The role of aspect in the acquisition of ser and estar in locative contexts by English-speaking learners of Spanish
Author
Perpiñán, Silvia
Publication date
2019ISSN
1048-9223
Abstract
This study proposes an explanatory account for the developmental stages of the acquisition of ser and estar in locative constructions. We propose that this copular distribution is regulated by two aspectual features, dynamicity, and temporal boundedness. These features are crucial for the interpretation of nominals such as ‘dinner’, which refers to the physical food [-dynamic] with estar, and to the event of having a meal [+dynamic] with ser. In a Picture Matching Task and an Elicited Production Task, English-speaking learners of Spanish had to comprehend, locate, and distinguish objects from events by employing the two Spanish copulas. We questioned whether L2 learners would be sensitive to the aspectual nature of subjects and copulas in locative constructions. We found that participants had difficulties interpreting the feature [+dynamic] in nominal subjects, and propose that this is the last feature acquired, offering a revised developmental path of the acquisition of ser/estar building on Van Patten (1987).
Document Type
Article
Document version
Accepted version
Language
English
Subject (CDU)
37 - Education
81 - Linguistics and languages
Keywords
Verbs copulatius
Aprenentatge d'idiomes
Verb ser
Verb estar
Construccions locatives
Castellà L2
Verbos copulativos
Aprendizaje de idiomas
Verbo ser
Verbo estar
Construcciones locativas
Castellano L2
Copulative verbs
Language learning
Verb to be
Locative constructions
Spanish L2
Pages
77
Publisher
Taylor & Francis
Collection
27; 1
Is part of
Language Acquisition
Citation
Perpiñán Hinarejos, Silvia. The role of aspect in the acquisition of ser and estar in locative contexts by English-speaking learners of Spanish. Language Acquisition, 2019; 27(1): p. 35-67. Disponible en: <https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10489223.2019.1610408>. Fecha de acceso: 14 oct. 2021. DOI: 10.1080/10489223.2019.1610408
This item appears in the following Collection(s)
- Educació [109]
Rights
© This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Language acquisition on 2019 May 7, available online: http://www.tandfonline.com/10.1080/10489223.2019.1610408