Tesis profesional presentada por Rachael Elizabeth Sills

Maestría en Lingüística Aplicada. Departamento de Lenguas. Escuela de Artes y Humanidades, Universidad de las Américas Puebla.

Jurado Calificador

Presidente: Dr. Patrick Henry Smith Ashmore
Secretario y Director: Dr. Christopher John Hall Sim
Vocal: Dr. Roberto Herrera Herrera

Cholula, Puebla, México a 18 de mayo de 2004.

Abstract

This is a quantitative study of the effects of inter-generational contact between a majority language (Spanish) and a heritage language (Veneto). Specifically, we are studying the effects of the Spanish verbal syntax, referred to as a syntactic frame, on the syntactic frame of Veneto verbs. Data was gathered from a total of 69 participants, 35 older speakers and 34 younger speakers, through translation activities. The results were then codified and analyzed in two separate analyses studying variation across speakers and the degree of cross-linguistic influence (CLI) according to age groups. Variation among speakers is ubiquitous and at the same time demonstrates subtle patterns of language maintenance, shift, and loss at the lexical level. T-tests demonstrate that the differences in the degree of CLI of both groups is statistically different and that older speakers maintain a more classical version of Veneto lexicon whereas the younger speakers produce a variety of Veneto with higher rates of lexical and frame borrowing from Spanish. The implications of this study include providing evidence that the cognitive processes of progressive language attrition are parallel to cognitive processes present among second language learners (parasitism in L2 learning), but in opposite directions.

Table of content

Overview

Chapter 1. Literature Review

  • 1.1 Bilingualism
  • 1.2 Psycholinguistic aspects of bilingualism
  • 1.3 Language shift, attrition, and death
  • 1.4 Veneto-Spanish contact and the Parasitic Model of the lexicon
  • 1.5 Overview of methodological precedents
  • 1.6 Research Strategy

Chapter 2. Methodology

  • 2.1 Data collection methodology
  • 2.2 Procedure
  • 2.3 Pilot study

Chapter 3. Results and Analysis

  • 3.1 Nature of Results
  • 3.2 Analysis 1: Variation of verb forms and frames across speakers
  • 3.3 Analysis 2: Degree of variation of forms and frames according to groups
  • 3.4 Summary of data patterns

Chapter 4. Discussion and Conclusions

  • 4.1 Interpretation and explanation of Analysis 1
  • 4.2 Interpretation and explanation of Analysis 2
  • 4.3 A synthesis of analyses 1 and 2
  • 4.4 Implications
  • 4.5 Limitations
  • 4.6 Future Research

References

Appendix 1. Adolescent language history questionnaire

Appendix 2. Translation stimuli sentences with target Veneto translation

Appendix 3. Questionnare coding scheme (adolescent)1

Appendix 4. Translation stimuli

Appendix 5. Oral Elicitation Tasks (translated to Spanish)

Appendix 6. Written tasks

Sills, R. E. 2004. Cross-linguistic influences in a bilingual community: Evidence for the Parasitic Model of the bilingual mental lexicon. Tesis Maestría. Lingüística Aplicada. Departamento de Lenguas, Escuela de Artes y Humanidades, Universidad de las Américas Puebla. Mayo. Derechos Reservados © 2004.