Abstract
This study explores the interpretation of null and overt object pronouns by Brazilian Portuguese (BP) and European Portuguese (EP) bidialectal bilinguals. Object pronouns are a particularly good domain to examine, given that, particularly with respect to null objects, the underlying syntax as well as the semantic and discourse constraints that regulate their distributions in the two varieties are superficially different but inherently similar. We test the extent to which native BP speakers who moved to Portugal in adulthood and have lived there for a considerable time display cross-linguistic influence in either direction. Each subject is tested twice, once in BP mode and once in EP mode, which allows us not only to test if they have acquired the EP target structure but also to test the extent to which acquisition of EP might have consequences for the same domain in BP. Our results show that the high degree of typological proximity between the L1 and the L2 may contribute to L1 attrition and hinder target-like performance (i.e., processing) of L2 properties. We relate the findings to key theoretical questions and debates within the context of the larger field of bilingual studies, particularly with respect to L1 attrition and L2 acquisition.
Highlights
The present study examines attainment in the second language (L2) and retention of the first language (L1) in the same adult native Brazilian Portuguese ( BP) speakers under naturalistic exposure to L2 European Portuguese ( EP)
We offer a descriptive analysis of the performance for each group in the null conditions investigated in the Acceptability Judgment Task (AJT), null animates in simple clauses (NAS), null animates in islands (NAI), null inanimates in simple clauses (NIS), and null inanimates in islands (NII), followed by their overt counterparts
The only exceptions are that EP controls marginally accept them in simple clauses, provided that they have an inanimate referent, and that BP controls marginally judge them below the 3.5 threshold in islands, in contexts where the referent is animate
Summary
The present study examines attainment in the second language (L2) and retention of the first language (L1) in the same adult native Brazilian Portuguese ( BP) speakers under naturalistic exposure to L2 European Portuguese ( EP). Whether or not one considers BP and EP to be dialects of a single language or extremely closely related, yet distinct languages, no one familiar with BP and EP would deny that each corresponds to different sets of rules in the Smith and Wilson (1979) sense. For this reason, we consider Brazilians living in Portugal who (seemingly) are speakers of both BP and EP to be (bidialectal) bilinguals, and we will refer to BP and EP as languages rather than dialects in this paper. Examining L2 acquisition and L1 retention in such contexts might be especially illuminating precisely because of the typological relatedness of the languages (see Rowe and Grohmann, 2013; Antoniou et al, 2016; Grohmann et al, 2016 for similar studies on bilectal Cypriot and Standard Greek speakers)
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