This course is intended to serve as an introduction to and a survey of various studies on Japanese first and second language acquisition. We will first discuss the differences between first and second language acquisition in general, including a discussion on learnability issues. After this introduction, we will discuss various topics in detail. Discussion topics will include maternal speech, phonetics/phonology, word order, case particles, different syntactic constructions, anaphoric expressions, and reading acquisition.
Students are expected to read the assigned papers prior to the class meetings. The course requires active participation in class (Class Participation). Each student must choose an article and present a summary of it in class (Article Presentation). Students are also required to choose a particular topic/issue (e.g., acquisition of the particle WA) and investigate how children or non-native speakers of Japanese acquire it in light of the learnability issues introduced in this course. The results of the study will be presented and discussed in class (Research Presentation). After the presentation, each student is required to write a final paper incorporating the comments from the class presentation (Final Research Paper). The study may be theoretical or an analysis of developmental data.
Make a handout and present your analysis in class. Provide the problem(s)/problematic construction(s) and the summary of your paper and then present your analysis. Rewrite your class presentation paper considering the comments from the participants of your presentation and submit it as a (double-spaced, type-written) term paper (Due 3/18 (T) noon).
| Class Participation | 10% |
| Article Presentation | 20% |
| Research Paper Presentation | 20% |
| Final Research Paper | 50% |
Nakayama (1996) Acquisition of Japanese Empty Categories. Kuroshio Publishers. Selected papers (See references below) - available at 204 Cunz Hall
Clancy, P. (1990) The acquisition of Japanese. In D. Slobin (ed.), The Cross Linguistic Study of Language Acquisition. Vol. 1. Data. NJ, Hillsdale: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Goodluck, H (1990) Language Acquisition. London: Blackwell.
Iwabuchi, E. and S. Muraishi (eds.) (1976) Yooji-no Yoogo. Tokyo: Nihon Hoosoo Shuppan Kyookai.
Kokugo Kokuritsu Kenkyuujo (1982) Yooji-no Kotoba Shiryoo. Tokyo: Shuuei Shuppan.
Noji, J. (1974) Yoojiki-no Gengo seikatsu-no Jittai. Hiroshima: Bunka Hyooron-sha.
Okubo, A. (1967) Yooji Gengo-no Hattatsu. Tokyo: Tokyo-do.
Pinker, S. (1994) The Language Instinct. NY: William Morrow and Company. University.
White, L. (1989) Universal Grammar and Second Language Acquisition. Amsterdam: John Banjamins Publishing Company.