German Impaired Grammar: The Clause Structure Revisited

Cornelia Hamann · Zvi Penner · Katrin Linder

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Language Development and Disorders Syntax, Semantics, Linguistic Variation Neurobiology of Language and Bilingualism

Abstract

Based on spontaneous data from 50 German children with specific language impairment (SLI), we explore several aspects of impaired clause structure. Our findings are that children with SLI use more finite than nonfinite verb forms (57% vs. 36%). In declarative main clauses they prefer the verb in clause-final position (44%) over genuine (3%) or subject-initial (27%) verb-second patterns; the vast majority (80%) of wh-questions and subordinate clauses are not target consistent. Several current models of clause structure deficits are tested against these findings, especially the Missing Agreement Hypothesis, the Optional Tense Hypothesis, the Truncation Hypothesis, and the Minimal Default Grammar Hypothesis. It is shown that only the latter can account for the entirety of error patterns found in German SLIs. The model is further explored with respect to tense marking in the speech of German SLIs, which is shown to be correct in the presence of overt temporal adverbs.

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References

2014The Minimalist Program 1997The Fine Structure of the Left Periphery 2014Children with Specific Language Impairment 1985The child language data exchange system 1993Some Notes on Linguistic Theory and Language Development: The Case of Root Infinitives 1989Language learnability and specific language impairment in children 1990Constraints on Parameter Setting: A Grammatical Analysis of Some Acquisition in Stages in German Child Language 1996The Underspecification of Functional Categories in Early Grammar

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