Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grant: Exploring the degree of nativelikeness in bilingual acquisition

本论文项目将探讨一种梯度多因素语言现象在双语习得中的母语相似程度，这种现象需要对复杂随机模式的隐性知识，并给学习者带来许多可学性问题。它将研究单语和双语学习者如何获得关于何时省略和何时不省略韩语格（“格省略”）的隐性知识，以及双语学习者是否能够在涉及句法、语义和话语原则相互作用的现象中成功地获得对多种线索的敏感性。它还将第二语言（L2）学习者与传统语言（HL）学习者进行比较，以调查习得的年龄、输入的类型和数量如何有助于培养类似母语的能力。本项目将使用一套口头和书面引出的生产实验，测试第二语言成人、高级语言成人、讲韩语的成人和儿童对大小写标记和大小写省略的知识和使用情况。通过一个口头的图片描述任务和一个书面的强迫选择任务，跨越焦点、活力和确定性的因素，观察说话者在口头和书面对话中的案例标记模式。这些实验将有助于比较比其他线索更容易获得的线索类型，并确定潜在的发展阶段。本研究不仅有助于加深我们对双语习得的本质和不同类型双语者特征的理解，而且有助于认识单语习得和双语习得在语法界面和其他语言领域的差异。因此，本研究的结果将解决习得理论中的重要理论问题，并有助于确定二语和外语学习者的教学需求。研究结果有望揭示母语学习者和第二语言学习者在基础语言知识方面的质的差异，并有助于为语言课堂中的母语课程提供支持。

The dissertation project will explore the degree of native-likeness in bilingual acquisition of a gradient multi-factor linguistic phenomenon that requires implicit knowledge of complex stochastic patterns and poses many learnability problems for the learners. It will investigate how monolingual and bilingual learners acquire implicit knowledge of when to omit and when not to omit case in Korean ('case ellipsis') and whether bilinguals can successfully acquire sensitivity to multiple cues in a phenomenon that involves the interaction of syntactic, semantic, and discourse principles. It will also compare second language (L2) learners to heritage language (HL) learners to investigate how age of acquisition and the type and amount of input contribute to developing native-like competence. By using a set of oral and written elicited production experiments, the present project will test L2 adults, HL adults, and Korean-speaking adults and children on their knowledge and usage of case marking and case ellipsis. An oral picture description task and a written forced choice task that cross the factors of focus, animacy, and definiteness will be conducted to observe the speakers' patterns of case-marking in oral and written conversations. The experiments will help compare the types of cues that are more readily accessible than others and identify potential developmental stages. The present study will not only help increase our understanding of the nature of bilingual acquisition and characteristics of different types of bilinguals but will also contribute to the knowledge of the differences between monolingual and bilingual acquisition in interfaces of syntax and other linguistic domains. The results of this research will thus address theoretically significant questions in acquisition theory and also help identify L2 and HL learners' instructional needs. The results are expected to shed light on qualitative differences in the underlying linguistic knowledge of HL and L2 learners and help provide support for HL tracks in language classrooms.