Chapter published in:
Acquiring Sociolinguistic Variation
Edited by Gunther De Vogelaer and Matthias Katerbow
[Studies in Language Variation 20] 2017
► pp. 235–265

Language acquisition in bilectal environments

Competing motivations, metalinguistic awareness, and the Socio-Syntax of Development Hypothesis

| University of Cyprus, Cyprus Acquisition Team
| Cyprus Acquisition Team, University of Cyprus
The linguistic reality of Cyprus is diglossic between the local variety of Cypriot Greek and the official language Standard Modern Greek. One of the better studied differences between the two varieties is clitic placement in syntactic environments where one requires enclisis and the other proclisis. This paper discusses the findings of two studies on the acquisition of object clitics so as to (i) explore the connection between bidialectalism and metalinguistic awareness and (ii) argue that competing motivations are relevant for the linguistic development in diglossic environments. Framed as the Socio-Syntax of Development Hypothesis, the process of constructing a socio-syntactic repertoire captures competing motivations by assuming that the linguistic development of Greek Cypriot children primarily involves the need to resolve linguistic accommodation and adjust to the “high” variety.
Keywords: acquisition, bi-x , comparative bilingualism, diglossia, metalinguistic awareness, socio-syntax
Published online: 30 September 2017
https://doi.org/10.1075/silv.20.09lei
References

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Grohmann, Kleanthes K., Maria Kambanaros, Evelina Leivada & Natalia Pavlou
2021. On “free” grammatical variation in a mixed lect: Clitic placement in Cypriot Greek. Zeitschrift für Sprachwissenschaft 39:3 ► pp. 275 ff. Crossref logo
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2017. Acquiring Clitic Placement in Bilectal Settings: Interactions between Social Factors. Frontiers in Communication 2 Crossref logo
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Leivada, Evelina, Maria Kambanaros, Loukia Taxitari & Kleanthes K. Grohmann
2020. (Meta)linguistic abilities of bilectal educators: the case of Cyprus. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism 23:8 ► pp. 1003 ff. Crossref logo

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