The Acquisition of Second Language Syntax (review)

Braidi has written an accessible and intelligent introductory overview of the acquisition of second language syntax without assuming an extensive background of linguistics on the part of the reader. In the first two chapters, she disposes of the necessary preliminaries: what grammar is, what acquisition is, the history of second language acquisition (SLA), a mandatory discussion of contrastive analysis and error analysis, and a discussion of the myriad of problems involved in determining what constitutes reaching a stage in the process of SLA.

B then begins an impressive survey of the various dominant approaches to the acquisition of second language syntax, discussing each insightfully with a focus on what it contributes to our understanding. B discusses the consequences of the methodological assumptions, critiquing the strengths and weaknesses in the coverage of each approach. B begins her tour with a well-presented, sympathetic chapter on universal grammar. The fourth chapter deals with the interactions between typology, markedness, and SLA. The fifth deals with processing approaches, in the process providing useful sketches of several models: B describes Bill Van Patten’s input processing model, a model that describes learners as ‘limited-capacity processors’, and claims that SL learners process for meaning before form, specifically, for content words before grammatical words and for more meaningful grammar before less meaningful. Only when learners are able to process informational or communicative content at little or no cost to attention do they pay attention to form. The second model covered in detail, Elizabeth Bates and Brian Mac-Whinney’s competition model, also invokes the notion of limited-capacity processors, particularly for early SLA, noting that learners first tune to the communicative intent of the message; only later is attention turned to mastery of other aspects of coding. The last model covered in detail, the multidimensional model of Harald Clahsen, Manfred Pienemann, and Marfred Pienemann and Malcolm Johnston, notes that in SL production learners begin with an extremely rigid word order, allowing more alternate word orders only much later when little or no attention needs to be allocated to the basic production. The chapter on the functional presents a broad overview interspersed with more detailed treatment of various items of potential interest, beginning with Talmy Givón but going on to include references to such diverse topics as Thom Huebner’s work with Hmong learners and Robert Van Valin’s role and reference grammar.

It is possible for one to quibble, of course. B’s treatment of approaches does not include the currently influential models based on lexically-based constructions nor is there any reference to Dan Slobin’s work (largely on first language acquisition). However, such personal quibbles aside, in one short, readable volume, B has managed to provide an objective, insightful survey of the enormously complex area of second language syntax.