Article published in:
The Acquisition and Processing of Spanish and Portuguese Morphosyntax: Theoretical and experimental issues
Edited by Rachel Klassen, Anahí Alba de la Fuente, Joanne Markle LaMontagne and Almudena Basanta y Romero-Valdespino
[Revista Española de Lingüística Aplicada/Spanish Journal of Applied Linguistics 29:2] 2016
► pp. 462–486

The acquisition of the semantic values of the Spanish present tense in L2 and heritage Spanish

| Purdue University
| Rutgers University
We examine the acquisition of the semantic values of the Spanish present tense among second language learners and Spanish heritage speakers, an area so far underexplored. We predict bilingualism effects evidenced in lower patterns of use, acceptance and preference of the simple present with an ongoing meaning, as well as preference for the progressive in ongoing and habitual contexts. Furthermore, we expect the heritage speakers to outperform the L2 learners, and to behave closer to native speakers. In contrast to our expectations, we found overextension of the simple present to ongoing situations and to contexts where the present progressive is preferred. The heritage speakers behaved closer to the native speakers, suggesting age-related effects in language development. We argue for morphosemantic convergence towards the less aspectually restrictive configuration.
Keywords: bilingualism effects, age effects, L2 acquisition, heritage language acquisition, tense and aspect, Spanish present tense
Published online: 02 February 2017
https://doi.org/10.1075/resla.29.2.04cuz
References
Alarcos Llorach, E
(1994) Gramática de la lengua española. Madrid: Espasa Calpe.Google Scholar
Alcina, J., & Blecua, J
(1975) Gramática española. Esplugues de Llobregat: Ariel.Google Scholar
Aponte-Alequín, H., & Ortiz-López, L.A
(2010) Una perspectiva pragmática del presente progresivo con valor de futuro en el español del Caribe. In C. Borgonovo, M. Español-Echevarría, & P. Prévost (Eds.), Selected proceedings of the 12th Hispanic linguistics symposium (pp. 109–121). Somerville, MA: Cascadilla Proceedings Project.Google Scholar
Bardovi-Harlig, K
(2000) Tense and aspect in second language acquisition: Form, meaning, and use. Malden, MA: Blackwell.Google Scholar
Comrie, B
(1976) Aspect: An introduction to the study of verbal aspect and related problems. Cambridge/New York: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Coppieters, R
(1987) Competence differences between native and near-native speakers. Language, 63(3), 544–573. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
Cortés-Torres, M
(2005) ¿Qué estás haciendo?: La variación de la perífrasis estar + ndo en el español puertorriqueño. In D. Eddington (Ed.), Selected proceedings of the 7th Hispanic linguistics symposium (pp. 42–55). Somerville, MA: Cascadilla Proceedings Project.Google Scholar
Cowper, E
(1998) The simple present tense in English: A unified treatment. Studia Linguistica, 52(1), 1–18. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
Cuza, A
(2008) The L2 acquisition and L1 attrition of the interpretation and use of aspectual properties in Spanish among English-speaking L2 learners and long-term Spanish immigrants. Unpublished PhD Dissertation.Google Scholar
(2010) The L2 acquisition of aspectual properties in Spanish. Canadian Journal of Linguistics, 55(2), 1001–1028. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
Cuza, A., & Camacho, J
forthcoming). Pronominal subject expression with inanimate reference in Cuban Spanish. In A. Cuza (Ed.) Cuban Spanish dialectology: Variation, contact and change Washington, D.C Georgetown University Press
Cuza, A., & Frank, J
(2015) On the role of experience and age-related effects: Evidence from the Spanish CP. Second Language Research, 301, 3–28. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
Cuza, A., Pérez-Leroux, A.T., & Sánchez, L
(2013) The role of semantic transfer in clitic-drop among simultaneous and sequential Chinese-Spanish bilinguals. Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 35(1), 93–125. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
De Swart, H
(1998) Aspect shift and coercion. Natural Language and Linguistic Theory, 161, 347–85. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
D’Introno, F
(2001) Sintaxis generativa del español: Evolución y análisis. Madrid: Cátedra.Google Scholar
Duffield, N., & White, L
(1999) Assessing L2 knowledge of Spanish clitic placement: Converging methodologies. Second Language Research, 151, 133–160. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
Fernández Ramírez, S
(1957) La gramática del español. 4. El verbo y la oración. Madrid: Arcos/Libros.Google Scholar
Gabriele, A., & Martohardjono, G
(2005) Investigating the role of transfer in the L2 acquisition of aspect. In L. Dekydtspotter, R.A. Sprouse, & A. Liljestrand (Eds.), Proceedings of the 7th generative approaches to second language acquisition conference (GASLA 2004) (pp. 96–110). Somerville, MA: Cascadilla Proceedings Project.Google Scholar
Geeslin, K., & Fafulas, S
(2012) Variation of the simple present and present progressive forms: A comparison of native and non-native speakers. In K. Geeslin & M. Díaz-Campos (Eds.), Selected proceedings of the 14th Hispanic linguistics symposium (pp. 179–196). Somerville, MA: Cascadilla Press.Google Scholar
Giorgi, A., & Pianesi, F
(1997) Tense and aspect from semantics to morphosyntax. New York: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Hyltenstam, K., & Abrahamsson, N
(2003) Maturational constraints in SLA. In C. Doughty & M. Long (Eds.), The handbook of second language acquisition (pp. 539–588). Malden, MA: Blackwell. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
Jia, G
(1998) Beyond brain maturation: The critical period hypothesis in second language acquisition revisited. Unpublished dissertation. New York University.Google Scholar
Kamp, H., & Reyle, U
(1993) From discourse to logic: Introduction to model theoretic semantics of natural language, formal logic and discourse representation theory. Dordrecht/Boston: Kluwer. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
Klein, F
(1980) A quantitative study of syntactic and pragmatic indicators of change in the Spanish of bilinguals in the U.S. In W. Labov (Ed.), Locating language in time and space (pp. 69–82). New York: Academic Press.Google Scholar
Montrul, S
(2002) Incomplete acquisition and attrition of Spanish tense/aspect distinctions in adult bilinguals. Bilingualism: Language and Cognition, 5(1), 39–68. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
(2004) Subject and object expression in Spanish heritage speakers: A case of morphosyntactic convergence. Bilingualism: Language and Cognition, 7(2), 125–142. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
(2006) Incomplete acquisition as a feature of L2 and bilingual grammars. In R. Slabakova, S. Montrul, & P. Prévost (Eds.), Inquiries in linguistic development: In honor of Lydia White (pp. 335–360). Amsterdam: John Benjamins. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
(2008) Incomplete acquisition in bilingualism: Re-examining the age factor. Amsterdam: John Benjamins. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
(2010) Dominant language transfer in Spanish L2 learners and heritage speakers. Second Language Research, 26(3), 293–325. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
Montrul, S., Foote, R., & Perpiñán, S
(2008) Gender agreement in adult second language learners and Spanish heritage speakers: The effects of age and context of acquisition. Language Learning, 581, 503–553. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
Montrul, S., & Ionin, T
(2010) Transfer effects in the interpretation of definite articles by Spanish heritage speakers. Bilingualism: Language and Cognition 13(4), 449–473. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
Montrul, S., & Slabakova, R
(2003) Competence similarities between native and near-native speakers: An investigation of the preterite-imperfect contrast in Spanish. Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 25(3), 351–398. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
O’Grady, W., Kwak, H.Y., Lee, O.S., & Lee, M
(2011) An emergentist perspective on heritage language acquisition. Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 331, 223–45. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
Pérez-Cortés, S
(2012) The interpretation of present progressive aspectual features by L2 Spanish learners and heritage language speakers. Arizona Working Papers in SLA Teaching, 191, 36–55.Google Scholar
Pérez-Leroux, A., Cuza, A., Majlanova, M., & Sánchez-Naranjo, J
(2008) Non-native recognition of the iterative and habitual meanings of Spanish preterite and imperfect tenses. In J. Liceras, H. Zobl, & H. Goodluck (Eds.), The role of formal features in second language acquisition (pp. 432–451). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.Google Scholar
Salaberry, M
(1999) The development of past tense verbal morphology in classroom L2 Spanish. Applied Linguistics, 20(2), 151–178. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
Salaberry, M. & Shirai, Y
(2002) The L2 acquisition of tense-aspect morphology. Amsterdam: John Benjamins. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
Sánchez-Muñoz, A
(2004) Transfer in the Spanish progressive constructions in Los Angeles. USC Working Papers in Linguistics, 21, 16–29.Google Scholar
Schmitt, C
(2001) Cross-linguistic variation and the present perfect: The case of Portuguese. Natural Language & Linguistic Theory, 19(2), 403–453. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
Silva-Corvalán, C
(1994) Language contact and change: Spanish in Los Angeles. Clarendon Press: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Slabakova, R
(2003) Semantic evidence for functional categories in interlanguage grammars. Second Language Research, 19(1), 42–75. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
Torres-Cacoullos, R
(2000) Grammaticization, synchronic variation, and language contact: A study of Spanish progressive -ndo constructions. Amsterdam: John Benjamins. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
Valdés, G
(2001) Heritage language students: Profiles and possibilities. In J. Peyton, D. Ranard, & S. McGinnis (Eds.), Heritage languages in America: Preserving a national resource (pp. 37–80). McHenry, IL: Center for Applied Linguistics.Google Scholar
Verkuyl, H.J
(1972) On the compositional nature of the aspects. Dordrecht: Reidel. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
Weinreich, U
(1974) Languages in contact: Findings and problems. The Hague: Mouton.Google Scholar
Westfall, R
(1995) Simple and progressive forms of the Spanish past tense system: A semantic and pragmatic study in viewpoint contrast. Ph.D. Thesis, University of Texas, Austin, Austin, TX.Google Scholar
Yang, C
(2002) Knowledge and learning in natural language. Oxford: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Yllera Fernández, M.A
(1999) Las perífrasis verbales de gerundio y participio. In I. Bosque & V. Demonte (Eds.), Gramática descriptiva de la lengua española (pp. 3391–3441). Madrid: Real Academia Española/Espasa Calpe.Google Scholar
Cited by

Cited by 1 other publications

López Otero, Julio César & Alejandro Cuza
2020.  In Hispanic Contact Linguistics [Issues in Hispanic and Lusophone Linguistics, 22], ► pp. 216 ff. Crossref logo

This list is based on CrossRef data as of 18 april 2022. Please note that it may not be complete. Sources presented here have been supplied by the respective publishers. Any errors therein should be reported to them.