La atrición de la competencia morfosintáctica del español lengua materna en situación de contacto con el inglés.

Abstract

First language attrition is the temporary or permanent loss of first language competence as reflected in the incorrect use of native grammatical principles or in the speaker's inability to make grammaticality judgments that would be consistent with that of monolingual native speakers (Seliger y Vago, 1991; De Bot y Weltens, 1991; Seliger, 1996). Our study centers on L1 (Spanish) attrition of four constructions related to three syntactic issues: (1) the so-called 'Compounding Parameter' (resultative constructions and Noun-Noun compound formation); (2) the "Verb Movement Parameter" as it determines the position of subjects in Spanish and English interrogative constructions; (3) the speck characteristics of Spanish clitic pronouns. We analyze the influence of linguistic as well as sociolinguistic factors in the erosion of these grammatical structures among Spanish immigrants. The data reveal, among other things, that the age of contact with the second language is a determining factor in the process of language attrition, as it is in the process of language acquisition. We also argue that the process of attrition of the native's morphosyntax occurs locally and is not generalized across all morphosyntactic structures. As in the case of second language acquisition, there is no dramatic change of native parameters.