Typology and Second Language Acquisition

Giuliano Bernini

This paper investigates in a functional framework the particular case of the development of lexical repertoire and semantics of indefinite pronouns in second language acquisition of Italian. The investigation pursues two major aims of general relevance for both second language acquisition research and typology.

The first aim is the assessment of the empirical relevance of second language acquisition research for the validation of principles proposed in typological studies in order to account for the structural regularities found in fully-fledged languages, as originally advocated by Comrie (1984). This perspective has a fairly long tradition of studies, which may be illustrated by Hawkins's (1987) employment of implicational universale as predictors of the route of development of second languages, relative timing of acquisition of different structures, and expected types of error; this perspective may be further illustrated by the more recent investigation of the learners' (re)construction of the means for clause connection available in Italian as the target language, carried out by Giacalone Ramat (1999a). The implicational hierarchy proposed on the basis of cross-linguistic evidence, governing the use of different verb forms in subordinate clauses in accordance with the higher or lesser degree of integration of the states of affairs described in the clauses to be conjoined is validated by the acquisitional path followed by the learners.¹

The second aim is the tentative definition of the position learner varieties may be assigned among language types as identified on the

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