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First Language Change in Turkish-English Bilinguals

Year 2014, Volume: 31 Issue: 1, 45 - 58, 16.02.2016

Abstract

This paper examines whether the first language (L1) Turkish grammar would be restructured on the model of second language (L2) English due to prolonged L2 exposure in Turkish-English bilinguals (late L2 learners) living in Turkey and those living in an English-speaking country. The linguistic structure under investigation is wh-scrambling. The results of an acceptability judgment task revealed the same tendencies in the bilingual groups and monolingual controls towards rejection of certain grammatical wh-extractions. Therefore, the observed changes do not qualify to be L2-induced attrition effects. Rather, these findings may imply a language-internal change towards avoidance of wh-scrambling.

References

  • Akar, D. (1990). Wh-questions in Turkish. Master’s thesis, Boğaziçi University.
  • Arslan, Z. C. (1999). Approaches to wh-structures in Turkish. Master’s thesis, Boğazici University.
  • Chomsky, N. (2001). Derivation by phase. In M. Kenstowicz (Ed.), Ken Hale: A life in language (pp. 1-52). Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
  • Cook, V. J. (1991). The poverty-of-the-stimulus argument and multi-competence. Second Language Research, 7 (2), 103-117.
  • Cook, V. (2002). Portraits of the L2 user. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters.
  • Cook, V. (2003). Effects of the second language on the first. Clevedon: Multilingual matters.
  • Dostert, S. C. (2009). Multilingualism, L1 attrition and the concept of ‘native speaker’. Doctoral dissertation, University of Düsseldorf.
  • Erguvanlı-Taylan, E. (1984). The function of word-order in Turkish grammar. Berkeley: University of California Press.
  • Erguvanlı-Taylan, E. (1987). The role of semantic features in Turkish word order. Folia Linguistica, 21 (2-4), 215–228.
  • Grosjean, F. (2001). The bilingual’s language modes. In J. Nicol (Ed.), One mind, two languages (pp.1-22). Oxford: Blackwell.
  • Göksel, A., & Özsoy, A.S. (2000). Is there a focus position in Turkish? In A.Göksel, & C.Kerslake (Eds.), Studies on Turkish and Turkic Languages (pp. 219-228). Wiesbaden, Harrasowitz.
  • Görgülü, E. (2006). Variable wh-words in Turkish. Master’s thesis, Boğaziçi University.
  • Gürel, A. (2002). Linguistic characteristics of second language acquisition and first language attrition: overt versus null pronouns. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, McGill University.
  • Gürel, A. (2007). (Psycho)linguistic determinants of L1 attrition. In B. Köpke, M.S. Schmid, M. Keijzer & S. Dostert (Eds.), Language Attrition. Theoretical Perspectives (pp. 99-120). Amsterdam: John Benjamins.
  • Gürel, A. & Yılmaz, G. (2011). Restructuring in the L1 Turkish grammar: effects of L2 English and L2 Dutch. Language, Interaction and Acquisition, 2(2), 221-250.
  • Gürel, A. (2013-online version). First language attrition of constraints on whscrambling: Does the second language have an effect? International Journal of Bilingualism. first published on October 16, 2013 as doi:10.1177/1367006913506131
  • İkizoğlu, D. (2007). Islands in Turkish. B.A. Thesis. Boğaziçi University.
  • İşsever, S. (2009). A Syntactic account of wh-in-situ in Turkish. In S. Ay, Ö. Aydın, İ. Ergenç, S. Gökmen, S. İşsever, & D. Peçenek (Eds.). Proceedings of the 14th International Conference on Turkish Linguistics, (pp. 103-112). Wiesbaden: Harrasowitz Verlag.
  • Kelepir, M. (2001) Topics in Turkish syntax: Clausal structure and scope. Doctoral dissertation, MIT.
  • Kornfilt, J. (1997). Turkish. London: Routledge. Köpke, B. , Schmid, M.S., Keijzer, M. & Dostert, S. (Eds.) (2007). Language attrition: theoretical perspectives. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.
  • Lambert, R., D., & Freed, B. F. (Eds.) (1982). The loss of language skills. Rowley: Newbury House Publishers.
  • Montrul, S. (2008). Incomplete acquisition in bilingualism: Reexamining the age factor. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.
  • Özsoy, A. S. (1996). A'-dependencies in Turkish. In B. Rona (Ed.), Current issues in Turkish Linguistics: Proceedings of the 5th International Conference on Turkish Linguistics (pp. 139-158). Ankara: Hitit Yayınevi.
  • Özsoy, A. S., (2009). Turkish as a (non)-wh-in-situ language. In É. Á. Csató, G. Ims, J. Parslow, F. Thiesen, & E. Türker (Eds.), Turcological letters to Bernt Brendemoen (pp. 221-232). Oslo: Novus Forlag.
  • Öztürk, B. (2013). Rightward movement, EPP and Specifiers: Evidence from Uyghur and Khalkha. In G. Webelhuth, M. Sailer, & H. Walker (Ed.), Rightward movement from a cross-linguistic perspective (pp. 175-210). Linguistik Aktuell, Amsterdam: John Benjamins.
  • Pavlenko, A. (2000). L2 influence on L1 in late bilingualism. Issues in Applied Linguistics, 11 (2), 175-205.
  • Perpiñán, S. (2011). Optionality in bilingual native grammars. Language, Interaction and Acquisition, 2(2), 312-341.
  • Schmid, M.S. (2002) First language attrition, use, and maintenance: the case of German Jews in Anglophone countries. Amsterdam/Philadelphia: John Benjamins.
  • Schmid, M.S., & Köpke, B.(Eds.). (2013). First language attrition. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.
  • Schmid, M.S., Köpke, B., Keijzer, M., & Weilemar, L. (Eds.). (2004). First language attrition: interdisciplinary perspectives on methodological issues. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.
  • Seliger, H. (1996). Primary language attrition in the context of bilingualism. In T.J. Bhatia & W.C. Ritchie (Eds.), Handbook of second language acquisition (pp. 605-626). New York: Academic Press.
  • Seliger, H., & Vago, R. M. (Eds.). (1991). First language attrition. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
  • Sorace, A. (2000). Differential effects of attrition in the L1 syntax of near-native L2 speakers. In C. Howell, S. Fish & T. Keith-Lucas (Eds.), Proceedings of the 24th Boston University conference on language development (pp. 719-725). Somerville, MA: Cascadilla Press.
  • Sorace, A. (2005). Selective optionality in language development. In L. Cornips, & K. Corrigan (Eds.), Syntax and variation: reconciling the biological and the social (pp. 46-111). Amsterdam: John Benjamins.
  • Sorace, A. (2011). Pinning down the concept of “interface” in bilingualism. Linguistic Approaches to Bilingualism, 1(1), 1-33.
  • Tsimpli, I., Sorace, A., Heycock, C., & Filiaci, F. (2004). First language attrition and syntactic subjects: a study of Greek and Italian near-native speakers of English. International Journal of Bilingualism, 8, 257-77.
  • Van Els, Theo (1986). An overview of European Research on Language Acquisition. In B. Weltens, K. de Bot, & T. Van Els (Eds.), Language attrition in progress (pp. 3-18). Dordrecht: Foris Publications.
  • Weinreich, U. (1953). Languages in contact. New York: Linguistic Circle of New York.
  • Weltens, B. , De Bot, K., & Van Els, T. (Eds.). (1986), Language attrition in progress. Dordrecht: Foris Publications.
Year 2014, Volume: 31 Issue: 1, 45 - 58, 16.02.2016

Abstract

References

  • Akar, D. (1990). Wh-questions in Turkish. Master’s thesis, Boğaziçi University.
  • Arslan, Z. C. (1999). Approaches to wh-structures in Turkish. Master’s thesis, Boğazici University.
  • Chomsky, N. (2001). Derivation by phase. In M. Kenstowicz (Ed.), Ken Hale: A life in language (pp. 1-52). Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
  • Cook, V. J. (1991). The poverty-of-the-stimulus argument and multi-competence. Second Language Research, 7 (2), 103-117.
  • Cook, V. (2002). Portraits of the L2 user. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters.
  • Cook, V. (2003). Effects of the second language on the first. Clevedon: Multilingual matters.
  • Dostert, S. C. (2009). Multilingualism, L1 attrition and the concept of ‘native speaker’. Doctoral dissertation, University of Düsseldorf.
  • Erguvanlı-Taylan, E. (1984). The function of word-order in Turkish grammar. Berkeley: University of California Press.
  • Erguvanlı-Taylan, E. (1987). The role of semantic features in Turkish word order. Folia Linguistica, 21 (2-4), 215–228.
  • Grosjean, F. (2001). The bilingual’s language modes. In J. Nicol (Ed.), One mind, two languages (pp.1-22). Oxford: Blackwell.
  • Göksel, A., & Özsoy, A.S. (2000). Is there a focus position in Turkish? In A.Göksel, & C.Kerslake (Eds.), Studies on Turkish and Turkic Languages (pp. 219-228). Wiesbaden, Harrasowitz.
  • Görgülü, E. (2006). Variable wh-words in Turkish. Master’s thesis, Boğaziçi University.
  • Gürel, A. (2002). Linguistic characteristics of second language acquisition and first language attrition: overt versus null pronouns. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, McGill University.
  • Gürel, A. (2007). (Psycho)linguistic determinants of L1 attrition. In B. Köpke, M.S. Schmid, M. Keijzer & S. Dostert (Eds.), Language Attrition. Theoretical Perspectives (pp. 99-120). Amsterdam: John Benjamins.
  • Gürel, A. & Yılmaz, G. (2011). Restructuring in the L1 Turkish grammar: effects of L2 English and L2 Dutch. Language, Interaction and Acquisition, 2(2), 221-250.
  • Gürel, A. (2013-online version). First language attrition of constraints on whscrambling: Does the second language have an effect? International Journal of Bilingualism. first published on October 16, 2013 as doi:10.1177/1367006913506131
  • İkizoğlu, D. (2007). Islands in Turkish. B.A. Thesis. Boğaziçi University.
  • İşsever, S. (2009). A Syntactic account of wh-in-situ in Turkish. In S. Ay, Ö. Aydın, İ. Ergenç, S. Gökmen, S. İşsever, & D. Peçenek (Eds.). Proceedings of the 14th International Conference on Turkish Linguistics, (pp. 103-112). Wiesbaden: Harrasowitz Verlag.
  • Kelepir, M. (2001) Topics in Turkish syntax: Clausal structure and scope. Doctoral dissertation, MIT.
  • Kornfilt, J. (1997). Turkish. London: Routledge. Köpke, B. , Schmid, M.S., Keijzer, M. & Dostert, S. (Eds.) (2007). Language attrition: theoretical perspectives. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.
  • Lambert, R., D., & Freed, B. F. (Eds.) (1982). The loss of language skills. Rowley: Newbury House Publishers.
  • Montrul, S. (2008). Incomplete acquisition in bilingualism: Reexamining the age factor. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.
  • Özsoy, A. S. (1996). A'-dependencies in Turkish. In B. Rona (Ed.), Current issues in Turkish Linguistics: Proceedings of the 5th International Conference on Turkish Linguistics (pp. 139-158). Ankara: Hitit Yayınevi.
  • Özsoy, A. S., (2009). Turkish as a (non)-wh-in-situ language. In É. Á. Csató, G. Ims, J. Parslow, F. Thiesen, & E. Türker (Eds.), Turcological letters to Bernt Brendemoen (pp. 221-232). Oslo: Novus Forlag.
  • Öztürk, B. (2013). Rightward movement, EPP and Specifiers: Evidence from Uyghur and Khalkha. In G. Webelhuth, M. Sailer, & H. Walker (Ed.), Rightward movement from a cross-linguistic perspective (pp. 175-210). Linguistik Aktuell, Amsterdam: John Benjamins.
  • Pavlenko, A. (2000). L2 influence on L1 in late bilingualism. Issues in Applied Linguistics, 11 (2), 175-205.
  • Perpiñán, S. (2011). Optionality in bilingual native grammars. Language, Interaction and Acquisition, 2(2), 312-341.
  • Schmid, M.S. (2002) First language attrition, use, and maintenance: the case of German Jews in Anglophone countries. Amsterdam/Philadelphia: John Benjamins.
  • Schmid, M.S., & Köpke, B.(Eds.). (2013). First language attrition. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.
  • Schmid, M.S., Köpke, B., Keijzer, M., & Weilemar, L. (Eds.). (2004). First language attrition: interdisciplinary perspectives on methodological issues. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.
  • Seliger, H. (1996). Primary language attrition in the context of bilingualism. In T.J. Bhatia & W.C. Ritchie (Eds.), Handbook of second language acquisition (pp. 605-626). New York: Academic Press.
  • Seliger, H., & Vago, R. M. (Eds.). (1991). First language attrition. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
  • Sorace, A. (2000). Differential effects of attrition in the L1 syntax of near-native L2 speakers. In C. Howell, S. Fish & T. Keith-Lucas (Eds.), Proceedings of the 24th Boston University conference on language development (pp. 719-725). Somerville, MA: Cascadilla Press.
  • Sorace, A. (2005). Selective optionality in language development. In L. Cornips, & K. Corrigan (Eds.), Syntax and variation: reconciling the biological and the social (pp. 46-111). Amsterdam: John Benjamins.
  • Sorace, A. (2011). Pinning down the concept of “interface” in bilingualism. Linguistic Approaches to Bilingualism, 1(1), 1-33.
  • Tsimpli, I., Sorace, A., Heycock, C., & Filiaci, F. (2004). First language attrition and syntactic subjects: a study of Greek and Italian near-native speakers of English. International Journal of Bilingualism, 8, 257-77.
  • Van Els, Theo (1986). An overview of European Research on Language Acquisition. In B. Weltens, K. de Bot, & T. Van Els (Eds.), Language attrition in progress (pp. 3-18). Dordrecht: Foris Publications.
  • Weinreich, U. (1953). Languages in contact. New York: Linguistic Circle of New York.
  • Weltens, B. , De Bot, K., & Van Els, T. (Eds.). (1986), Language attrition in progress. Dordrecht: Foris Publications.
There are 39 citations in total.

Details

Journal Section Original Articles
Authors

Ayşe Gürel

Publication Date February 16, 2016
Published in Issue Year 2014 Volume: 31 Issue: 1

Cite

APA Gürel, A. (2016). First Language Change in Turkish-English Bilinguals. Bogazici University Journal of Education, 31(1), 45-58.