SPAN 513 Acquisition of Spanish as a Second Language

An in-depth analysis of current research carried out on the acquisition of Spanish as a second language. Focus will be on syntax, phonology, lexicon, discourse, and pragmatics. Specific topics covered include the following: null-subjects, clitics; movement and word order, tense and aspect, mood, agreement features, grammaticalization, modality, negation, functional categories, tutored vs. untutored learners, UG vs. non-UG effects, the Noun Phrase Accessibility Hierarchy, markedness, cohesive devices, speech acts, metaphors, idioms, the lexicon and culture, the phonological systems, including suprasegmentals. In addition to developing an understanding of the current research on the acquisition of Spanish as a second language, students will learn how to read the research literature from a critical perspective and how to read empirical data presented in published research that might result in alternative interpretations from those espoused by authors of published work. This goal will be achieved in two ways: requiring students to submit via e-mail to the professor and other students in the seminar two- to three-page critiques of assigned readings; and oral presentations in class of readings selected by the student(s). Some of the critical reports and presentations will be carried out jointly, and others will be done individually. Students will also learn how to design and implement empirical research on the acquisition of Spanish as well as how to write up the results of this research in a potentially publishable research report. Finally, they will have the opportunity to present their research findings to the Penn State applied linguistics community, in a mini in-house workshop at the end of the course. In preparation for this, time will be set aside near the end of the seminar for students to present and discuss their research with their colleagues in the course. Most of the readings for the course will be preselected by the professor; however, students will also be expected to carry out independent reading of publications not included in the course syllabus and present and critique what they read in the seminar.