Abstract
We report that (i) European pro-drop language learners of Japanese as a foreign language (L1 Spanish) (pro-drop JFLs) allowed a sloppy interpretation of null arguments beginning at the primary stage of L2 development, and that (ii) European non-pro-drop JFL learners (non-pro-drop JFLs) did not permit a sloppy interpretation with null arguments even at an advanced level. Under Ishino’s (2012) framework, we argue that the results for the pro-drop JFLs follow from positive L1 transfer, given that Spanish, their first language, permits a sloppy interpretation with null subjects in some well-defined contexts (Duguine, 2013, 2014), and also that the non-pro-drop advanced JFLs’ availability of null arguments stems from the addition of a D-feature to the feature bundles of the target language.
Highlights
It is generally accepted that null arguments in Japanese are null pronominal pro’s (e.g., Kuroda, 1965; Saito, 1985)
Experiment We focus on the availability of a sloppy interpretation with null subjects and objects, used as a test to examine whether argument ellipsis (AE) is available
The non-pro-drop JFLs The data from the screening task were analyzed first because only the non-pro-drop JFLs who permitted null arguments in their L2 were taken into consideration in analyzing the data from the truth-value judgment task (TVJT)
Summary
It is generally accepted that null arguments in Japanese are null pronominal pro’s (e.g., Kuroda, 1965; Saito, 1985). Oku (1998) claims that Japanese null arguments allow interpretations that pro’s do not permit. Notice that in the strict interpretation of (1b), the pronoun it is Mary’s paper; the sloppy interpretation that it is John’s paper is not available. This example illustrates that pronouns do not permit a sloppy interpretation. Mary thinks that her paper will be accepted. B. John thinks that it will be accepted
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