1st Edition

Ultimate Attainment in Second Language Acquisition A Case Study

By Donna Lardiere Copyright 2007
280 Pages
by Routledge

279 Pages
by Routledge

279 Pages
by Routledge

The first book-length treatment of its type, Ultimate Attainment in Second Language Acquisition is a case study with a solid theoretical grounding that examines the language of an immigrant learner of English, and thereby presents a much needed understanding of the linguistic competence of second language speakers. Based on longitudinal data collected over a period of 16 years, this clear and... Read more
Contents: Preface. Some Preliminary Issues in Adult L2 Ultimate Attainment. Introducing Patty. Knowledge of Finiteness. The Acquisition of Past Tense. Clausal Word Order and Movement. Nominal Phrases. Conclusions.

Biography

Donna Lardiere

"Donna Lardiere has given us a beautiful study. Readers will mine gems from it. Every analysis is competently executed and the text is well-written and accessible. It is circumspect in its avoidance of dogma and bluster...I feel confident it'll be widely read and cited."
—David Birdsong
University of Texas/Austin

"This fascinating case study of a fossilized speaker of English makes a major contribution to our understanding of the linguistic competence of second language speakers.  The book explores a number of central issues relating to ultimate attainment; of particular interest is the dissociation between syntax (which is native-like in many respects) and morphology (which is not). This book will be of considerable interest to researchers and students in the fields of linguistics and language acquisition."
—Lydia White
McGill University

'Graduate students contemplating linguistic case studies will find in this volume an exemplary model of rigorous methodology conveyed in crisp arguments and a captivating style.' - TESL-EJ