Grammatical Optionality and Variability in Bilingualism: How Spanish-English Bilinguals Limit Clitic-Climbing
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Grammatical Optionality and Variability in Bilingualism: How Spanish-English bilinguals limit clitic-climbing by Danielle L. Thomopoulos Thomas A thesis submitted in conformity with the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Department of Spanish and Portuguese University of Toronto © Copyright by Danielle L. Thomopoulos Thomas 2012 Grammatical Optionality and Variability in Bilingualism: How Spanish-English bilinguals limit clitic-climbing Danielle L. Thomopoulos Thomas Doctor of Philosophy Department of Spanish and Portuguese University of Toronto 2012 Abstract This thesis considers how different groups of Spanish speakers (monolinguals, early bilinguals and late bilinguals) organize and limit grammatical optionality related to the placement of Spanish pronominal clitics with many complex infinitival constructions (Spanish clitic- climbing). In examining empirical work on the process and outcome of early and late dual language exposure and how early and late bilinguals acquire and limit grammatical optionality, this study will contribute to our understanding of 1) the nature of language-related cognition at different ages; 2) the systematic nature of bilingual language behaviour in child and adults (transfer, cross-language influence, etc.); 3) the cognitive and contextual factors associated with age of exposure to bilingualism to explain bilingual language behaviour; and 4) the importance of incorporating a clear model of language variation (language-internally and cross- linguistically) into a formal model of (bilingual) language. The empirical study conducted here tested how highly proficient heritage speakers (HS) of Spanish (native speakers of Spanish and Spanish-English bilinguals) deal with the optionality of clitic-climbing structures compared to monolingual speakers (native speakers) and highly proficient adult L2 speakers of Spanish (Spanish-English bilinguals). Forty participants completed a picture elicitation task testing a lexical limitation of the optionality, and an ii acceptability-preference task testing the speakers‘ judgments on structural, semantic and lexical limitations of the optionality. Results show that all groups of speakers exhibited knowledge of syntactic constraints associated with pronominal placement in Spanish (optional clitic-climbing) infinitival sentences. All groups also performed similarly in exhibiting sensitivity to non- categorical factors that have been shown to guide the preferences of monolingual Spanish speakers. However, in the production task, the heritage speakers significantly outperformed the monolingual and non-native speakers of Spanish in their use of the Spanish-specific variant (proclisis). I explain these results through both cognitive and contextual factors related to age of exposure to bilingualism, and I discuss how the production results may underestimate a monolingual-bilingual difference for this optional domain. iii ―Si elle avait pu demeurer éternellement a la frontière des choses, elle aurait été parfaitement heureuse. La plupart des gens lui semblaient assoiffés par les résultats, tandis que elle se contentait de prospectives…‖ —Agnes Desarthe This is for my parents, Diana and Danny, the long-awaited result of their love, extraordinary patience and back-breaking hard work… …and that of Baba Daphne, Baba Elsie, Dedo Dinko and others who I don‘t even know about, but who had to work a lot harder than me to get me here. iv Acknowledgments This dissertation is the result of the sum of the influences I have had through my education, work, and being in certain places at certain times. Some didn‗t know they were having as big an impact as they did, while others should not be surprised to find themselves here. This list of acknowledgments is long, but the path has been long as well and each person here deserves to be mentioned. First, I thank those who had the earliest, but most long-lasting influence: Tanya (who taught me presentational skills—how to talk to people!), Mr. Procter (who taught me the value of writing well), Megan Buckley (who I learned about great leadership through watching), Professor Vercollier (who taught me professional elegance and personal responsibility in the classroom), Professor Bartlett (who taught me about the fun of learning and professional initiative), Melanie (who taught me what real compassion is), Christiane (who taught me how to set personal boundaries), Rosalin (who taught me that there are no boundaries) and Clelia (who taught me to be brave, even if it is unpopular). Second, I am grateful to those friends who come and go from the radar with the comings and goings of life, but who I love and appreciate for all their support: Tanya, Alex Cragg, Christiane, Chris, Rosalin, Shanna, Adam, Isabelle B., Sharon, Lanette…and all others. Third, for the great groups of people who have taught me, supported me, encouraged me and been a great influence on my personal and professional growth: The Champion group: Reza Ghasry, Dr. David and Jeanette Lane and family, Dr. Joe and his family, Lanette Ward, Donna, Mark and Elliot Morrison-Reed, Catherine and Paul Marsiglio and family, Dr. Freda Miller, Jennifer Robertson-Decker, Dave Menikefs and especially Sharon Mah and all her family. I am so lucky to have known such an extraordinary group of human beings. I thank them for their kindness, generosity and being a great example that the terms ―high-achieving‖ and ―good people‖ are compatible! For those at Brock, UTM and York who gave me incredible opportunities in supportive environments to work and become a better teacher: Irene Blayer, Cristina Santos, Cora Solway, Emmanuel Nikiema, Michael Lettieri, Rosa Ciantar, Belinda Grayburn, Gabriela Alboiu, Peter Avery, Josie Sansonetti, Kasia Wolf, Marina Smeriglio and Silvana DeBona. To the Spanish and Linguistics Departments at U of T, many thanks for the work opportunities, and to the phenomenal teachers I‗ve had and people who have helped me along the way: Stephen Rupp, Josiah Blackmore, Bob Davidson, Victor Rivas, Mike Barrie, Alanna Johns, Blanca Talesnik, Rosinda Raposo, and of course Ana, Laura and Cristina, but more about them later. To the Linguistics group in the Spanish department, thanks for their advice, information, complaint forum and potlucks: Irina, Anna L, Natalia M, Yasaman, Yadira, Tanya, Joanne and Olivia. v For those in the object omission group: Yves Roberge, Ana Pérez-Leroux, Mihaela Pirvulescu, Isabelle Belzil, and all those who have come and gone from the group—it is here that I learned how to be a great academic, both professionally and personally. The value of this experience—of just watching greatness in action—is immeasurable and I am forever grateful to Yves, Ana and Mihaela for including me unconditionally all these years. To the Thursday night crowd: Clelia, Isabel, Natalia—us the original four and all those others who have come to join us through the years—Arturo, Agnes, Ramiro and Raúl, Nelson, Martha, Sylvia, Anna C., Diana, etc. And finally, my Salvadorean family: Clelia, Rodolfo, Carolina, Coni, Carlos (and all the extended Salvadorean group)—I can not ever express how grateful I am for having them include me at a time when one family wasn‗t enough. Along with my own family, they helped me stay afloat, fed me, listened to me, and rescued me over and over again. And to those whose influence resulted in the most direct impact on my career path to this point: For Professor Portebois: Who taught me how to think, be enthusiastic and kind in the classroom, tackle a big project and not get overwhelmed, and how to be confident about my abilities—I only continued on to graduate school because she told me I could—thank you! For Diana: I‗ve said it before, but there is no one better than I could think of to have been my partner year by year in this. I thank her for her kindness, availability whenever I needed her voice in the recording studio (for tesina and for thesis) and helping me study for comps when I had no idea what I was talking about! For Alejandro: Who paved the way for me like a brother, and included me in his family like a sister. I‗m always grateful for his help, encouragement, trust and love. I look forward to a great career seeing if I can keep up with him! For Melanie: The person with the most ―mosts of anyone I know—the person with the most compassion, the most sensitivity, the most loyalty, the most beauty and who is the (most) best friend to anyone who is lucky enough to call her a friend. I thank her for understanding me and for being there when I have needed her! For Clelia: From bloqueo! to Nnanga!, I am a lucky person to have gone to Cuba and then surrendered to the ride. Here, she had the painstaking task of editing all the Spanish work and providing countless hours of encouragement to just get it done! She has pushed me in both my professional and personal lives, and I am always grateful for her trust in allowing me to know her past, her daughter, her family, her work and her plans for the future. And to my committee, who is more than just a committee: For Cristina: Who is the angel on my shoulder whispering how to be a great linguist and even better teacher. One meeting always changes my life in some way—thank you! vi For Laura: I really don‗t think I could ever express what she has meant for the path of my life—she changed the course of my life with only one course! Her calmness and kindness are unmatched, and I am forever indebted for what she (quietly) did and continues to do for me. Thank you! For Ana: I‗m so glad I got it and decided to trust her when she told me to—I am a better person for it both professionally and personally. She has been the greatest teacher and mentor—unconditional, knowledgeable, encouraging, forthcoming and patient.