On the Underspecification of Functional Categories in Early Grammars

Abstract

This chapter focuses on the acquisition of functional categories, arguing that early child grammars are much richer and more fully developed than early child productions might suggest. It shows that much of the null and variable occurrence of functional categories in early speech can be explained more accurately by appealing to phonological rather than syntactic aspects of children's developing grammars. The chapter demonstrates that the omission of functional categories such as determiners, subject pronouns, and auxiliaries in English and Sesotho is actually predicted by the Metrical Model of Production. The simultaneous grammars approach implies that children learning one language would maintain two grammars and code-switch between them. The chapter examines the variable use of functional categories in early English and Sesotho. It explores how an understanding of children's early production constraints is essential in determining the nature of Universal Grammar and the role it plays in the acquisition of syntactic structure.

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