German-English-speaking children's mixed NPs with 'correct' agreement

Jorschick L, Quick AE, Glaesser D, Lieven E, Tomasello M (2011)

Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2011

Journal

Bilingualism-Language and Cognition Cambridge University Press (CUP)

Book Volume: 14

Pages Range: 173-183

Journal Issue: 2

DOI: 10.1017/S1366728910000131

Abstract

Previous research has reported that bilingual children sometimes produce mixed noun phrases with 'correct' gender agreement- A s in der dog (der being a masculine determiner in German and the German word for dog, hund, being masculine as well). However, these could obviously be due to chance or to the indiscriminate use of a default determiner. In the current study, we established with high statistical reliability that each of three German-English bilingual children, of 2-4 years of age, produced such mixed NPs with 'correct' agreement at significantly greater than chance levels. Also noteworthy was the fact that all three children produced such NPs with German determiners and English nouns much more frequently than the reverse. These findings provide a solid statistical foundation for further studies into the phenomenon of mixed noun phrases with 'correct' gender agreement.

Involved external institutions

Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology / Max-Planck-Institut für evolutionäre Anthropologie DE Germany (DE)

How to cite

APA:

Jorschick, L., Quick, A.E., Glaesser, D., Lieven, E., & Tomasello, M. (2011). German-English-speaking children's mixed NPs with 'correct' agreement. Bilingualism-Language and Cognition, 14(2), 173-183. https://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S1366728910000131

MLA:

Jorschick, Liane, et al. "German-English-speaking children's mixed NPs with 'correct' agreement." Bilingualism-Language and Cognition 14.2 (2011): 173-183.

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