A more careful look at the syntax–discourse interface

Abstract

In this article, we compare results from two recent comprehensive studies on syntax–discourse interface properties. Both Valenzuela (2005, 2006) and Ivanov (2009) investigate the L2 acquisition of clitic left dislocation (CLLD) as a marker of topicality in L2 Spanish and L2 Bulgarian. However, Valenzuela argues that near-native speakers of Spanish demonstrate residual optionality at the syntax–discourse interface while Ivanov claims that advanced learners of Bulgarian are ultimately successful at the interface. Assuming a syntactic analysis of the clitic-doubling phenomenon based on López (2009), Bulgarian and Spanish CLLD look very much alike. Displaced objects that have antecedents in the previous discourse, that is, topics, have to be doubled by a clitic to avoid (potential) confusion and infelicity. Valenzuela's near-native Spanish speakers are 100% accurate in accepting specific dislocated objects doubled by a clitic. We argue that their inferior accuracy on generic dislocates may be due to some participants’ heeding discourse cues over semantic cues in processing these sentences. Ivanov's advanced participants as a group display native-like choices. We suggest that when subjected to a more careful scrutiny, the external (syntax–discourse) interface does not look very different from the internal interfaces, after all.