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Mexican Spanish in Houston, Texas: a Study of Language Contact and Its Effects on Overt Subject Pronouns

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Mexican Spanish in Houston, Texas: a Study of Language Contact and Its Effects on Overt Subject Pronouns MEXICAN SPANISH IN HOUSTON, TEXAS: A STUDY OF LANGUAGE CONTACT AND ITS EFFECTS ON OVERT SUBJECT PRONOUNS BY SANDRA BAUMEL-SCHREFFLER A DISSERTATION PRESENTED TO THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA 1995 UNIVERSITY OF R.0RIDA LIBRARIES This work is dedicated to the two most important men in my life: my husband, Ray, and my son, Blair Austin. Their patience, understanding, support and ability to withstand neglect allowed me to make my dream come true. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I want to thank the following professors who have each played a unique role both in my education and in the creation of this work. Dr. John M. Lipski is thanked for all his help, patience, understanding and guidance over the past eight years. He suffered through the pains of my master's thesis and bravely agreed, once again, to lead me through the research, writing and editing of this dissertation. Had it not been for his inspiration, I would not have attempted to continue my education to this level. Dr. David A. Pharies is thanked for his help and understanding during my years at the University of Florida. I appreciate the time and effort he spent advising me and helping me both with my course work and with this document. Dr. D. Gary Miller is thanked for his sense of humor and for not living up to his reputation for being unmerciful. I cannot thank him enough for the time he took to explain many issues which once were a mystery. His continuing search to expand his already vast knowledge has provided me with an excellent example to follow. Dr. Florencia Cortes-Conde was gracious enough to leap into the gap left by Dr. Enrique Mallen's departure. She was iii willing to help and encourage me even though we had not met so that I could finish my work. I would also like to thank all the Mexican and Mexican- American individuals who so graciously invited me into their homes to share their experiences and language with me. This project could not have been accomplished without them. There are also a few special friends without whose support and help this project could not have been completed: June Jaramillo, Paloma Ibanez, Patricia Cypher, Myriam Garcia, and Karl Reinhardt. IV 3 TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS iii ABSTRACT X CHAPTERS 1 INTRODUCTION 1 1.1 Introduction 1 1.2 Bilingualism 9 1.2.1 Definition of Bilingualism, General Views and Explanations of the Process 9 1.2. 1.1 The coordinate-compound- subordinate distinction . 13 1.2. 1.2 One lexicon or two? ... 15 1.2. 1.3 Complementation 16 1.2. 1.4 I n t e r 1 a n g u a g e and bilingualism 18 1.2. 1.5 Norms and varieties in bilingual communities . 19 1.2.2 Childhood and Adolescent Bilingualism 20 1.2. 2.1 Early childhood bilingualism defined . 21 1.2. 2. 2 Bilingual acquisition and transfer 22 1.2.3 Post-Adolescent Bilingualism . 23 1.2.4 Contact Bilingualism 24 1.2. 4.1 Introduction 24 1.2. 4. 2 Bilingual syntax .... 25 1.2. 4. 3 Contact bilingual Spanish and pro-drop 26 1.3 Language Contact 29 1.3.1 Introduction 29 1.3.2 Language Maintenance and Shift 34 1. 3.2.1 Introduction 34 1.3. 2. 2 Factors affecting language maintenance and shift 35 1.3. 2. Language maintenance and shift in the United States 40 V 23 1.3.3 Language Attrition/Loss and Language Death 43 1.3. 3.1 Introduction 43 1.3. 3. Symptoms of language loss 44 1.3. 3. Summary 4 5 1.4 Contact Bilingual Spanish 46 1.5 Notes 50 2 SYNTACTIC THEORY AND THE PRO-DROP PARAMETER . 56 2.1 Introduction 56 2.2 Defining the Properties of Pro-drop . 58 2.2.1 Traditional Grammars 58 2.2.2 Generative Grammar 62 2.2.3 Principles and Parameters . 63 2.2.4 The Nature of the Null Subject 65 2.2.5 Free Inversion 72 2.2.6 Resumptive Pronoun Strategy . 73 2.2.7 One Parameter or Two? .... 74 2.2.8 Identification and Licensing of Null Subjects 75 2.2.9 Issues of First Language Acguisition 75 2.2.10 Summary 78 2.3 Pro-drop in Spanish 79 2.3.1 Introduction 79 2.3.2 Identity of the Null Preverbal Subject 80 2.3.3 Impersonal se Constructions . 82 2.3.4 Free versus Obligatory Inversion 88 2.3.5 Summary 91 2.4 UG and Parameter Theory in Second Language Acquisition 94 2.4.1 Introduction 94 2.4.2 Other Hypotheses within the Theories of UG and Parameters 95 2.4.3 Negative Evidence 97 2.4.4 The Availability of UG in Second Language Acquisition . 99 2.4.5 Similar and Different Domains in LI and L2 Acquisition . 103 2.4.6 Empirical Verification . 104 2.4.7 The Concept of Markedness . 105 vi 24531 2.4.8 The Role of Interlanguage in Second Language Acquisition 109 2.4.8. 109 2. 4. 8. 110 2. 4. 8. 110 2. 4. 8. Ill 2 . 4 . 8. 112 2.4.9 Other Systems Responsible for Second Language Acquisition 115 2.4.10 Summary 116 2.5 Pro-drop and Second Language Acquisition 118 2.5.1 Introduction 118 2.5.2 Resetting the Pro-drop Parameter 122 2.5.3 Transfer Errors in Parameter Resetting 131 2.5.4 Summary 136 2.6 Notes 142 3 PREVIOUS STUDIES ON LANGUAGE CONTACT—A REVIEW 161 3.1 Introduction 161 3.2 Studies of U.S. Mexican Spanish . 164 3.2.1 Silva-Corvalan (1982) . 164 3.2.2 Lantolf (1983) 166 3.2.3 Silva-Corvalan (1986b) . 168 3.2.4 Loa (1989) 170 3.2.5 Gutierrez (1990) 173 3.2.6 Gutierrez (1993) 175 3.2.7 Ocampo (1990 178 3.3 Studies of Other Varieties of U.S. Spanish 180 3.3.1 Klein (1980) 180 3.3.2 Klein-Andreu (1985) .... 182 3.3.3 Guitart (1982) 184 3.3.4 Jagendorf (1988) 186 3.3.5 Torres (1989) 189 3.4 Monolingual Mexican Spanish: Cantero Sandoval (1978) 191 3.5 Notes 193 4 THE STUDY 197 4 . 1 Introduction 197 4.2 Population of the Study 198 Vll 21345 — 4.2.1 Location of the Participants 198 4.2.2 Description (Definition) of Participants 202 4.2.2. Monolingual informants 204 4. 2. 2. 2 Spanish-dominant bilingual informants . 205 4. 2. 2. English-dominant bilingual informants . 206 4.3 Data Collection 207 4.3.1 Recorded Interviews .... 207 4.3.2 Written Questionnaires . 210 4.4 Data Analysis 213 4.4.1 Demographic Data 213 4. 4. 1.1 Monolingual informants 213 4. 4. 1.2 Spanish-dominant bilingual informants . 217 4. 4. 1.3 English-dominant bilingual informants . 221 4.4.2 Written Questionnaires . 223 4.4.2. Introduction 223 4. 4. 2. Spanish Sentences . 227 4. 4. 2. English Sentences . 283 4.4.3 Recorded Interviews .... 300 4. 4. 3.1 Monolingual informants 304 4. 4. 3. 2 Spanish-dominant bilingual informants . 316 4. 4. 3. 3 English-dominant bilingual informants . 328 4.4.4 Summary of Statistical Data 345 4. 4. 4.1 Written questionnaires redundant pronouns . 345 4. 4. 4. Written questionnaires-- subject-verb inversion 346 4. 4. 4. Recorded interviews-- redundant pronouns . 347 4. 4. 4. Recorded interviews-- subject-verb inversion 348 4. 4. 4. Recorded interviews — null pronouns 349 4.5 Notes 349 5 SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS 357 5.1 Introduction 357 5.2 Summary 3 58 viii 5.2.1 Overt/Non-Overt Subject Pronoun Usage 358 5. 2. 1.1 Redundant (overt) subject pronouns 358 5.2. 1.2 Non-overt subject pronouns 361 5.2.2 Subject-Verb Inversion . 364 5.3 Conclusions 367 5.4 Suggestions for Future Research . 371 APPENDIX I PERSONAL INFORMATION SHEET 373 APPENDIX II MONOLINGUAL WRITTEN QUESTIONNAIRE . 374 REFERENCES 396 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH 420 IX Abstract of Dissertation Presented to the Graduate School of the University of Florida in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy MEXICAN SPANISH IN HOUSTON, TEXAS: A STUDY OF LANGUAGE CONTACT AND ITS EFFECTS ON OVERT SUBJECT PRONOUNS By SANDRA BAUMEL-SCHREFFLER DECEMBER 1995 Chairman: Dr. John M. Lipski Major Department: Romance Languages and Literatures This research brings together the linguistic disciplines of language contact, bilingualism, first and second language acquisition and theoretical syntax. Following the footsteps of Silva-Corvalan, whose work was carried out in Los Angeles, California, this project examines the effects of English on the several characteristics of the Pro-drop Parameter in the Spanish of the Mexican/Mexican-American community of Houston, Texas. Three groups of individuals participated in the study (monolingual Spanish speakers, Spanish-dominant and English- dominant bilinguals) to determine what effects, if any, prolonged contact and increased ability in English have had on the spoken language of these respondents. Written questionnaires tested the grammatical ity/acceptability judgments and use patterns of these individuals regarding redundant overt subject pronouns and subject-verb inversion in X declarative sentences. Recorded interviews were also conducted in order to ascertain whether the speech of these informants reflected the data of the questionnaires. Qualitative and statistical tests were conducted on the gathered data in order to determine the degree of significance of their responses. The results of the study lead to the conclusion that it is the initial acquisition of English and not increased proficiency therein, which causes the increase in appearance of redundant overt subject pronouns in the Spanish spoken by the bilinguals in the studied population.
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