Wenn du die Augen zumachst, dann kann dich keiner sehen. Conditional Sentences as R-Expressions in L1 acquisition Anna M. Mönnich Universität des Saarlandes March 06, 2015 1 / 31
Conditionals in adult language Recent and influential analyses: Condionals as definite descriptions (Schlenker, 2004) Conditionals as referential expressions (Schulz, 2012) Conditionals as free relatives (Bhatt & Pancheva, 2006) 2 / 31
Conditionals in adult language Prediction & Evidence Prediction If conditionals are to be analyzed as referential expressions / free relatives, they are predicted to behave in a parallel way as referential expressions / free relatives. Empirical evidence: correlative constructions use as topics Condition C Effects 3 / 31
Conditionals in adult language What this is all about... Hypothesis If conditionals are referential expressions / free relatives, this should be reflected in (early) L1 acquisition, both wrt the order of acquisition and wrt the course of acquisition. 4 / 31
Conditionals in adult language In particular, it is suggested:... that conditionals and free relatives become productive around the same time... that the L1 acquisition of conditionals and free relatives essentially proceeds in parallel... that conditionals show the same patterns in L1 as in the target language (1) wenn du die Augen zumachst, dann kann dich keiner sehen. (le020900.cha: line 11.) 5 / 31
Conditionals in adult language What this is not about... V1 conditionals relevance conditionals irrelevance conditionals only canonical wenn, (dann) sentences 6 / 31
Scope and main objective of the study Investigate and compare (descriptively) the acquisition process of conditionals and (free) relatives in the densest German L1 corpus, the Leo corpus (Behrens, 2006). 7 / 31
Key data of the Leo corpus available from CHILDES in CHAT coding (vgl. Behrens (2006), MacWhinney (2000)) analyzing tool: Computerized Language ANalysis (CLAN) from age of 1;11,12 to 4;11,05 (15/2/99-08/2/02) main study: 2;00,00 to 2;11,29: daily parental diaries ([+ diary]): 10-30 most innovative and complex utterances daily 30-60 minute recordings 3;00,00 4;11,05: 5 recordings per week every 4th week 8 / 31
Conditionals 275 matches for wenn 190 complete conditional sentences uttered by child, (2) 31 antecedent or consequent attached to other speaker s utterance (excluded) repetitions, imitations, memorizations, etc. (excluded) (2) *CHI: wenn man sieht, dass eine Frauenkirche kaputt ist, muss man die sofort reparieren. (le020924.cha: line 15.) 9 / 31
Relative Clauses 356 relative clauses (34 of them (possibly) interrogative clauses) 247 canonical relative clauses (referent = definite NP), (3-a) 63 free relative clauses (including interrogatives), (3-b) 17 continuative relative clauses, (3-c) 26 not analysable (excluded) repetitions, imitations, memorizations, etc. (excluded) (3) a. *CHI: da, is(t) der Elefant, der Skateboard faehrt. (le020305.cha: line 645.) b. *CHI: &=vocalizes und du hast nich(t) [x 2] geglaubt, was das war. (le020826.cha: line 898.) c. *CHI: Ernie will rausgucken [% MA] was so alles macht. (le020503.cha: line 963.) 10 / 31
Leo: (correlative) free relative clauses vs. (correlative) conditionals
Correlative structures Correlates show the following properties (Altmann, 1981): demonstrative or personal pronoun (in the unmarked case) occurs with both left and right dislocation Case agreement between correlate and dislocated constituent semantically diffuse relationship between correlate and dislocated constituent (4) a. Der soll nicht mit Steinen werfen, der im Glashaus sitzt. b. Wenn es regnet, dann ist die Straße nass. 12 / 31
Correlative structures in L1 acquisition (5) a. *CHI: wenn der Mond kommt, dann musst du schlafen. (le020526.cha: line 27.) b. *CHI: dann willst du wieder einen Dominostein, wenn du einen Apfel gegessen hast. (le020718.cha: line 1528.) (6) a. *CHI: das, was am Arm klebt. (le020621.cha: line 1506.) b. *CHI: in der Kirche gab s niemand, der Karten verkauft. (le020912.cha: line 10.) 13 / 31
Correlative structures in L1 acquisition: the bare facts Table : (Correlative) RC and CC in the Leo corpus 14 / 31
Correlative structures in L1 acquisition: bar charts Figure : (Correlative) RC and CC in the Leo corpus 15 / 31
Correlative structures in L1 acquisition: Interpretation first conditionals and first relatives at same time (2,03) simultaneously productive ( 2,06) similar distribution of CRC (average 2,17) and CCC (av. 5,08) as well as NRC (av. 21,75) and NCC (av. 10,75) 16 / 31
Leo: Conditionals and free relatives as topics
CCs and RCs as topics in the target Language Topicality (Reinhart, 1981) The notion topic of expresses the relation of being about. Sentence topics can be thought of as referential entries under which popositions are classified in the context set. The propositions under such entries in the context set represent what we know about them in this set. 18 / 31
Topicality and German syntax (e.g. Pafel (2011)) The position of left dislocated constituent is a genuine topic position. (7) a. Den Hans, den mochte die Julia schon immer. b. *Jeden Polizisten, die/den mochte die Julia schon immer. (8) a. Wenn die Julia den Hans sieht, dann freut sie sich, b. Wen die Julia mag, um den kümmert sie sich auch. 19 / 31
CCs and RCs as topics in the Leo corpus (9) *CHI: wenn der losfaehrt, dann macht der Geraeusche. (le020705.cha: line 1554.) (10) *CHI: die wir ausgestechen haben mit Milch (.) die haben wir beschneit. (le020815.cha: line 11) 20 / 31
Topicality and L1 acquisition: the bare facts Table : Topical RC and CC in the Leo corpus 21 / 31
Topicality and L1 acquisition: bar charts Figure : Topical RC and CC in the Leo corpus 22 / 31
Topicality and L1 acquisition: Interpretation CC and RC do function as topics in early language development (albeit topicalized RC not fully productive) much more non-topicalized RC (av. 29,17) and CC (av. 10,75) than topicalized RC (av. 0,17) and CC (3,25) similar development of non-topicalized RC and CC: non-topic RC and CC emerge at same time (2,01 / 2,02) non-topic RC and CC become productive at same time (2,04) 23 / 31
Leo: Conditionals, relative clauses and Condition C effects
Condition C and Conditonals Condition C (Chomsky, 1981) An R-Expression [referential expression] is free [may not be bound]. (11) a. [if it were sunny right now] i I would see [people who would then i be getting sunburned]. b. *I would then i see [people who would be getting sunburned [if it were sunny right now] i ]. c. Because I would then i hear lots of people playing on the beach, I would be unhappy [if it were sunny right now] i (Schlenker, 2004) 25 / 31
Condition C and Conditionals: the Leo corpus For RC or CC only one possible example, (12): (12) *CHI: &=vocalizes die [% MA] Leute tun Sachen ein.... *CHI: +< ja, dann, wenn sie rausgehen. (le020617.cha: line 355.) Does (12) give rise to Condition C effect? principally yes, but: interruption by another speaker elliptical structure dann rather temporal adverb than correlate 26 / 31
Condition C and Conditionals: Interpretation no convincing evidence for violation of Condition C by relative clauses suggesting sensitivity to Binding Condition C (supporting error-free learning hypothesis of binding conditions cf. MacWhinney (2004, 888)) 27 / 31
General Conclusion RC and CC with selfsame order and similar course of acquisition suggesting evidence for referential analysis of CC CRC and CCC / NRC and NCC comparable wrt order and course of acquisition suggesting evidence for referential analysis of CC RC and CC do function as topics (albeit RC as topics not productive in investigated period) suggesting evidence (although rather weak) for referential analysis of CC no convincing evidence for violation of Condition C by CC or RC in Leo corpus suggesting evidence for referential analysis of CC 28 / 31
Thanks for your attention! 29 / 31
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