The role of aspect in the acquisition of ser and estar in locative contexts by English-speaking learners of Spanish

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 interpreta...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autor: Perpiñán, Silvia
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Fecha de publicación:2019
País:España
Institución:Varias* (Consorci de Biblioteques Universitáries de Catalunya, Centre de Serveis Científics i Acadèmics de Catalunya)
Repositorio:Recercat. Dipósit de la Recerca de Catalunya
OAI Identifier:oai:recercat.cat:20.500.12328/2864
Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12328/2864
https://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10489223.2019.1610408
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave: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
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Descripción
Sumario: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).