Accounting for asymmetries in cleft sentence use

Cleft constructions exhibit variations in their frequency of usage, influenced by different constraints and preferences at various levels, such as syntax or function. Additionally, these constraints and purposes may differ across languages. This study aims to clarify the factors influencing the use...

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Main Authors: Bianca Maria De Paolis, Cecilia Andorno, Sandra Benazzo
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona 2024-12-01
Series:Isogloss
Subjects:
Online Access:https://revistes.uab.cat/isogloss/article/view/431
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author Bianca Maria De Paolis
Cecilia Andorno
Sandra Benazzo
author_facet Bianca Maria De Paolis
Cecilia Andorno
Sandra Benazzo
author_sort Bianca Maria De Paolis
collection DOAJ
description Cleft constructions exhibit variations in their frequency of usage, influenced by different constraints and preferences at various levels, such as syntax or function. Additionally, these constraints and purposes may differ across languages. This study aims to clarify the factors influencing the use of cleft constructions among speakers of two closely related languages, Italian and French. By analyzing the behaviors of native speakers, we also formulate hypotheses regarding how these factors manifest in the speech of second language (L2) learners of these languages. Our findings highlight a difference in how native speakers handle the functional parameter in the use of clefts, with Italian speakers (but not French speakers) distinguishing between identification and correction. The linguistic proximity between Italian and French facilitates the acquisition of this complex structure among learners. However, other factors contribute to differing receptions of asymmetries in L2, including acquisitional phenomena such as the predominance of communicative need and the difficulty in incorporating the functional parameter.  
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spelling doaj-art-d2c6ffa47a514bbfa8cc57d948cc2db52025-01-28T03:01:54ZengUniversitat Autònoma de BarcelonaIsogloss2385-41382024-12-0110710.5565/rev/isogloss.431Accounting for asymmetries in cleft sentence useBianca Maria De Paolis0Cecilia AndornoSandra BenazzoUniversità di Torino, Université Paris 8 Cleft constructions exhibit variations in their frequency of usage, influenced by different constraints and preferences at various levels, such as syntax or function. Additionally, these constraints and purposes may differ across languages. This study aims to clarify the factors influencing the use of cleft constructions among speakers of two closely related languages, Italian and French. By analyzing the behaviors of native speakers, we also formulate hypotheses regarding how these factors manifest in the speech of second language (L2) learners of these languages. Our findings highlight a difference in how native speakers handle the functional parameter in the use of clefts, with Italian speakers (but not French speakers) distinguishing between identification and correction. The linguistic proximity between Italian and French facilitates the acquisition of this complex structure among learners. However, other factors contribute to differing receptions of asymmetries in L2, including acquisitional phenomena such as the predominance of communicative need and the difficulty in incorporating the functional parameter.   https://revistes.uab.cat/isogloss/article/view/431cleft constructionsinformation structuresecond language acquisitioncross-lRomance
spellingShingle Bianca Maria De Paolis
Cecilia Andorno
Sandra Benazzo
Accounting for asymmetries in cleft sentence use
Isogloss
cleft constructions
information structure
second language acquisition
cross-l
Romance
title Accounting for asymmetries in cleft sentence use
title_full Accounting for asymmetries in cleft sentence use
title_fullStr Accounting for asymmetries in cleft sentence use
title_full_unstemmed Accounting for asymmetries in cleft sentence use
title_short Accounting for asymmetries in cleft sentence use
title_sort accounting for asymmetries in cleft sentence use
topic cleft constructions
information structure
second language acquisition
cross-l
Romance
url https://revistes.uab.cat/isogloss/article/view/431
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AT ceciliaandorno accountingforasymmetriesincleftsentenceuse
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