Positive Evidence and Parameter Resetting in the Teaching of English Grammar to Libyan University Students

Abstract

This study builds on Chomsky’s principles and parameters framework (Chomsky, 1986) by applying it to the study of second language (L2) acquisition. In other words, it makes use of a parameter resetting model to explain aspects of the second language learning process. It aims to investigate whether classroom instruction which presents only positive evidence, that is to say grammatically correct samples of the L2, is sufficient to enable adult second language learners to acquire certain properties of L2 parameters which differ from their mother tongue (L1). The participants in the study have Arabic as their L1, and are learning English as an L2. The study hypothesizes that the participants, who are all adult students studying English language at an advanced level in Misurata University, Libya, will not be able to reset the pro-drop parameter and the verb raising parameter from their properties in Arabic to their different properties in English. The hypothesized reason is that they are taught using only positive evidence-based samples of English, and that is not sufficient to lead to parameter resetting. The results show that the students had great difficulty in resetting the pro-drop parameter and the verb raising parameter from Arabic to English.