L1 (CÂMARA Jr., 1970; CALLOU, MORAES, LEITE, 1996, 2002; VIEIRA, 2002; BISOL, 2003; BATTISTI & VIEIRA, 2005; REAL ACADEMIA ESPAÑOLA, 2011; SILVA, 2012; SANTOS, RAUBER, 2016; PEREYRON, 2017); (ii) não haverá diferença significativa, no que diz respeito aos padrões acústicos de F1, F2 e duração (absoluta e relativa), entre a vogal átona final /e/ do Espanhol, produzida pelos bilíngues de nível avançado na L2, e a produzida pelos monolíngues de Espanhol; e (iii) haverá diferença significativa entre os valores de F1, de F2, de duração absoluta e de duração relativa entre a vogal átona final /e/ do PB produzida pelos bilíngues e a sua contraparte produzida pelos monolíngues de PB, pois a vogal átona final /e/ dos bilíngues será mais baixa (menor F1), mais anterior (menor F2) e mais longa do que a dos monolíngues de PB (CALLOU, MORAES, LEITE, 1996, 2002; SILVA, 2012; SANTOS, RAUBER, 2016; PEREYRON, 2017; SCHERECHEWSKY, ALVES, KUPSKE, no prelo). Os dados foram obtidos através de Tarefas de Leitura, nas quais foi solicitado que o participante lesse, em voz alta, 24 frases-veículo que continham os estímulos a serem analisados. Os grupos de monolíngues realizaram apenas a Tarefa de Leitura correspondente à sua Língua Materna (L1), e o grupo de aprendizes realizou uma Tarefa de Leitura em cada língua (Português e Espanhol). Os resultados indicaram que os bilíngues distinguem, em suas produções, a vogal átona final /e/ entre a L1 (Português) e a L2 (Espanhol), embora não tenham desenvolvido o padrão acústico de altura e anterioridade/posterioridade na L2. Além disso, em relação à L1, as produções vocálicas dos bilíngues, estatisticamente, não se diferenciam das dos monolíngues de PB. Entretanto, individualmente, alguns bilíngues apontam sinais de atrito linguístico em altura e anterioridade/posterioridade vocálica. Portanto, a partir das análises dos sistemas de Língua Materna (L1) e Segunda Língua (L2) do grupo de aprendizes, discutimos o que nossos resultados podem sugerir sobre a dinamicidade nas produções dos bilíngues e a possibilidade de atrito linguístico em ambiente de L2 não-dominante, partindo da concepção de Língua como um Sistema Adaptativo Complexo (cf. GONÇALVES et al., 1995; BECKNER et al., 2009; ALBANO, 2012). / In this study, we investigate the occurrence of language attrition (L2-L1 influence) in the production of the word-final unstressed vowel /e/ by speakers from the city of Porto Alegre (RS, Brazil), learners of Spanish as a Second Language (L2). Departing from this goal, we analyze this vowel in the two language systems produced by these learners. We verify their acoustic patterns (F1 and F2, as well as absolute and relative durations) in comparison to the vowels produced by Brazilian Portuguese monolinguals (from the city of Porto Alegre - Brazil) and Spanish monolinguals (from the city of Montevideo – Uruguay). Therefore, three groups of participants took part in this study: (a) Spanish monolinguals (Control Group 1); (b) Brazilian Portuguese monolinguals (Control Group 2); and (c) a group of Brazilian learners of Spanish showing an advanced level of proficiency (Experimental Group). We hypothesize that (i) there will be significant differences in F1, F2 and (absolute and relative) durational values between the two languages of the bilingual participants (L1: Portuguese, L2: Spanish), as the final vowel /e/ in L2 Spanish will be lower (lower F1 Bark value), more fronted (lower F2 Bark value) and longer (both in absolute and relative values) than in L1 Portuguese (CÂMARA Jr., 1970; CALLOU, MORAES, LEITE, 1996, 2002; VIEIRA, 2002; BISOL, 2003; BATTISTI & VIEIRA, 2005; REAL ACADEMIA ESPAÑOLA, 2011; SILVA, 2012; SANTOS, RAUBER, 2016; PEREYRON, 2017); (ii) there will not be significant differences in the production of word-final unstressed /e/ in Spanish, in terms of formant frequencies (F1 and F2 values) and duration (absolute and relative values), between the productions by the L2 leaners and the native speakers of Spanish; (iii) there will be significant differences, in terms of formant frequencies (F1 and F2 values) and duration (absolute and relative values), in the productions in Brazilian Portuguese by monolinguals and L2 leaners of Spanish, as the vowels produced by the latter will be lower (lower F1 value), more fronted (lower F2 value) and longer than those produced by the monolinguals (CALLOU, MORAES, LEITE, 1996, 2002; SILVA, 2012; PEREYRON, 2017; SANTOS, RAUBER, 2016; SCHERECHEWSKY, ALVES, KUPSKE, in press). The data were collected through a reading task, in which participants were asked to read 24 carrier sentences with the target words. The two Control Groups sat for one of the tasks only, while the L2 learners took part in both tasks (Portuguese and Spanish). Our results show that the L2 leaners are able to produce a difference between Brazilian Portuguese (L1) /e/ and Spanish (L2) /e/, even though the target L2 pattern has not been fully developed. As for the L1 productions, significant differences between monolinguals and bilinguals have not been found. However, when analyzed individually, some learners show some signs of language attrition in their F1 and F2 values. This considered, by analyzing these participants’ L1 and L2 systems individually, we discuss the possibility of language attrition in an L2 non-dominant environment, as we provide support to a view of language as a Complex, Adaptive System.

The topic of this thesis belongs to the area of L2 acquisition. It focuses on the Czech as a second/foreign language for native Spanish speakers, specifically on their pronunciation of selected consonantal clusters in comparison with the Czech orthoepic norm. The theoretical part summarizes the problems learning the pronunciation of second/foreign language and describes phonetic systems, syllable structure and specific combinatorial properties of sounds in Czech and Spanish. The practical part describes the research for which thirteen Spanish speakers from different countries and with different length of stay in the Czech Republic were recorded. For the purpose of the research a special text containing the selected consonantal clusters in initial, medial and final position of the word was compiled. Words were examined with a perceptive analysis and the results were processed according to established criteria.

This study investigates the acquisition and use of metadiscourse markers in learners/users of L2 Spanish and the role these markers play in the development of fluency and conversational participation during a five-month stay in Spain as exchange students of business administration. The study has been conducted in three steps. The first part focuses on the theory and categorization of metadiscourse markers, followed by an analysis of the use and development of these markers in learners of L2 Spanish. The second part deals with the categorization and operationalization of aspects of fluency and conversational participation that can be associated with the use of metadiscourse markers; followed by an analysis of these aspects in the performance of the learners. The third part of the study is a summary of the results obtained and a discussion of the relationship between the use of metadiscourse markers and the development of fluency and conversational participation. The data underlying the current study consists of a selection of 17 recorded conversations between learners of L2 Spanish and native speakers of Spanish taken from the AKSAM database. The conversations belong in two activity types: discussions and simulated negotiations. The selected sample has a duration of approx. 10 hours and comprises 87 683 words. The study focuses on nine learners who have been recorded at the beginning and at the end of their five month study-abroad stay. Results show that frequency of use of metadiscourse markers has increased considerably at the end of the stay in the majority of the learners under study. A qualitative development can also be found, through which the metadiscourse markers that characterize the learners’ L1 and/or interlanguage have been substituted by more target-like expressions. Furthermore, both their fluency and level of conversational participation have generally increased. Within this development, however, a notable individual variation can be found. The learners who show the strongest development as regards fluency and conversational participation are also found to exhibit the most salient development of metadiscourse markers. Since disfluency is reduced to a lesser degree in those participants who also exhibit a less developed use of metadiscourse markers, it is argued that the development of metadiscourse markers in the L2 learner runs parallel to the development of discourse skills, but also that acquiring an adequate use of metadiscourse markers helps developing these skills.

<p dir="ltr">This study investigates the production of dative clitic doubling among Spanish heritage speakers and English-speaking L2 learners of Spanish. Dative clitic doubling, a grammatical structure in Spanish, is challenging for bilingual speakers (Montrul, 1998; Cuervo, 2007; Escobar-Alvarez, 2017). The study examines the extent to which heritage speakers of Spanish and L2 learners demonstrate knowledge of dative clitic doubling in Spanish with ditransitive verbs across four conditions: psych verbs, wh-questions, double object constructions, and inalienable possession. The results from an online Elicited Production Task reveal that L2 learners exhibit crosslinguistic influence from their L1, characterized by the omission of the dative clitic in the analyzed structures. Heritage speakers also show some degree of crosslinguistic influence, often preferring prepositional constructions over dative clitic doubling. The findings are discussed in the context of the current discourse on the roles of proficiency, language use, and exposure.</p>

This study is focused on the transfer accounts and the prototype accounts, and examines aspect through looking at L1 Swedish learners of Spanish who are at early stages of acquisition. The prototype accounts postulate that adult learners will acquire the most prototypical forms of a grammatical feature first, and then, as proficiency increases, less prototypical features, called extended meanings, will be acquired incrementally (Shirai &amp; Andersen, 1995, Geeslin &amp; Fafulas, 2012). The transfer accounts claim that all grammatical features of the L1 will transfer at initial stages, and that this will either facilitate or impede acquisition, depending on if there are structures that are realized differently or similarly in the L1 and in the L2 (Kellerman, 1979, Gass &amp; Ard, 1984, Schwartz &amp; Sprouse, 1996, Gabriele et al., 2015). The study uses the stimuli and experiment used in Gabriele et al. (2015), a study that tested L1 English learners of Spanish and found evidence that support the transfer accounts. Results from the present study shows positive evidence of L1 transfer, which is taken as support for the transfer account. The results are not compatible with the prototype accounts. A finding of a marginal difference might be indicative of L2 transfer, which is also taken as evidence for the transfer accounts.

With the availability of frequency dictionaries, such as Alameda and Cuetos (1995) or the Corpus del Español (2002), it is now possible to explore the effects of frequency on linguistic items. The following is a study exploring the effects of frequency on Spanish affixed words. While the debate of dual-route versus single-route processing continues, the results of this study suggest that L2 Spanish speakers use a dual-route model and decompose morphologically complex words when the base frequency is higher than the surface frequency. L2 Spanish speakers perceive derived words with a higher base frequency as more complex than derived words with a lower base frequency. The results of this study do not suggest the same process occurs for native Spanish speakers. When asked to identify the more complex word of a pair, native Spanish speakers are just as likely to select the derived word with a lower base frequency as they are to select the derived word with a higher base frequency suggesting a single-route model.