Complementizer Que Omission in Embedded Clauses of Spanish L2 by English L1 and German L1 Speakers
Date
2024-09-25
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
ORCID
0009-0000-3020-5064
Type
Thesis
Degree Level
Masters
Abstract
The present study investigates que-dropping in Spanish L2 embedded clauses, a feature typically restricted in Spanish L1. It scrutinizes whether and how English L1 and German L1 speakers transfer their complementizer patterns from their L1 to Spanish L2. It also explores whether German L1 speakers transfer the word order changes associated with complementizer dropping in German to Spanish L2. An online experiment featuring acceptability judgment tasks was conducted to determine the dropping patterns of the L2 speakers and a Spanish L1 control group. Factors considered were verb type in the main clause, mood in the complement clause, and subject types in both clauses. The findings reveal a high rate of que-dropping among L2 speakers, with English L1 speakers showing the highest rate, followed by German L1 speakers and then Spanish L1 speakers. As Spanish L2 speakers advance through proficiency levels, they gradually transition from depending on dropping patterns inherited from their L1 to proficiently utilizing the complementizer que. This evolution is particularly evident in simpler embedded clauses, where the presence or absence of the complementizer becomes more conspicuous, offering valuable insights into the speaker's level of language proficiency.
Word order changes used by German L1 speakers were also observed to a small degree. The results suggest that the more common dropping patterns in German and English are partially transferred to Spanish L2.
Description
Keywords
que-dropping, complementizer que, Spanish L2, embedded clauses
Citation
Degree
Master of Arts (M.A.)
Department
Linguistics
Program
Linguistics