• Korean Journal of English Language and Linguistics
• /
• v.4 no.1
• /
• pp.33-60
• /
• 2004

This study was an attempt to present an appropriate way of interpreting L2 learners' linguistic behavior within Universal Grammar (UG) framework. Based on the Korean EFL adult learners' performance on the Subjacency violation sentences, the study suggested that the EFL learners are able to acquire subtle knowledge of target grammar and their linguistic behavior should be interpreted with the most recent version of UG theory, the Minimalist Program (MP) notion. The MP notion seems more plausible to accommodate incomplete L2 grammar while acknowledging UG-constrained interlanguage which the previous version, Principles and Parameters (P&P) approach, could not explain very well. The study observed no age-effects among the Korean EFL learners in their linguistic competence measured by the performance on the UG-constraint violation sentences. Having suggested that the MP notion can be a more reasonable tool to explain the EFL learners' linguistic behavior, the study introduced comprehensive hypotheses such as Constructionist Model (CM) and the Ontogeny Phylogeny Model (OPM).

• English Language & Literature Teaching
• /
• v.10 no.2
• /
• pp.1-23
• /
• 2004

This article reports a bi-directional interlanguage study designed to investigate the initial state of L2 acquisition with regard to English and Korean wh-questions. Based on the UG system in line with the minimalist theory, it was hypothesized that the L2 initial state is characterized by the most economical form of syntax in which no overt wh-movement to Spec-CP is assumed. Results of the early interlanguage study showed that 1) L1 Korean learners of L2 English predominantly produced wh-questions with the fronted wh-word, but without productive wh-movement to the Spec-CP position; and 2) L1 English learners of L2 Korean overwhelmingly produced wh-questions with the wh-word remaining in-situ. These results were interpreted as supporting the minimalist account of the L2 initial grammar in that no overt syntactic wh-movement were adopted in early interlanguages of both English and Korean regardless of the learner's L1.

• Lingua Humanitatis
• /
• v.7
• /
• pp.57-92
• /
• 2005

The main driving force behind Chomskyan theory of language that is gaining ground under the title of the "minimalist program" has been the urge to reduce the variety of natural languages to a minimal number of theoretical concepts and devices and to formulate the strongest possible hypothesis about linguistic structures. This has led to a long series of proposals of ever greater abstractness, with concomitant modifications in a number of theoretical constructs. The minimalist approach is the latest development of these constant changes, for which there is really "only one computational system and one lexicon," the differences among languages being reducible to parametric variation in "nonsubstantive parts of the lexicon"(Chomaky 1995:169-70). Chomsky thus differs, now more than ever, from other linguists by his sweepingly programmatic, rather than empirical, approach to language. The proposals he makes are too complicated to discuss here in any technical details. We rather focus on a series of lectures delivered by an ardent adherent of the minimalist program, with the view to demonstrating how this theory may mislead and distort the whole prospect of linguistic investigation. The rationale of the so-called 'minimalism' per se will be called into question.

• English Language & Literature Teaching
• /
• v.10 no.1
• /
• pp.179-200
• /
• 2004

The purpose of this study is to investigate the adequacy of derivational approach and representational approach to syntactic theories in generative grammar. As the generative grammar is based on the derivational process of syntactic theories, it is suggested that derivational approach is more valid than representational approach. Move, Economy Principle, Local Economy and Label-free Phrase Structure in Minimalist framework support the preference of derivational approach to representational approach with the elimination of computational complexity, minimality, and label-free phrase structure. Syntactic structure is considered as the result of the interaction of the properties of lexical items containing probe and economy conditions constrained by bare output conditions. On the other hand, Pseudogapping in Lasnik(1999) is analyzed in terms of Object Shift, that is, overt raising to Spec of $Agr_o$ and the PF deletion of VP in representational approach. Hence, it is suggested that the combination of derivational and representational approaches to syntactic theories can be admitted in generative grammar.

• Language and Information
• /
• v.13 no.1
• /
• pp.127-143
• /
• 2009

Tough-construction is, undoubtedly, one of the most puzzling syntactic problems in the history of transformational grammar. Various approaches have been proposed including Deletion approaches (Akmajian, 1972; Lasnik and Fiengo, 1974) and movement approaches. Among the movement approaches, Chomsky (1977; 1981) argues for movement of null Operator, and Hornstein (2001) argues for a two-step movement equipped with Sideward movement. Most recently, Schueler (2004) and Hartman (2009) each have also argued for a kind of movement approach. With the development of the Minimalist syntax (Chomsky, 1995; Chomsky, 2000; Chomsky, 2001), tough-construction, an age old problem in the description of grammar, turns into another round toward to a more satisfactory answer. By examining the most recent competing analyses of tough-constructions, this paper defends and extends Schueler's (2004) analysis, rather than Hartman's (2009) two step movement approach. Furthermore, this paper proposes that tough-subject originates from the intermediate CP internal Spec-TopicP position rather than from the iterated CP layer (Authier, 1992). This approach has more descriptive power than it was originally argued for in Schueler (2004) and is a step closer toward Minimalism insofar as the conception of government is no longer utilized.

• Lingua Humanitatis
• /
• v.1 no.1
• /
• pp.235-251
• /
• 2001

According to Chomskyan grammar, humans can generate and understand an unbounded number of grammatical sentences. Against the background of pure and idealized linguistic competence, this linguistic productivity is argued and understood. In actual utterances, however, there are many limitations of productivity but they are said to come from the general constraints on performances such as capacity of short term memory or attention. In this paper I discuss a problem raised against idealized productivity. I argue that linguistic productivity idealizes our linguistic competence too much. By separating idealized competence from the various constraints of performance, Chomskyan theorists can argue for unlimited productivity. However, the absolute distinction between grammar (pure competence) and parser (actual psychological processes) makes little sense when we explain the low acceptability(intelligibility) of center embedded sentences. Usually, the problem of center embedded sentence is explained in terms of memory shortage or other performance constraints. To explain the low acceptability, however, we need to assume specialized memory structure because the low acceptability occurs only with a specific type of syntactic pattern. 1 argue that this special memory structure should not be considered as a general performance constraint. It is a domain specific (specifically linguistic) constraints and an intrinsic part of human language processing. Recent development of Chomskyan grammar, i.e., minimalist approach seems to close the gap between pure competence and this type of specialized constraints. Chomsky's earlier approach of generative grammar focuses on end result of the generative derivation. However, economy principle (of minimalist approach) focuses on actual derivational processes. By having less mathematical or less idealized grammar, we can come closer to the actual computational processes that build syntactic structure of a sentence. In this way, we can have a more concrete picture of our linguistic competence, competence that is not detached from actual computational processes.

• Korean Journal of English Language and Linguistics
• /
• v.2 no.3
• /
• pp.305-327
• /
• 2002

This paper is in line with the attempts to examine two assumptions implied about the role of Universal Grammar (UC) in nonnative language acquisition: Are the EFL learners at disadvantage in acquiring UC-driven knowledge? Are there critical period effects in EFL learning? Based on the research with the seven studies of ESL and EFL adult learners performance on the Subjacency violation sentences, the paper investigates the extent to which the EFL adult learners can attain UG-driven knowledge represented by the Subjacency Principle. It also makes comparison of the EFL learners level of access to UG with that of their counterparts, the ESL learners. The research findings suggests that the EFL environment doesn't prevent the learners from acquiring target grammar in UG domain. That is, the current paper strongly suggests that the EFL adult-learners be able to acquire UG-driven knowledge to a considerable extent, at least as high as the ESL adult learners can attain. For the interpretation of the research results of the seven studies, Constructionist Hypothesis (CH) supported by a Minimalist Program (MP) assumption is employed. CH seems more plausible to account not only for incomplete acquisition observed among the beginning and intermediate level learners but also for the native-like competence acquired by advanced level L2 learners.

• Language and Information
• /
• v.19 no.1
• /
• pp.59-73
• /
• 2015

In the traditional Locality approach to floating numeral quantifiers in Korean and Japanese, two subject positions have been identified for external merge, one in Spec, vP and the other in Spec, TP (Saito 1985, Miyagawa 1989, 2013, Miyagawa and Arikawa 2007, etc.). In this paper, I show that the two external merger positions of the subject are unnecessary in the grammar of Korean and Japanese. Rather, by accepting the minimalist assumption of the VP-Internal Subject Hypothesis (Kitagawa 1986, Sportiche 1988, Koopman and Sportiche 1991), we are better able to explain a variety of bewildering phenomena that arise in scrambling contexts of FNQ-constructions.